Norwescon is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, which means your volunteer hours and any items you donate to the convention are tax deductible! (Please refer to IRS guidelines regarding charitable donations for more information.) We will happily provide a written receipt for donations valued at $250 or more. In addition, we are pleased to partner with several local charitable organizations in our mission to provide education and cultural awareness to our greater Pacific Northwest community.
You can donate to Norwescon either directly to us at the convention, or at any time during the year via PayPal (just click the button below this text)! Donations are used for the Norwescon Community Fund.
Norwescon Community Fund
The Norwescon Community Fund (NWCF), inspired by prior funds and initiatives, is here to support bringing more people into our community. The NWCF is a special fund to help defray the expenses of attending Norwescon for the following groups of people:
- Black, Indigenous, People of Color
- LGBTQIA2+
- Pacific Northwest people of limited means
See the full Norwescon Community Fund page for more information on the fund and how to apply for assistance.
Community Partners
Over the years, Norwescon has developed relationships with many charitable and educational organizations. Norwescon is proud to partner with these estimable members of the Northwest community:
Clarion West
Clarion West is an intensive six-week workshop for writers preparing for professional careers in science fiction and fantasy, held annually in Seattle, Washington, USA. The mission of Clarion West is to provide a high quality educational opportunity for writers of speculative fiction at the start of their careers. Norwescon provides an annual scholarship to Clarion West’s intensive six-week summer workshop for writers preparing for professional careers in science fiction and fantasy.
Recipients of the Norwescon Clarion West Scholarship
- Sam Davis (2022)
- Joule Zelman (2021)
- No recipient (2020**)
- Catie Peterson (2019)
- Rafeeat Aliyu (2018)
- Emma Törzs (2017)
- Lora Gray (2016)
- Tegan Moore (2015*)
- Evan J. Peterson (2015*)
- Yang-Yang Wang (2014)
- Kelly Sandoval (2013)
- Cory Skerry (2012)
- Jack Nicholls (2011)
- Jack Graham (2010)
* The 2015 scholarship was split between both recipients.
** The 2020 Clarion West workshop was canceled due to COVID-19.
Locus Awards
Norwescon is a proud sponsor of the Locus Awards Banquet. The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards presented by Locus: The Magazine of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Field, first presented in 1971. The award winners are selected from a poll of the magazine’s readers. Norwescon is proud to be part of this long standing tradition.
The awards are presented at an annual banquet, currently held in Seattle. The event draws many local and national fans and professionals. Hawaiian shirts are worn by all attendees, and those brave enough not to do so may find themselves being roasted. The Locus Awards welcomes all fans of the science fiction community.