Central Texas Region III CPAAA Fundraising Ideastexascpaaa.net/TCPAAA/Region3/TCPAAA_Region_III...the following ideas: 50/50 raffle, Cookbooks, Dunk-A-Cop, Restaurants and fast food

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Central Texas Region III

CPAAA Fundraising

Ideas

2018

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Contents

CTCPAAA Fundraising 3

Other Citizens Police Academy Alumni Associations 5

Other General Fundraising Ideas 8

Texas Fundraising Law 18

IRS 990 Tax Deduction form/instructions 23

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CTCPAAA Regional Fundraising

Austin Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

http://austincpaaa.org/

ACPAAA funds our activities from members’ fees, community donations, sponsors and support.

Bastrop Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

https://www.cityofbastrop.org/page/police.citizens_academy

Bastrop Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association has several fundraisers throughout the

year. To name a few; Variety of Raffles – Brisket, Leather Jackets, Cakes, etc. & whatever else

of value that has been donated from our local businesses.

The main two fundraisers; Annual Motorcycle Run (motorcycle ride through the Pine Trees of

Bastrop). $25.00 donation from each motorcyclist, $10.00 if they have a rider & Battle of the

Badges (bowling competition between Bastrop PD, Elgin PD, Smithville PD & Bastrop County

S.O.) and they will invite other teams to come out such as; Austin PD bowling league and Travis

County Bowing league, Fire Dept., EMS as well. Our movie theatre will donate the lanes, pizza

& drinks for each team. There is a donation of $150.00 per team and our Assoc. will have silent

auction & bake sale as well.

Cedar Park Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

http://www.cpcpaaa.net/

Membership dues, donations from the community, Business Matching, and Soda and water

sales at city events, fund the CPCPAAA. You can also donate on the website.

Elgin Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association

http://www.elgincpaaa.org/

ECPAAA raises funds by selling a cookbook, and selling sausage wraps, Speed Trap and Jail

House Coffee at events in Elgin.

Georgetown Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

https://pd.georgetown.org/citizen-police-academy-spring-session-2/

Largest fund-raiser is Blue Santa which is 100% community funded from sources such as local

businesses, private individuals, sports events, social clubs, money jars, parades and in-kind

materials. Other projects collect funds by selling T-shirts and decals and work with local

restaurants that offer a % of their sales on specific day(s) during the year.

Lakeway Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

http://lakewaycpaaa.org/

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The LCPAAA raises funds with Bingo Night, Back the Blue Gala, Ride for the Badge event and

community donations (to include raffle).

Waco Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

http://www.waco-texas.com/police/police-citizen-academy-alumni.asp

The WCPAAA have been involved in numerous fundraisers to include PD mouse Pad sales,

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0ther Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association Fundraising Ideas on the web

Carrollton Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

http://www.ccpaaa.org/

The CCPAAA raises funds with an online store, donations and membership dues, fast food

monthly fundraisers, and community business donations.

Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association Columbus Ohio

https://www.cpaaa-columbus.org/

CPAAA has sponsors and uses community awards programs (Kroger, AmazonSmile).

Battle Creek Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association (Michigan)

https://www.battlecreekmi.gov/463/Citizens-Police-Academy-Alumni-Associati

Alumni members have worked at MIS Speedway twice a year driving the 6 seat golf carts for

disabled people, transporting them to and from the parking lots to the grandstands. This was a

major fundraiser to keep the academy going and to develop the funds needed for projects.

Dickinson Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

http://www.dcpaaa.org/about-us

Fundraising Activities include, 50/50 monthly drawing, Garage Sales, “Walk of Memories" Brick

Sales, "Bucket Brigade" - street corner donations, Mail donations with the assistance of the DPD

and the DPOA (Dickinson Police Officers Association), Sale of Various Items - angle pins, DCPAA

logo pins, hats, shirts, jackets, lanyards, figurines, etc.

Euless Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

https://www.eulesstx.gov/wp/ecpaaa/volunteering/fundraisers/

The ECPAAA raised funds by selling Monogrammed Bricks for the Law Enforcement Center, BBQ

Dinners, Silent and Live Auctions and a commemorative Euless Afghan.

Galveston Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

www.Galvestoncpaaa.com

The GCPAAA uses of three parking lots where we charge $10 for parking during the Lone Star

Motorcycle Rally, sells T-shirts, mugs and decals that say Support Our Galveston

Police. Ordered through 4imprint, a company that has been very good to work with. Several

members call on businesses on the island for Business Sponsorships. In return, their logo is

shown on our website; and we provide a decal to be displayed on their or window…as well as a

framed certificate. Also contributions ear-marked for special door projects. Also administer a

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program: Out of the Blue. An anonymous donor gave $10,000 to set up funds for use when

police find a citizen in a crisis situation.

Granbury Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association (Texas)

http://www.cpaalumni.org/fundraising

The CPAA participates in the Kroger Community Rewards Program and Amazon Smile

Grand Prairie Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

http://www.gpcpaaa.org/home.htm

Association conducts an annual garage sale. You can also donate directly to the Association on

the website. Also involved in the North Texas Giving Day.org Foundation of Texas.

Hot Springs Village Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association (Arkansas)

http://www.hsvcpaaa.com/fundraising.htm

Funds are raised through the sale of CPAAA Merchandise, grants, and donations from

individuals, community groups and businesses

Illinois Citizens Police Academy Association

http://www.illinoiscpaa.org/index.html

ICPAA website has many ideas for fundraising to include many fundraising articles. Articles list

the following ideas: 50/50 raffle, Cookbooks, Dunk-A-Cop, Restaurants and fast food chains

fundraising, raffle tickets, intersection fundraising (Tag Day), Garage Sales, Yard Sales, Dinners

Dances, BBQ’s, Fun Runs, Golf Tournaments.

Mundelein Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association (Illinois)

http://police.mundelein.org/content/citizen-police-academy-alumni

Fundraising, National Night Out, Turkey Giveaway program, Shop-with-a-Cop Christmas

Program and the Annual Mundelein Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association Spaghetti

dinner.

North Richland Hills CPAAA

https://www.nrhtx.com/810/Citizens-Police-Academy-Alumni-Associati

Funding is obtained from the annual $20 membership dues. Additional fund-raising activities

include garage sales, popcorn sales, the Northeast Recycling days, and the Kroger and Tom

Thumb Community Reward programs.

pg. 7

Pearland Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

https://pcpaaa.com/

Fundraisers - Pear Run, Sales of PCPAAA Merchandise, Vending Machine Operations, Fall Gun

Raffle with drawing in December.

Roanoke Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

http://www.roanoke-cpa.org/cgi-bin/membership.cgi

RCPAAA raise funds through AmazonSmile, on site donations and membership dues

Sedgwick County Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association (Kansas)

Https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriff/citizen-police-academy/citizen-police-academy-

alumni-association/

Funding is from member dues and corporate donations

West Chester Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

http://www.wccpaaa.org

Fundraisers – Website donations and, food fundraisers

Wisconsin Rapids Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

http://www.wirapids.org/department/division.php?structureid=115

Current Fundraising - Tactical Command and Training Center. Past Fundraising, WRPD K9 Program,

SafeAssured ID Program, Vehicle for Special Response Team, In-squad Printers

Tallahassee Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association http://www.tcpaaa.org

Funds are raised at the annual TPD Police ball through sponsors and ticket sales to the event

and donations.

Whitehall Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association

https://www.whitehall-oh.us/234/Citizens-Police-Academy-Alumni-Associati

Several fundraisers throughout the year, including the annual Spaghetti Dinner and the Fall

Classic Golf Event.

Wichita Falls Citizens Police Academy Association

http://www.wichitafallstx.gov/1067/Citizen-Police-Academy-Association

The WFCPA raises funds selling Discount Cards, and accepting monetary donations

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Other fundraising ideas

FUNDLY

https://blog.fundly.com/fundraising-ideas/

#1 CrownFunding - Crowdfunding is a fundraising technique that harnesses the power of social

sharing and personal networks. Individuals ask for donations from their friends, family

members, and peers and can create an online crowdfunding page to tell their story, upload

photos, and accept donations.

#2 Matching Gifts – Companies can match donation by their employees.

#3 Shoe Drives - A shoe drive fundraiser is fun, unique and unlike anything you’ve done before.

Just collect gently worn, used and new shoes.

#4 Charity Auctions

#5 Giving Kiosks - Donors can give by simply swiping or dipping their cards. Depending on the

tool, some kiosks allow the donor to choose the gift amount while others allow the nonprofit to

set the amount.

#6 T-Shirt Fundraising

#7 – Text to Give - Sign up with a text-to-give provider and then start promoting your text-to-

give option to your supporters! Soon, donors will be using your text-to-give tool to give from

wherever they are!

#8 Advocacy Campaigns

#9 Peer to Peer Fundraising - Peer-to-peer fundraising is similar to crowdfunding, but instead of

you soliciting donations, your supporters will do it for you! Participants will create a fundraising

page, set a goal, and ask their networks to contribute.

#10 Online Shopping - donors download the Gumdrop tool and start shopping online.

Whenever donors buy items on a website that has a deal, the tool will notify them so they can

save. A percentage of the money they spend will go toward the organization of their choice!

Fundly has a total of 136 fundraising ideas on their website. Some are very easy to manage.

Mobilecause

https://www.mobilecause.com/fundraising-event-ideas/

MobileCause list the most popular fundraiser ideas and suggestions on how to manage each

idea.

5K Run/Walk/Swin/Ride Golf Tournament

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50/50 Raffle Haunted House

Alumni Mixer Matching Gift Fundraiser

Auctions Moving for a cause

Bachelor/Bachelorette or Raffle Obstacle Course Fundraiser

Bake Sales Philanthropic Pub Crawl

Basketball Hoops for Hope Shoe Drive

Battle of the Bands Sports Skills Clinic for Charity

Bingo T-Shirt Sales

Charity Calendar Virtual Lemonade Stand

Caroling for a Cause Wacky Wager

Choirs for Charity Yard Sale

Cupcake Wars

Dorm Decorating Tours

Duct Tape the Principal or coach to the wall

Funny Family Photos

Fashion Show

Gala Event

Games Night

Gift-wrapping for good

CharityAuctionsToday

https://www.charityauctionstoday.com/p/cheap-fundraising-ideas/

CharityAuctionToday provides ideas and advice on how to accomplish the fundraising goal.

Bake Sale Fun Games

Craft Sale Online Auctions

Activity Workshop Raffles

Beverage Stand Pajama Day

Car Wash Change Is Here

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Boat Wash Recycle

Charity Sports Root Beer Stalls

Catalog Sales Cycle Races

Cleaning Serves Community Service

Consignment Shop Sales Health is Wealth

Donation Jars Yard Sale

EventBrite

https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/fundraising-ideas-ds00/

1. Fashion show — Got a catwalk? Got models? Got some haute couture? You actually don’t

need any of the above to pull of a fundraising fashion show. All you need is floor space, benefit

t-shirts and a few staff members willing to put themselves out there and be goofy. You’ll be

selling your organization’s merchandise in no time.

2. Auction a date — This trope works great if the date in question is someone well known or

beloved in the community. Think outside the box on this one. Your CEO — dressed up for the

date as the winner’s choice character from history?

3. Silent auction — You don’t have to auction off gift baskets. Get creative with the auction

items. Think about experiences instead of things. Perhaps you have a donor willing to grant

access to his vacation home for the weekend, for instance.

4. Carnival — A carnival is always a fun way to raise funds. And you can invest whatever level of

overhead feels appropriate. Skip the antique carousels and make up your own games with

homemade booths and costumes for a lower cost and more personalized event experience.

5. Treasure hunt — Use an app like Actionbound to set up a treasure hunt that combines an IRL

(in real life) experience with augmented reality on a device.

6. Pamper-yourself festival — Curate a selection of stalls offering things like luxury beauty

treatments, chair massage, makeovers, wellness items, and clothing from local boutiques.

7. Balloon pop — Fill a room with balloons, hide prizes inside a select few, and sell needles to

event-goers for a chance to “pop for prizes.”

8. Open house — Invite the public to tour your charity grounds and see what happens behind

the scenes. Those who buy tickets to the tour feel involved at the ground level.

9. Singles charity night — Bring dating hopefuls together to honor a cause with activities that tie

directly back to your cause: making dog toys for a local animal shelter or cooking meals for the

homeless, for instance.

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10. A “night in” — Host a relaxed, laid-back gathering at your organization (dress code: PJs and

sweats) and ask guests to donate what they typically spend on a big night out.

11. Ugly sweater party — We all have that one horrible sweater a well-intentioned family

member knitted us. It’s time to put it to good use.

12. Morning dance party — An alcohol-free dance party with fancy mocktails made from

energizing fresh-squeezed juice.

13. Themed costume party — Forget about the fancy gala construct. Not everyone wants to

wear a starched shirt. Instead, consider a historical theme like “Come as your favorite feminist”

or “Guess which inventor I am?” Check out this blog for more ideas on how to choose a

memorable event theme.

14. Red cup party — Host a cocktail party and have participants buy red Solo cups at the door,

at a wildly inflated price to be donated to your cause.

15. Silent disco — No need to hire a professional DJ or performer. Simply plan a killer playlist

and provide each attendee with a headset when they enter the door.

16. Sky lantern sendoff — Host an evening celebration where partygoers make a wish on a

paper lantern, light a flame inside, and send it off in the sky.

Artistic fundraising ideas

17. Venue-specific dance performance — Vermont’s Farm to Balletfeatures summertime dance

performances on local farms all over the state. Dancers perform an originally choreographed

piece that tells the story of farming throughout the year. A ticket purchase gives donors the

chance to watch the show and learn more about that particular farm. Choose your own

imaginative variation based on your event venue and organization.

18. Theater — Consider partnering with a local theater company willing to provide the venue,

equipment, props, and costumes. Or, arrange to have profits from one of their normal

performances go to your cause.

19. Photo exhibition — Have participants contribute photographs they’ve taken that relate to

your charity. Have an art opening where event-goers buy a ticket to attend, than auction off the

photos.

20. Craft fair — Get a bunch of artisans on board and charge tickets at the door. This idea is

perfect for the holidays, when people are keen to buy unique, original gifts for their loved ones.

21. Haircut party — Find a local salon whose stylists are willing to donate their time for just one

day to giving haircuts. Customers pay what they think their haircut is worth, and all of the

money goes to your cause.

Community-oriented fundraising ideas

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22. Neighborhood street party — This is a great way to make money for a local cause or a

recent calamity. Have neighbors donate food, drinks and lawn chairs.

23. Community garage sale — Most people have tons of stuff they are secretly dying to get rid

of. Have them donate it to a neighborhood sale with the proceeds going to your charity.

24. Car wash — This classic isn’t just for high school sports teams. Have your execs washing the

cars to really appeal to the community.

25. Dog wash — Invite the public to come get their pooch polished up.

26. Clothing swap — Everyone brings a bag of clothes they don’t wear anymore. Set everything

up on retail racks, and let participants “shop” the swap for one new piece of apparel. Donate all

the rest to charity.

27. Coupon book — Solicit local businesses to participate by offering awesome deals on their

products and services. Sell the books for charity.

28. Tip night — Ask a local restaurant or café to donate tips or a percentage of sales for the

night to your charity.

Competitive fundraising ideas

29. Golf tournament — If there’s a particularly ritzy golf course nearby, ask them to donate

some less popular hours to your cause.

30. Roshambo tournament — You don’t need any special equipment to play rock-paper-

scissors, just your hands and some black-and-white-clad referees at a bar. Set up the rules and

get the crowd riled to bet on their favorite contenders.

31. 5K race — Fundraising runs are a timeless way to raise money for a good cause. Make yours

stand out with a costume requirement or unusual location.

32. Paddle race — Host a standup paddleboard contest and let beach bystanders place bets on

the winners.

33. Home run derby — Take a queue from Major League Baseball and hold a home-run-hitting

contest. Charge for entry or take bets on the winner.

34. Kickball tournament — For most of us, this was the first sport we ever learned in school.

Everyone knows the rules.

35. Tennis tournament — Host round-robin tennis matches with doubles teams, and sell

refreshments to participants and viewers.

36. Coaching sessions — Ask the local high school’s coaches to sign up for weekly coaching

sessions for various sports, then auction those off to the community.

pg. 13

37. Slam dunk competition — Recruit some local basketball stars to act as judges on made-up

categories like “form” and “panache.”

38. Poker tournament — The proceeds will go to charity, of course, but the winner gets acclaim

and a grand prize.

39. Beer pong tournament — Set up multiple stations around your venue, with local

microbrews selling beer they’ve donated to your cause. The ultimate winner takes home a keg.

40. Climbing challenge — Rent a climbing wall or team up with a local climbing gym to hold a

race to the top.

41. Trivia night — Host a trivia night at a local bar and have participants pay to play. For extra

credit, the bar can donate a portion of proceeds of drinks and food sold.

42. Stair climbing contest — Find a venue with a lot of stairs, like a stadium with 360-degree

bleachers. Have participants recruit sponsors.

43. World record attempt party — Give guests a list of “highly attainable world records” they

can attempt to break at your event.

44. Buddy run — The buddy being your dog. Like a canine-friendly 5k. Great for fundraisers

benefiting animals!

Recreational fundraising ideas

45. Polar bear plunge — Participants gather sponsors for their dive into icy cold water. You

provide the warm blankets and hot chocolate.

46. Bowl-a-thon — Bowling is a crowd-pleaser, and this one’s a great rain-or-shine activity. You

can set up informational and merch booths in the bowling alley, too.

47. Casino night — Take the gambling up a notch with multiple card games, costumes (Wild

West theme, anyone?) and cocktails.

48. Dunk tank — Rent a dunk tank and charge participants for a chance to dunk willing local

celebrities.

49. Game night — Rent arcade machines or old Atari or Nintendo games for a throwback game

night!

50. Yoga with animals — From goats to kittens, animal-themed yoga classes are all the rage

right now. Team up with a local animal shelter or petting zoo who will provide the animals to

help spread awareness of their own cause.

51. Activity marathon — Dream up an activity volunteers can try to do for 24 straight hours,

and stream it live or get the local new to cover it. Dance marathons are the most popular

variation.

pg. 14

52. Skating event — Host a roller skating or ice skating event and charge an admission fee.

53. Workout class fundraiser — Ask a hot local workout spot to host and help promote your

fundraiser. Charge an extra fee for entrance to this special one-time class with everyone’s

favorite instructor.

Culinary fundraising ideas

54. Dinner en blanc — An elegant pop-up dinner where diners wear only white. To lower your

expenses, make it a potluck picnic at a beautiful park.

55. Food fight en blanc — A less elegant dinner where everyone wears white, but they don’t

mind getting filthy. Serve spaghetti and meatballs; watch mayhem unfold. Make sure there’s a

hose on premises.

56. Pig roast — Recruit a local pig-roasting expert and charge attendees by the plate, with

classic sides like potato salad, cole slaw and chips.

57. Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party — Find a whimsical spot to serve mid-day earl grey

and biscuits with “eat me” signs on them.

58. Teacup pig tea party — Another idea for a tea party? Tea with teacup pigs. They shouldn’t

be trusted near the food, but they will draw a crowd.

59. Chili cook-off — Charge by the steamy, spicy bowl and ask a few local microbrews to donate

the beer to wash it down.

60. Food truck rodeo — You simply need a parking lot, a permit, and a handful of local food

trucks willing to attend. Charge for entrance, and the food trucks can still charge their normal

prices inside.

61. Bake sale — This is an oldie but definitely still a goodie. Stand out with a theme that’s on

point with your fundraising focus, like baked goods made from locally sourced ingredients to

benefit local farmers.

62. Adult lemonade stand — Spice up the sweet-tart drink with liquor and make sure to ID.

63. Popsicle stand — Another summertime fave. You can freeze anything liquid in a popsicle

mold. Be creative with your flavors! Margarita pops sprinkled with salt? Mmmmmm.

64. All-inclusive pancake breakfast — Make sure you offer options for everyone — the gluten

free, the vegan, the sugar-free, and the foodie who will eat anything.

65. Pie-throwing contest — Invite people to come take out their aggressions and indulge their

sweet tooths.

pg. 15

66. Winery tour — Team up with a local winery that doesn’t offer tours to the public every day.

Include an additional donation for personalized or white-label bottles from their special

collection.

67. Beer run — Like a pub crawl, but with more urgency. Participants stop at bars along the

route. Said bars donate their brews for a good cause.

68. Celebrity cooking class — Find a local chef willing to host a class in his kitchen (or rent one)

and end the lesson with a lively and intimate group dinner.

69. Cake walk — Like musical chairs, except the winner gets cake, not a chair. Ask a local bakery

to contribute the beautiful (and delicious) prizes.

70. Stone soup party — Have you heard the old folk story about the town that comes together

to make a communal pot of soup? Have participants bring a soup ingredient, and cook up the

recipe together. Then enjoy the spoils of your efforts with some nice crusty bread.

Educational or political fundraising ideas

71. Mentorship auction — Set up bidding for one-on-one chat sessions with thought leaders or

participating celebrities. The conversations can happen remotely, thanks to the plethora of

video chat tech.

72. Text message campaign — Hustle is one text-messaging app that can help you raise funds

for your political campaign with bold, short messages and easy, instant payment collection from

donors.

73. Film screening — Is there a documentary related to your cause? Host a night at the movies

replete with popcorn and candy.

74. Sausage sizzle — Popular in Australia, hosts of BBQs charge for sausage wrapped in bread

and donate the proceeds to charity. Down under, they sometimes call this “Democracy

Sausage” because this type of fundraiser is often held at polling places on Election Day.

Environmental fundraising ideas

75. Seedling sale — Set up in a busy parking lot and ask departing drivers to purchase seedlings

of plants or trees. Call it a “carbon exchange” — for the pollution their cars emit, drivers

purchase a seedling, and you commit to planting it.

76. Christmas tree recycling — A January-specific fundraising idea, charge a fee to dispose of a

tree. If you have the space (and permit) for it, a bonfire party can turn the necessity into a

festivity!

77. “Junk” donations — Some stuff isn’t worthy of a garage sale, but it’s still worth money. Have

community members donate their used ink cartridges, defunct electronics and old magazines.

You can resell these to recyclers for a profit.

pg. 16

78. Tote bag sales — Team up with a local grocery interested in encouraging customers to bring

their own bags. You supply the bags, for a fee that ties directly back to your environmental

cause.

79. Guided hike — Host a guided hike on a trail led by an expert who can point out the value of

the environs and why our natural world is so valuable.

80. Meatless Monday dinner party — Giving up meat just one day a week can have a huge

positive impact on our environmental footprint. Promote the idea of “meatless Monday” with a

hosted dinner cooked by a celebrated vegan chef.

81. Plant a community garden — Invite those with aspiring green thumbs to come together and

plant a community garden to benefit at-risk communities.

Musical fundraising ideas

82. Battle of the bands — Invite some local guitar heroes and give your donors a chance to

support your cause and enjoy the performance.

83. Talent search — How many of us have rock-n-roll dreams? Here’s everyone’s chance to try

out for a band. “The band” is one you’ll put together for this event, with the grand prize a

chance to perform at a local venue.

84. Karaoke contest — Recruit a local celebrity or two to judge participants willing to put

themselves out there, The Voice-style.

Youthful fundraising ideas

85. Graduation-day celebration — If your organization raises money or awareness for at-risk

kids or kids in need, consider a celebratory event when a milestone is met by the kids. It might

be actual school graduation, or the achievement of another organizational goal, like majority

literacy.

86. Sponsor a child — Donors give money, but they also get the chance to develop a

relationship with the child they sponsor and see the positive impact of their generosity.

87. Youth ambassador board — Appoint a board of young, well connected people who are

supportive of your cause and can help set up a crowdfunding campaign or spread the word on

social media.

88. Drawing auction — Invite bids on framed artwork by the youth you’re raising money for.

89. Family friendly mud run — Create a down-and-dirty obstacle course and invite the kids to

dive in.

90. Talent show — A great way to get youth involved with your mission, especially if your cause

is one that benefits youth in the first place.

pg. 17

91. Used book drive — Ask people to drop off books they’ve already read to stock a new

community library.

Virtual fundraising ideas

92. Dare fundraiser — Sponsor a social dare contest in which participants agree to do

outlandish things if sponsors contribute a certain amount of money.

93. 50/50 raffle — At the end of the day, the winner gets half the pot, and the other half goes

to your charity of choice.

94. Baby photo contest — Charge a small entry fee for participants to upload their baby photos,

and then have the crowd vote on categories like “cutest,” “chubbiest,” and “most improved.”

95. Personal appeal letter — Have board members or other stakeholders hand-write letters to

people who have donated in the past.

96. Call sprint — Send out flyers or virtual links ahead of time to let targets know you’ll be

calling and asking for a donation. Then assemble volunteers to make as many calls as they can

in a given period of time.

97. Donations on your event page — Make it easy for people to give even if they can’t attend

your event with donation buttons on your event page.

98. Themed t-shirts — Ink to the People is one place you can create a t-shirt to support your

cause. You don’t have to pay for a big print run up front. Instead, spread the word about the

memorable merch via social media. T-shirts ship straight to your donors when the fundraiser is

over.

99. Shared photos — Use Fundography to allow event attendees to upload and share photos

from the event. Other attendees can then purchase these photos for $2 each. The proceeds go

directly to your cause.

100. Fundraising bracelets — Remember the LiveStrong silicone wristbands? You can craft more

modern, classy bracelets working with a local designer, and sell them for the cause. Just make

sure they have an iconic design that makes them immediately recognizable.

pg. 18

Texas Fundraising Laws

From the Attorney General of Texas Website

https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/cpd/charities-nonprofits-registration-filings

Charities & Nonprofits:

Charitable Raffles

The Charitable Raffle Enabling Act, effective January 1, 1990, permits "qualified organizations" to hold

up to two raffles per calendar year, with certain specified restrictions.

A raffle is defined as the award of one or more prizes by chance at a single occasion among a single pool

or group of persons who have paid or promised a thing of value for a ticket that represents a chance to

win a prize.

In general, a qualified organization is:

A nonprofit association organized primarily for religious purposes that has been in existence in Texas for

at least 10 years;

A nonprofit volunteer emergency medical service that does not pay its members other than nominal

compensation;

A nonprofit volunteer fire department that operates fire-fighting equipment, provides fire-fighting

services, and does not pay its members other than nominal compensation; or

A nonprofit organization that has existed for at least three preceding years and is exempt from federal

income tax under Section 501(c), Internal Revenue Code; does not distribute any of its income to its

members, officers or governing body; does not devote a substantial part of its activities to attempting to

influence legislation; and does not participate in any political campaign.

The language of the law is very technical. If your organization is considering holding a raffle you should

check the statute to be sure it qualifies.

Prizes Offered and Proceeds from Ticket Sales

A qualified organization may offer any prize except money. “Money” is defined as coins, paper currency,

or a negotiable instrument that represents and is readily convertible to coins or paper currency. If the

raffle organizers offer a prize which they have purchased or have given other consideration for, the

value of the prize may not exceed $50,000, or $250,000 if the purchased prize is a residential dwelling.

There is no value limit on prizes donated to the organization.

Texas lottery tickets may be purchased and offered as prizes, even though the tickets' payoff may

exceed $50,000. The organization must have each raffle prize in its possession or ownership or must

post a bond for the full amount of the value of the prize with the county clerk of the county where the

raffle will be held.

Proceeds from ticket sales must be used only for the charitable purposes of the qualified organization.

pg. 19

Restrictions

A qualified organization is not required to register with the State before conducting a raffle. However

certain restrictions apply.

A qualified organization may hold only two raffles per calendar year and only one raffle at a time.

Raffle tickets may not be advertised statewide or through paid advertisements. Each raffle ticket must

state: 1) the name of the organization conducting the raffle; 2) the address of the organization or of a

named officer of the organization; 3) the ticket price; 4) a general description of each prize having a

value of more than $10; and 5) the date on which the raffle prize(s) will be awarded.

No one may be compensated directly or indirectly for organizing or conducting a raffle or for selling

raffle tickets.

Penalties and Enforcement

Only raffles held according to the terms of the Charitable Raffle Enabling Act are authorized raffles. The

law is Chapter 2002, Occupations Code, Texas Codes Annotated.

An unauthorized raffle is considered gambling under the Texas Penal Code. Conducting such a raffle is a

Class A misdemeanor. Participating in an unauthorized raffle is a Class C misdemeanor.

A county attorney, district attorney or the attorney general may bring an action in state court to stop a

violation or potential violation of the Charitable Raffle Enabling Act.

Please understand that this office cannot advise you about whether a proposed raffle would be

authorized under the law. If you have specific questions about the law, you should consult a private

attorney.

GuideStar on Fundraising

https://www.guidestar.org/Articles.aspx?path=/rxa/news/articles/2003/fundraising-what-laws-

apply.aspx

Basic Rule

The most basic rule of fundraising is that the donors must actually give away funds. They cannot receive

goods and services in return for their gifts, nor can they obtain dividends on their investment. Donors

can receive recognition and small tokens of appreciation, but if they receive a monetary return for the

donation, they will lose their tax deduction, and the nonprofit organization could lose its tax exemption.

Registration Laws

Most nonprofits and donors are aware of this basic rule, but many are unaware that most states have

adopted charitable solicitation laws designed to protect donors, the general public, and charities

themselves from fraud. Generally, these laws require charities and their fundraisers to register with the

state, describe their fundraising activities, file financial documents, and pay a fee that covers the

administrative expenses of monitoring charities. Nonprofits that need to know what each state requires

should bookmark Mult-State Filer Project Web site. That site includes the Uniform Registration Form,

which is accepted in 36 jurisdictions (35 states and the District of Columbia). It also includes all

pg. 20

supplemental forms that these states require as well as information on the four states that require

registration but do not accept the Uniform Registration Form.

Registration and the Internet

The registration rules are relatively straightforward, except when it comes to fundraising over the

Internet, because the law is not yet settled with respect to this issue. Although some argue that

solicitation laws apply to Internet fundraising as well as to telephone and mail solicitations, others

suggest that simple requests for funds that appear passively on a Web site are quite different from

active telephone and mail solicitations. The National Association of State Charities Officials (NASCO) has

promulgated the Charleston Principles, which arrive at a middle ground, but these are

recommendations to other state charity officials, not laws. Nonprofit organizations should check with

their legal advisors and with charity officials in their states (see links to the charity officials' sites) to

determine how to handle the issue of registration for Internet fundraising.

Solicitations Cannot Be Fraudulent

Even if charities are registered, it can be difficult for donors to know whether their gifts are actually

reaching the charity and being used for a good cause. Occasionally, the costs of fundraising are as much

as, or even more than, the return to the charity. States cannot mandate that a certain percentage of the

funds raised go to the organization's charitable activities, because fundraising appeals are protected free

speech (Schaumburg v. Citizens for a Better Environment, 444 U.S. 620 [1980], Secretary of State of Md.

v. Joseph H. Munson Co.,467 U.S.947 [1984], and Riley v. National Federation of Blind of N.C., Inc., 487

U.S.781 [1988]). States can, however, insist that the charity or its fundraiser tell the truth when soliciting

funds.

Last month the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the state of Illinois could proceed with a fraud

suit against a fundraiser who allegedly made misrepresentations by informing potential donors that

their gifts would help Vietnam veterans and then pocketed most of the money. The Court reaffirmed

that high fundraising costs alone would not constitute proof of fraud, but it did leave room for

intentionally misleading statements to provide such proof (Madigan v. Telemarketing Associates, Inc.,

2003 U.S. LEXIS 3430 [2003]). Thus, donors can and should ask careful questions of a charity requesting

funds, with the knowledge that the organization has an ethical and a legal duty to answer these

questions truthfully.

FTC's Operation Phoney Philanthropy

The Federal Trade Commission is also working to prevent fraud in the nonprofit world. It recently

launched "Operation Phoney Philanthropy," a law enforcement and public education campaign designed

to help donors recognize and avoid bogus charities. The FTC is working with state charity officials in 34

states, the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, and GuideStar in this endeavor. The FTC makes

several recommendations, among which is the suggestion that donors verify a charity's legitimacy by

researching it on GuideStar. The FTC site has information for donors who want to verify the legitimacy of

their contributions as well as for charities seeking to hire outside consultants for a fundraising campaign.

See FTC Web site.

pg. 21

FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule

This summer, the FTC is also launching amendments to its Telemarketing Sales Rule to help protect

consumers from unscrupulous telemarketers. This rule applies to interstate solicitations, and it applies

primarily to for-profit telemarketers who sell products rather than to those who solicit charitable

contributions. Telemarketers selling products and services will be required to scrub their list against a

national "do not call" registry before making calls. Although charitable solicitors will be exempt from this

requirement, they will still need to honor all "do not call" requests from individuals. If you request that

an organization not call you and it subsequently does so, it could be subject to a fine of $11,000.

Other aspects of the rule are applicable to those who use the telephone to raise money for charities.

These telemarketers must:

Make all calls between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Promptly disclose the name of the organization and state that the purpose of the call is to ask for a

charitable contribution

Tell the truth and avoid misleading statements during the call.

Honor all requests to be placed on a "do not call" list.

Conclusion

In the nonprofit world, fundraising is as inevitable as death and taxes in the for-profit world. If only a

small percentage of fundraisers are unscrupulous, the general public may lose trust in the entire sector.

Thus, charitable organizations must register with all applicable states and follow the charitable

solicitation rules in order to help maintain trust in the sector. Potential donors can protect themselves—

and others—by asking thoughtful questions and reporting unscrupulous behavior to state charity

officials and the FTC. There will always be some unscrupulous operators trying to siphon funds from the

unsuspecting, but an educated and proactive charitable community can minimize their success.

1Tom Tierney, founder and chairman of The Bridgespan Group, has made this analogy. "Imagine if a

typical CEO spent 2+ days a week with bankers, Wall Street analysts and venture capitalists. Now

imagine that it took over 100 different sources to capitalize his business, and that none of them would

ever commit to more than a single year's funding. It would be like trying to drive from San Francisco to

Boston on a gallon of gas at a time. You'd never be able to plan the fastest or most direct route and

would always be looking for the next gas station." See "The Prophet of Nonprofits," and "Taking a

Deeper Look at Philanthropy," The Gathering, 11-02-2002.

Elizabeth Schmidt, 2003

© Philanthropic Research, Inc.

pg. 22

Internal Revenue Service

http://form1023.org/irs-manual-for-fundraising-activities-of-exempt-organizations

The IRS also has restrictions and requirements. A complete extract from the Fundraising section of the

IRS Procedure and guideline used by Federal Agents to evaluate a non-profit tax exemption application

can be found on Form1023.org website.

pg. 23

W-9 (Fillable document and instructions can be found online)

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf