Funding

Includes fundraising, events, grants, and other income generating activities.

Raffling a Porsche Boxster Online: Missing the Bumps in the Road

/ Joan Patterson

Prior to COVID-19 had you ever attended a virtual fundraising event? I hadn’t. When the Nonprofit Association of Oregon offered a webinar on how the Dougy Center transitioned their largest in-person fundraising event to a virtual event, I registered.

My family became aware of the Dougy Center when we lived in Oregon. They provide support for children and young adults dealing with grief. A fantastic organization that has loads of community support. For 23 years one sponsor has made the raffle of a Porsche Boxster possible.

Taking that raffle online required navigating bumps in the road.

To buy a raffle ticket online, the purchaser had to check a box verifying that they were in the state of Oregon. Why?

Raffles are gambling. A raffle involves pay-to-play, a prize, and a random drawing. Gambling is illegal, however most states and localities allow nonprofits, 501(c)(3), to conduct raffles for fundraising purposes. The rules governing raffles are determined by the state and locality where the nonprofit is located.

Usually it is only legal to sell raffle tickets in the state the nonprofit is located in. So even though the Dougy Center is just across the Columbia River from Washington state, it is not legal to sell tickets in Washington. Selling tickets online can be problematic and some states ban it. Many nonprofits avoid it or do as the Dougy Center did and require the purchaser to verify that they are physically located in the same state as the nonprofit.

If you are considering holding a raffle and want to avoid the bumps in the road then here are some things to consider:

  • Raffle are not allowed on Service-managed property (633 FW4)
  • Adhere to the local and state laws
  • Acquire the necessary permits
  • Follow the IRS regulations on Charitable Gaming
  • Ensure proper records are kept
  • File appropriate taxes that might include: excise, UBIT, and withholding
  • Ensure proceeds are used according to state regulations

Understanding the rules your nonprofit has to operate within will make your raffle successful. For us, we’ll have to take a trip to Oregon to purchase a raffle ticket for the Porsche Boxster.

Resources for nonprofits on raffles:
National Council of Nonprofits
https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/games-of-chance-raffles-and-charity-auctions

Guide Through the Legal Jungle
https://www.guidethroughthelegaljungleblog.com/2013/04/why-your-non-profit-may-not-be-able-to-sell-raffle-tickets-online.html#:~:text=Raffle%20laws%20vary%20from%20state,raffle%20tickets%20across%20state%20lines

Fundraiser Help
https://www.fundraiserhelp.com/?s=raffle+rules

NFWF Friends Grants Program Proposals Due June 30th

/ Joan Patterson

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is now accepting grant proposals for the competitive 2020 National Wildlife Refuge Friends Grant Program.

NFWF announced that, “along with its partners, recognizes the important role refuge Friends organizations play in building critical community support for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System). As such, NFWF is requesting proposals for projects that help organizations to be effective co-stewards of the nation’s important natural resources within the Refuge System. The Refuge System’s Friends program (Friends program) provides competitive grants of $1,500 to $15,000 to creative and innovative proposals that seek to increase the effectiveness of Friends organizations assisting the Refuge System nationwide.”

The Friends program will award grants for nonprofit capacity building grants, project specific grants, and peer-to-peer coaching grants, and special initiative grants. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) provides funding for the Friends program.

Details about this funding opportunity are provided in the Request For Proposals at https://bit.ly/2XkslWM

NWRA Fundraising Webinar for Friends

/ Linda Kilgore

 

NWRA Fundraising Flyer

Click image to go to registration form.

Date: May 12 or May 14, 2020 (two sessions to choose from)
Presented by: Courtney Lewis, NWRA Director of Development

The National Wildlife Refuge Association is sponsoring a webinar exclusively for refuge Friends groups to discuss various fundraising strategies in response to the effects of COVID-19.

The topics of discussion are: Fundraising during COVID-19; Fundraising Events; Foundations, Individual Donors, and Major Donors. If time permits, we will have questions at the end.

Go to the online form to choose the date and time for the session you wish to attend. Connection information will be sent to you the day before the webinar.

“In fifty minutes, Courtney conveyed more useful, practical information on effective fundraising than I’ve heard in sessions many times that long.”  —Mike Baldwin, Ding Darling Wildlife Society