YW Camp Fundraiser

The YW in our ward are doing this Little Caesars Pizza fundraiser for their camp.

The problem is they have to pay for the pizzas (for the most part) and then get the money from ward members. I guess there is really no way to cut a check before hand?

Here is what it looks like we are going to do. Somebody (YW leader, or Bishopric member) will pay Little Caesars the money, we then cut them a check from ward funds. We get money back from ward members for the pizzas which we put in the OTHER YW camp fund. Once we have enough money to pay for the pizzas we go into MLS and change the check from the ward funds to the other funds?

I guess thats the best way to do it?

It seems like a lot of times we tend to borrow money from the church.
Thanks

tubaloth wrote:Here is what it looks like we are going to do. Somebody (YW leader, or Bishopric member) will pay Little Caesars the money, we then cut them a check from ward funds. We get money back from ward members for the pizzas which we put in the OTHER YW camp fund. Once we have enough money to pay for the pizzas we go into MLS and change the check from the ward funds to the other funds?

That seems viable.

I have a bigger concern that the fund raising may not comply with Handbook 2: 13.6.8. Ultimatly it's up to the local leadership to interprate the Handbook, but I'd question if it wasn't "Activities that would be taxable", "Activities completed with paid labor" or "The sale of commercial goods or services"

That seems viable.
I have a bigger concern that the fund raising may not comply with Handbook 2: 13.6.8. Ultimately it's up to the local leadership to interprate the Handbook, but I'd question if it wasn't "Activities that would be taxable", "Activities completed with paid labor" or "The sale of commercial goods or services"

I can see that. I guess thats the problem when they have done it in the past, we don't really question if it should be done.

I'm actually not sure what "Actives that would be taxable" even means. It seems like that if they held some shop or booth then maybe it would fall under that.

As far as "sale of commercial goods" that probably is kind of tough too, technically I thought the "fundraiser" little ceases pizza is different then their normal pizza they sell to everybody. I'm not sure if its exactly what I'm finding on the internet.

But I think a review of the fundraiser policy is probably needed.

tubaloth wrote:As far as "sale of commercial goods" that probably is kind of tough too,

I'd think it would be the sale/re-sale of something commercially made.

As for taxable, that probably depends on local laws. But when it's selling of something that is normally taxed and made by someone who is taxed, I have to wonder.

I've totally given up on pointing my ecclesiastical leaders to the handbook when it comes to fundraisers, nobody really seems to care what it says.

There is no reason you can't do an advance to pay for the pizzas by cutting a check.

johnshaw wrote:There is no reason you can't do an advance to pay for the pizzas by cutting a check.

If the funds come from budget that is fine. But a disbursement from an Other account that does not have funds to cover it will garner a message from headquarters stating urgent action is required to bring the account out of the negative. That message will explain accounts in the Other category are pass-through accounts and funds need to be collected before disbursements are made.

After funds are collected into the Other account
it might be appropriate to re-categorize the
advance from Budget to Other. Matches the
expenses more accurately in my opinion.

So they did the fundraiser. The bishopric member wrote a check to cover for the pizzas. He wanted to get reimbursed today, but I told him it would better if we wait until we put the funds into the other account. I got those funds today also. Because of family events we plan on doing it on Weds.

Some of it is in cash but most is checks that members wrote out the ward.

Can we fill out one slip for all the cash, to the other, just have it be "Anonymous"?
Do we need to fill out a slip for each check or can we do something similar for checks as anonymous. (or I guess as many checks we feel can go onto one slip). We know the money isn't tax deductible, so its just a matter of getting the money into the other YW camp account?

tubaloth wrote:Can we fill out one slip for all the cash, to the other, just have it be "Anonymous"?

Do we need to fill out a slip for each check or can we do something similar for checks as anonymous. (or I guess as many checks we feel can go onto one slip). We know the money isn't tax deductible, so its just a matter of getting the money into the other YW camp account?

It's best to have a slip per person for two reasons:

• The payments will show up on any YTD statements for the members
• If a check happens to bounce, the Church financial systems will be able to match it up with the donor.

The second one makes sense.

Why would the member need to see it on there YTD totals?

tubaloth wrote:Why would the member need to see it on there YTD totals?

Although it will show up as a non-charitable donation, and will not be part of the charitable total, I like to see it simply to know that it was properly recorded and processed by the ward.

There are also circumstances where something the Church records as a non-charitable donation is actually tax deductible depending on the taxpayer's situation, so there is an independent record of the donation.