Parents Individual Gymnast Fundraising

[GymnasticsMomma]

We are currently a 501(c)(3) and am looking into doing individual fundraising for some of the team to traveling for a meet. I know we can’t do individual accounts for the gymnasts through our 501(c)(3) but is there another entity type that we could set up to flow the fundraising to the individual gymnast to use towards their trip? I do not want it to be illegal in any way, shape or form. Has anyone else had any success in the individual gymnast accounts for fundraising?

 

[Tmacs]

Look into RaiseRight. It's a rebate program that is not subject to the same restrictions because it's not income... but rebates. We've had a lot of success with it and a lot of $ raised. Otherwise, I've seen individuals do their own things on social media- 50/50 raffles, regular raffles, selling items. But the booster couldn't run it.

 

[gym_dad32608]

Just do it outside the organization. You could look into possibly creating a 501(c)7 or social club where only those individuals are members, but the headache and overhead of registering and reporting is probably excessive. The only real benefit is the tax-exempt status which allows some businesses and individuals to deduct some portion of the donation. Honestly at this level of donation, I would guess it is not that much of a motivating factor for someone to donate.

Or you could just raise the funds in the current 501c3 and promote fundraising as support the "trip to international competition", where the effort is for the trip versus the individuals, now, in theory, you would have to support anyone who wishes to go or have some qualifying criteria to the funds, but then the oversight would remain in organization.

 

[Flicfliclay]

Just do it outside of the booster. Those funds raised must be done by the individuals and that money goes to the individuals.. Having nothing to do with the 501 or individual accounts. BTW there should be zero individual accounts in the 501 to begin with.

 

[raenndrops]

If you are wanting to raise the money to go to all of the gymnasts going to the meet as opposed to the entire team, then you can do it within the booster club, but make it clear that the money is going to support the trip. You give the money to the gym in support of the trip, and the gym distributes it to the individual accounts.

 

[gym_dad32608]

If you are wanting to raise the money to go to all of the gymnasts going to the meet as opposed to the entire team, then you can do it within the booster club, but make it clear that the money is going to support the trip. You give the money to the gym in support of the trip, and the gym distributes it to the individual accounts.

Technically you cannot do this unless you are applying non-discriminating criteria, such as only gymnasts that qualify to regionals. You cannot apply criteria that says only gymnasts that participated in fundraising or something along those lines. At least not through a booster club organized as a 501c3

 

[raenndrops]

Technically you cannot do this unless you are applying non-discriminating criteria, such as only gymnasts that qualify to regionals. You cannot apply criteria that says only gymnasts that participated in fundraising or something along those lines. At least not through a booster club organized as a 501c3

That was what I was saying. Earmark it to all of those going to the meet that they are raising the money for.