Fundraising for Members in Need
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Sometimes individual members find themselves in some kind of financial distress, and we feel a fraternal need to help them out. Unfortunately, U.S.G.L., as a non-profit religious corporation subject to Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Tax Code, is prohibited from allowing any part of its net earnings to “inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.” To prevent any impropriety, or appearance of impropriety, with respect to the tax code (which could jeopardize our non-profit status) we have been advised by legal counsel to apply the following criteria when raising funds to be provided to members in need:
- No O.T.O. funds (including Chapter, Lodge, or other Local Body funds) may be used.
- No funds raised may pass through any U.S.G.L., Chapter, Lodge, or other Local Body accounts.
- The fundraising project cannot be organized as an official project of U.S.G.L. or any Chapter, Lodge, or other Local Body.
- The fundraising cannot be performed using official U.S.G.L., Chapter, Lodge, or other Local Body resources, such as member mailing lists, or repeated announcements on Order-related or Order-managed social media.
- Ideally, such private fundraisers would be organized and announced by friends of the member in question, and–ideally–the organizers would not be U.S.G.L. executive officers or hold leadership positions at the national, regional, or local level. In the event the friend of the member in question organizing a fundraiser does hold a leadership position, any announcement must clearly state that the friend is not acting in any official O.T.O. capacity or on behalf of U.S.G.L.
- Such private fundraisers can be announced on O.T.O.-managed social media, but not excessively.
- Such announcements must include a reminder that O.T.O. funds cannot be used, and the funds cannot be passed through O.T.O. accounts.
Love is the law, love under will.
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