Free Videoconference: Fundraising Activities: Getting All the Legal Ins and Outs Right

The DC Bar Pro Bono Program, in conjunction with DLA Piper and Pfizer Inc, is sponsoring a videoconference seminar on Wednesday, May 13, called “Fundraising Activities: Getting All the Legal Ins and Outs Right.”

Program details:
This seminar is free. It runs from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and lunch will be served. The seminar will be held at the offices of DLA Piper US LLP, 500 8th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. The offices are located right off the Gallery Place Metro Station (yellow, green and red lines).

The seminar is designed for executive directors, board members, nonprofit fundraising staff and finance directors.

To register, e-mail registerdc@dlapiper.com. (For those organizations located in Northern Virginia, there will also be a site at DLA Piper US LLP, 1775 Wiehle Avenue, Suite 400 Reston, Virginia. To register for the Northern Virginia site, e-mail registernova@dlapiper.com.)

Program description:
As charitable organizations come under greater public scrutiny, state regulators, the Internal Revenue Service and donors are devoting more attention to how charitable organizations raise money and their compliance with applicable laws. This seminar will discuss state charities registration requirements, including the multi-state uniform registration form and common exemptions from state rules, as well as special issues related to telemarketing, internet fundraising and commercial co-ventures.

This seminar also will address the IRS rules regarding acknowledging and receipting donations, determining the value of in-kind donations, and what kinds of gifts are and are not deductible, including rules related to galas and other special events. Finally, the IRS is encouraging nonprofits to establish gift acceptance policies to accept and process non-cash donations. This seminar will discuss the legal issues involved in establishing such a policy as well as the implications of various policy options.

The speakers will include an attorney with experience in state regulation of charitable fundraising, a consultant with expertise in gift acceptance and donor acknowledgement policies and attorneys who advise nonprofits on their fundraising activities.