Community Fundraising - Frequently Asked Questions
Community Fundraising Frequently Asked Questions
Getting StartedThis is a great opportunity to be creative and memorable and all you need to start is an idea; your opportunities are virtually endless. You can fundraise individually or as a group by organizing a community activity or event that reflects your interest or passion or by creating a fundraising page to celebrate a special occasion, in tribute of a loved one or as part of an endurance event. Check out our Idea, Planning & Fundraising Success Guide for great ideas.
For creating something of your very own, please first review our Community Fundraising Guidelines, then visit our Community Fundraising page and click on “create your own” to get started. Complete the online event submission application for review and approval at least three weeks in advance of your event and any promotion.
All activities in support of the National Lung Cancer Partnership and Free to Breathe should uphold our mission and vision in a legitimate and professional manner and genuinely benefit our organization and the lung cancer movement. Your online submission allows us to get to know you and ensures that your event complements the Partnership’s program of work.
Yes, we have many helpful resources for the success of your fundraising efforts, including access to your own online personal fundraising page, an Idea, Planning and Fundraising Success Guide and FAQs. You also have a direct connection to our events team for further questions; we can be reached at events@nationallungcancerpartnership.org or 608-828-8852.
100% of the proceeds from community fundraisers that come to the National Lung Cancer Partnership will be used to support the Partnership’s vision to double lung cancer survival in the U.S., by funding research, treatment, tumor testing and clinical trials. Therefore, we are unable to provide any giveaways or promotional materials. However, you are able to order lung cancer awareness wristbands from us, at cost plus shipping, and free educational materials to raise awareness of lung cancer at your event. We also have a fantastic customizable poster template available for you to download and use. For additional details on how the Partnership will support your community fundraising efforts please refer to the support section of our Idea, Planning and Fundraising Success Guide.
Logos, Names & PromotionNo, this is your activity, and not hosted by the National Lung Cancer Partnership. Therefore, your activity will need to be promoted without the appearance of the Partnership being the host, sponsor or endorser.
Yes, to help you with promotion, special logos have been created just for community fundraising activities, which may not be altered in any way. Before using the National Lung Cancer Partnership or Free to Breathe logos on your materials, please download our Name and Logo Use Agreement. Then, we would like to see any promotional materials and/or collateral (printed or electronic) associated with the event using the names and/or logos of the National Lung Cancer Partnership and/or Free to Breathe prior to printing and/or distribution. This is so we a) may offer guidance if applicable, b) may protect the integrity of our brand and c) have a record of your materials in our historical files.
The Partnership’s mailing list is confidential and we do not make our lists available to the public under any circumstances. Protecting the privacy of our friends and supporters is of utmost importance to us.
Support & ExpensesDepending on the scale and scope of your activity or event, the Partnership has a variety of resources to help you make your event a huge success. Please refer to the support section of our Idea, Planning and Fundraising Success Guide for more detailed information. You also have a direct connection to our events team for further questions; we can be reached at events@nationallungcancerpartnership.org or 608-828-8852.
No, the National Lung Cancer Partnership does not provide funding or reimbursement for any of the expenses of a Community Fundraising activity or event. We encourage you to find a local sponsor to help underwrite the costs for your event.
No, event expenses can never be taken out of donations. Only ticketing/registration fees, sponsorships and “other” event revenue (e.g., concessions and upsells) can be used to cover expenses.
Funds Raised, Donations & Tax DeductionsNo, once funds are received by the Partnership, they can no longer be used or paid back to the event to cover expenses.
Yes, as a 501c3 charitable organization, the National Lung Cancer Partnership has a Tax ID and IRS Determination Letter that can be shared with companies to verify our non-profit status. Our Tax ID is 45-0505050 and the Determination Letter is available upon request. Please note, these items may not be used in a manner which implies in any way that the Partnership is hosting the activity or serving as the fiscal agent. If you have any questions, please contact us.
No, it is not necessary to become a 501c3 or to use the Partnership’s 501c3 status in order to host your event and raise money. If you are planning a large event, you may want to consider opening a bank account in the event’s name in order to securely deposit and track the revenue. Be sure to consult the IRS’ guidelines and requirements though regarding tax implications for this account: balance status at year’s end and tracking of event expenses in order to prove the funds were donated to the National Lung Cancer Partnership. Also, please see How can I accept donations under the event's name? (below).
To accept donations in the event's name you can file for a doing business as (DBA) name. The filing processes and guidelines vary by state so you must consult your local state and government agencies for exact details.
There really isn’t a need to open a bank account for your event unless you are planning a very large event and you plan to use the bank account as an effective means for tracking revenue and expenses. Please also see Do I need to establish a 501c3 to organize an event? (above) and How can I accept donations under the event's name? (above).
Yes, but only for “donations” AND only if the donor makes the check payable directly to the National Lung Cancer Partnership or Free to Breathe and only to the extent allowed by IRS guidelines. If a lump sum proceeds check made payable to the Partnership or Free to Breathe is received containing multiple donations, in order to process any tax receipts, the amount received must be greater than or equal to the amount of receipts to be issued, and a completed donation form for each donor must accompany the proceeds, reflecting the exact dollar amount of each donor’s contribution and their full contact information including mailing address.
Here are some additional conditional scenarios to note regarding tax-receiptable funds:
• Unless the organizer is a registered 501c3, donations and sponsorships made payable to the organizer do not qualify as charitable, tax-deductible contributions.
• Silent auction winners may receive a tax acknowledgement letter from the National Lung Cancer Partnership if the amount the winner bidder paid for the item is above the item’s fair market value, per IRS regulations, AND, the check is made payable to the National Lung Cancer Partnership or Free to Breathe. In order to provide a tax receipt and acknowledgement, the Partnership must be provided with the winning bidder’s name, address, phone number, amount of the winning bid, and fair market value of the item. If any of these items are missing, we are unfortunately not able to provide a tax-receipt.
• Contributions made for raffle tickets or silent auction items with winning bids at or below fair market value are not tax-deductible as there would be an anticipated exchange for the dollars provided.
• Registration and/or ticketing fees are not tax-deductible because they are considered as a purchase with an expectation of something in return.
Here are some additional conditional scenarios to note regarding tax-receiptable funds:
• Unless the organizer is a registered 501c3, donations and sponsorships made payable to the organizer do not qualify as charitable, tax-deductible contributions.
• Silent auction winners may receive a tax acknowledgement letter from the National Lung Cancer Partnership if the amount the winner bidder paid for the item is above the item’s fair market value, per IRS regulations, AND, the check is made payable to the National Lung Cancer Partnership or Free to Breathe. In order to provide a tax receipt and acknowledgement, the Partnership must be provided with the winning bidder’s name, address, phone number, amount of the winning bid, and fair market value of the item. If any of these items are missing, we are unfortunately not able to provide a tax-receipt.
• Contributions made for raffle tickets or silent auction items with winning bids at or below fair market value are not tax-deductible as there would be an anticipated exchange for the dollars provided.
• Registration and/or ticketing fees are not tax-deductible because they are considered as a purchase with an expectation of something in return.
If donors contributing in support of your event wish to receive a tax receipt, they must make their check payable directly to the National Lung Cancer Partnership or Free to Breathe and once those funds are received by our office we will issue a tax receipt accordingly, if applicable, directly to the donor. If a guest or participant is asking for a receipt for their ticket, registration or silent action bid payment, you are more than welcome to create a receipt template to use for writing out “transaction” receipts for your event activities. Please note however, that such a receipt will serve as a “transaction” receipt only and not a “tax-receipt” as tickets and silent auctions payments are not tax-deductible. To review the only instance in which a silent auction payment may be tax deductible, please see Are the funds raised from my community fundraiser tax-deductible? (above).
All proceeds raised from your community fundraising activity and sent to us will be used to support the National Lung Cancer Partnership’s programs in support of our vision to double lung cancer survival in the U.S., benefitting communities nationwide.
There is no minimum or maximum amount that your activity has to raise. We are incredibly grateful for contributions of all sizes as every dollar raised helps to positively transform the lives of those with lung cancer. We have many advocates surprised by the remarkable support and fundraising results they’ve achieved, so we do encourage you to aim high.
Yes, if you are raising money through your community fundraiser in support of your Free to Breathe team, when you send the proceeds to our office please indicate the city and state of the Free to Breathe event and your team’s name so we can accurately credit the total raised to your team’s fundraising efforts. Note, crediting community fundraiser totals to a team’s efforts will occur once an event is open for registration and after you have created your team.
The Partnership recommends sending in donations made payable in our name as you receive them so that we may process and send acknowledgements and tax receipts in a timely fashion. However, final proceeds raised from the event should be sent to our office no later than two weeks following the event. This once again allows us to draft and send any necessary donor acknowledgement letters with timely follow up.
We do not recommend sending cash through the mail. If you’ve received cash donations, please convert the cash to either a money order or a cashier’s check before mailing to the National Lung Cancer Partnership. Alternatively, you could deposit the cash and write us a personal check for the amount. Either way, tax- deductible receipts and acknowledgement letters will only be sent to donors if a completed donation form is included for each donor.
Please mail the net proceeds from your community fundraiser to:
National Lung Cancer Partnership
Attn: Events Dept.
1 Point Place, Suite 200
Madison, WI 53719
Be sure to clearly reference the name of your event as well as your name as the event organizer in a note enclosed with the proceeds. This will allow the Partnership to properly credit your efforts and acknowledge the generous support your event received. All checks must be made out to either the National Lung Cancer Partnership or Free to Breathe in order to be processed. Also, see Can I send in cash donations? (above) for additional information.
National Lung Cancer Partnership
Attn: Events Dept.
1 Point Place, Suite 200
Madison, WI 53719
Be sure to clearly reference the name of your event as well as your name as the event organizer in a note enclosed with the proceeds. This will allow the Partnership to properly credit your efforts and acknowledge the generous support your event received. All checks must be made out to either the National Lung Cancer Partnership or Free to Breathe in order to be processed. Also, see Can I send in cash donations? (above) for additional information.
Additional QuestionsThe National Lung Cancer Partnership understands that unforeseen circumstances can sometimes arise that result in the need to cancel an event. If you need to cancel your event, please notify the Partnership as soon as possible.
There are a number of ways you can get further involved with the National Lung Cancer Partnership and share your efforts to double lung cancer survival. These include creating a team as part of a run/walk or yogathon, making a stand alone donation, distribution of patient materials and applying to attend our annual advocacy summit to name a few. For more information, please contact info@nationallungcancerpartnership.org or call us at 608-833-7905.
Yes, we would enjoy seeing photos from your event and when possible would love to include them on our website and/or in blogs. Email your photos to events@nationallungcancerpartnership.org.
You can reach the community fundraising team either by email at events@nationallungcancerpartnership.org or by phone at 608-828-8852.
