Guidance to Chapters for Charitable Donations

Some ASTD chapters have expressed interest in contributing to the Haitian relief efforts through charitable donations or matching members' donations. ASTD and its legal counsel recommend that chapters only contribute to organizations recognized as 501 (c)(3) organizations. Contributing to other types of organizations would require significant oversight and effort for your chapter, and we do not recommend doing so.

When accepting donations, the chapter should give each donor a receipt providing the date and the amount of the donation. In the case of matching funds, the donation amount reported in the receipt should only include the amount donated by the individual member, and should not include any amount matched by the chapter. Finally, it is unnecessary to include the name of the charity or organization to which the funds will be donated.

_Please note: Before beginning the process to solicit charitable donations, we recommend that you check with your state on its charitable solicitation registration and filing requirements.

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