Beneficiary guidelines
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ToryLynn Writer
Jan 14, 2008, 11:57:47 PM1/14/08
to slvday
These are the guidelines for the beneficiary selection to keep in
mind.
Beneficiary Guidelines
In the last few years, many worthy non-profit organizations have
experienced significant cuts in government, corporate and individual
funding. So now more than ever, local beneficiaries are in need of
the funds your V-Day benefit will raise for them. Your decision to
organize a V Day Campaign event is also a commitment to your
beneficiaries. Please understand this commitment and take it very
seriously.
Your relationship with your beneficiaries is mutually beneficial. Use
your beneficiaries as a source of support and information for your
event. For example, early on in your production process, invite
representatives of your beneficiaries to talk to your production team
about their work so that your team can be educated and inspired and,
in turn, can educate and inspire your community.
Selecting your beneficiaries: Depending on the size of your
production, you should select no more than two or three
beneficiaries. One beneficiary is fine. You want to be able to make
a donation of a significant size and, if it is divided among too many
beneficiaries, there is less impact. Beneficiaries should be
organizations in your community that are already working to stop
violence against women and girls or are providing direct aid to
victims. Such organizations include battered women's shelters, rape
crisis centers, stop rape education programs, and similar direct
service programs for women and girls.
Is their mission to end violence against women and girls? While V Day
recognizes the wide array of important women's issues and needs, we
have chosen to focus our efforts on preventing and ending violence.
This means that funds raised through the V-Day Campaigns are limited
to beneficiaries who are primarily or specifically working on anti-
violence issues. V Day's goal is to end violence against women and
girls and the only way this can be achieved is to prevent the violence
from happening in the first place. So please try to select
beneficiaries whose work involves violence prevention.
Please take the time to find a beneficiary that is doing work you find
significant and donate to them. If the beneficiary you choose is women-
oriented but does not have a specific anti-violence program, before
you even commit to donate to them discuss with them the possibility of
them creating or developing such a program. Telling them how to spend
the money you donate to them sends a message that you don't value the
work that they have been doing. PLEASE be respectful of the work that
many of these agencies have been doing for many, many years If you
have a question about the eligibility of a specific beneficiary,
please write to camp...@vday.org.
Are they registered charities or non-profit organizations? Outside of
the United States, your beneficiaries must be registered charities in
accordance with the laws of your country.; in the United States, they
must be qualified 501(c)(3) organizations or be sponsored by a 501(c)
(3) organization. Before you begin publicizing your event, you should
work with your fiscal sponsor to be sure that your selected
beneficiaries are qualified to receive funds.
Beneficiary classification: In order to demonstrate the impact of V-
Day, we need to track and report Campaign support to local
beneficiaries according to our awards classification system. In the
online follow-up report that you are required to fill out after your
event, please classify your beneficiaries according to the following
categories:
DV - Ending Domestic Violence/Aiding in Recovery: battered women's
shelters and safe houses, family crisis services, battered women's
empowerment services, victim's recovery services, children's programs,
etc.
SV - Ending Sexual Violence/Aiding in Recovery: rape crisis centers
and hotlines, victim legal aid and advocacy, rape awareness programs,
rape victim recovery programs, "Take Back the Night" and other anti-
sexual violence programs, child sexual abuse programs, etc.
CO - Communication and Coalition Building: Women's Resource Centers
for anti-violence resources, women's anti-violence networks, community
anti-violence coalitions and task forces, anti-violence awareness
through theater or other performance arts, GLBT Centers for anti-
violence programs.
GE - Gender Equity and Women's Rights: legal assistance and advocacy
around broader issues of violence, national and international women's
rights organizations for anti-violence work.
OP - Ending Systematic Violence and Oppression: sexual slavery and
trafficking, female genital mutilation, aid to women victims of war.
MP - Multi-Purpose: organizations that address more than one of the
above.
Tip: Call or write to potential beneficiaries to explain V Day's
mission and its emphasis on supporting organizations like theirs.
Explain your role and goals as a Campaign organizer and how and why
you would like to include them in your V Day plans. A "beneficiary
invitation letter" template is available at the V Spot for your use.
Follow up with an in-person meeting (or get on the agenda of their
next Board meeting). Bring V Day materials with you. (If you have
done a V Day event in the past, bring that information - photos,
amount raised, etc. Create a Press Kit from the press information
provided at the V Spot.) The key to working with beneficiaries is to
give them as much information about V Day as possible and let THEM
decide that they want to be part of the worldwide movement.
Most organizations will be thrilled to learn that they are among your
selected beneficiaries but some might be skeptical, unenthusiastic or
hesitant. Don't be put off by unexpected reactions: Some
organizations might desperately need the financial support and the
exposure that your event would give them but decline to participate
for reasons that they might not be able to make clear to you or that
might not make sense. Understand that all organizations have to
report to a Board of Directors and many must receive approval from
their Board before they can participate in an event like V-Day. If a
group you approach is squeamish about "vaginas," there will be others
that won't be. Most organizations working to stop violence against
women struggle for funding and will be grateful for your support.
Tip: It's helpful if you really know what your potential beneficiaries
do; it shows your genuine respect for their work. One organizer went
through her beneficiary's volunteer training program to learn more
about them. Then she worked on the DV/rape crisis hotline as a
volunteer.
Tip: As soon as you determine who you would like your beneficiaries to
be, be sure to let them know and get their agreement to be part of the
event.
Tip: Decide early on how you expect your beneficiaries to participate
in your production - e.g. provide volunteers, act as fiscal agent,
take reservations, provide you with their mailing lists, help you get
sponsors, help promote the event, sell tickets to their donor base and
clients, etc. - and communicate these expectations to them. Put your
arrangement with each of your beneficiaries in writing so that the
division of responsibilities is clear to everyone involved.
Tip: You might want to meet regularly with your beneficiaries to
discuss the progress of your production. This will make them feel
included in your event and inspire their assistance.
Tip: Get letters of support from your beneficiaries. This will help
when approaching sponsors - or anyone else whose support you seek.
Tip: Have your beneficiaries display information about their
organizations in your venue lobby during your events. Representatives
from the organizations can also be invited to help facilitate post-
performance discussions and be available to counsel people who might
need some additional support in the moment.
Tip: Include information about your beneficiaries in your press
releases, publicity and performance program.
mind.
Beneficiary Guidelines
In the last few years, many worthy non-profit organizations have
experienced significant cuts in government, corporate and individual
funding. So now more than ever, local beneficiaries are in need of
the funds your V-Day benefit will raise for them. Your decision to
organize a V Day Campaign event is also a commitment to your
beneficiaries. Please understand this commitment and take it very
seriously.
Your relationship with your beneficiaries is mutually beneficial. Use
your beneficiaries as a source of support and information for your
event. For example, early on in your production process, invite
representatives of your beneficiaries to talk to your production team
about their work so that your team can be educated and inspired and,
in turn, can educate and inspire your community.
Selecting your beneficiaries: Depending on the size of your
production, you should select no more than two or three
beneficiaries. One beneficiary is fine. You want to be able to make
a donation of a significant size and, if it is divided among too many
beneficiaries, there is less impact. Beneficiaries should be
organizations in your community that are already working to stop
violence against women and girls or are providing direct aid to
victims. Such organizations include battered women's shelters, rape
crisis centers, stop rape education programs, and similar direct
service programs for women and girls.
Is their mission to end violence against women and girls? While V Day
recognizes the wide array of important women's issues and needs, we
have chosen to focus our efforts on preventing and ending violence.
This means that funds raised through the V-Day Campaigns are limited
to beneficiaries who are primarily or specifically working on anti-
violence issues. V Day's goal is to end violence against women and
girls and the only way this can be achieved is to prevent the violence
from happening in the first place. So please try to select
beneficiaries whose work involves violence prevention.
Please take the time to find a beneficiary that is doing work you find
significant and donate to them. If the beneficiary you choose is women-
oriented but does not have a specific anti-violence program, before
you even commit to donate to them discuss with them the possibility of
them creating or developing such a program. Telling them how to spend
the money you donate to them sends a message that you don't value the
work that they have been doing. PLEASE be respectful of the work that
many of these agencies have been doing for many, many years If you
have a question about the eligibility of a specific beneficiary,
please write to camp...@vday.org.
Are they registered charities or non-profit organizations? Outside of
the United States, your beneficiaries must be registered charities in
accordance with the laws of your country.; in the United States, they
must be qualified 501(c)(3) organizations or be sponsored by a 501(c)
(3) organization. Before you begin publicizing your event, you should
work with your fiscal sponsor to be sure that your selected
beneficiaries are qualified to receive funds.
Beneficiary classification: In order to demonstrate the impact of V-
Day, we need to track and report Campaign support to local
beneficiaries according to our awards classification system. In the
online follow-up report that you are required to fill out after your
event, please classify your beneficiaries according to the following
categories:
DV - Ending Domestic Violence/Aiding in Recovery: battered women's
shelters and safe houses, family crisis services, battered women's
empowerment services, victim's recovery services, children's programs,
etc.
SV - Ending Sexual Violence/Aiding in Recovery: rape crisis centers
and hotlines, victim legal aid and advocacy, rape awareness programs,
rape victim recovery programs, "Take Back the Night" and other anti-
sexual violence programs, child sexual abuse programs, etc.
CO - Communication and Coalition Building: Women's Resource Centers
for anti-violence resources, women's anti-violence networks, community
anti-violence coalitions and task forces, anti-violence awareness
through theater or other performance arts, GLBT Centers for anti-
violence programs.
GE - Gender Equity and Women's Rights: legal assistance and advocacy
around broader issues of violence, national and international women's
rights organizations for anti-violence work.
OP - Ending Systematic Violence and Oppression: sexual slavery and
trafficking, female genital mutilation, aid to women victims of war.
MP - Multi-Purpose: organizations that address more than one of the
above.
Tip: Call or write to potential beneficiaries to explain V Day's
mission and its emphasis on supporting organizations like theirs.
Explain your role and goals as a Campaign organizer and how and why
you would like to include them in your V Day plans. A "beneficiary
invitation letter" template is available at the V Spot for your use.
Follow up with an in-person meeting (or get on the agenda of their
next Board meeting). Bring V Day materials with you. (If you have
done a V Day event in the past, bring that information - photos,
amount raised, etc. Create a Press Kit from the press information
provided at the V Spot.) The key to working with beneficiaries is to
give them as much information about V Day as possible and let THEM
decide that they want to be part of the worldwide movement.
Most organizations will be thrilled to learn that they are among your
selected beneficiaries but some might be skeptical, unenthusiastic or
hesitant. Don't be put off by unexpected reactions: Some
organizations might desperately need the financial support and the
exposure that your event would give them but decline to participate
for reasons that they might not be able to make clear to you or that
might not make sense. Understand that all organizations have to
report to a Board of Directors and many must receive approval from
their Board before they can participate in an event like V-Day. If a
group you approach is squeamish about "vaginas," there will be others
that won't be. Most organizations working to stop violence against
women struggle for funding and will be grateful for your support.
Tip: It's helpful if you really know what your potential beneficiaries
do; it shows your genuine respect for their work. One organizer went
through her beneficiary's volunteer training program to learn more
about them. Then she worked on the DV/rape crisis hotline as a
volunteer.
Tip: As soon as you determine who you would like your beneficiaries to
be, be sure to let them know and get their agreement to be part of the
event.
Tip: Decide early on how you expect your beneficiaries to participate
in your production - e.g. provide volunteers, act as fiscal agent,
take reservations, provide you with their mailing lists, help you get
sponsors, help promote the event, sell tickets to their donor base and
clients, etc. - and communicate these expectations to them. Put your
arrangement with each of your beneficiaries in writing so that the
division of responsibilities is clear to everyone involved.
Tip: You might want to meet regularly with your beneficiaries to
discuss the progress of your production. This will make them feel
included in your event and inspire their assistance.
Tip: Get letters of support from your beneficiaries. This will help
when approaching sponsors - or anyone else whose support you seek.
Tip: Have your beneficiaries display information about their
organizations in your venue lobby during your events. Representatives
from the organizations can also be invited to help facilitate post-
performance discussions and be available to counsel people who might
need some additional support in the moment.
Tip: Include information about your beneficiaries in your press
releases, publicity and performance program.
Ina Centaur
Jan 15, 2008, 1:53:35 PM1/15/08
to slv...@googlegroups.com
Yes, and, on the practical standpoint (especially since Lauren made a
big point about how his sponsors will only do it if it's tax
deductable), it would make a lot of sense if the beneficiary were also
a fiscal sponsor!
big point about how his sponsors will only do it if it's tax
deductable), it would make a lot of sense if the beneficiary were also
a fiscal sponsor!
Lauren Weyland
Jan 15, 2008, 2:17:28 PM1/15/08
to slv...@googlegroups.com
Ridiculous Ina...of course someone making a 'tax deductible' donation would by a 'fiscal' sponosr. But lo and behold you want to try to drag me through the mud and at the same time destroy a wonderful idea which all have said was yours.
Ina Centaur
Jan 15, 2008, 2:49:01 PM1/15/08
to slv...@googlegroups.com
Sorry, I missed the part that was ridiculous? Idea?
Lauren Weyland
Jan 15, 2008, 3:05:23 PM1/15/08
to slv...@googlegroups.com
ok...maybe I misunderstood. So you want the beneficiary to be a 'fiscal' sponsor? I have no idea what you mean then. The donor wants to make a 'charitable donation' which is tax deductible and credited to SL production. As to the beneficiary I will defer that decision to others but not sure why you feel a government entity need be the beneficiary. (fiscal..primarily relates to government and secondarily to monetary non government terminology. Anyhow, I gather you want the money to go to a organization that can distribute it and is already a charitable organization (of am I just completely wrong?)
- Main Entry:
- 1fis·cal
- Pronunciation:
- \ˈfis-kəl\
- Function:
- adjective
- Etymology:
- Latin fiscalis, from fiscus basket, treasury
- Date:
- 1563
1
: of or relating to taxation, public revenues, or public debt <fiscal policy>
2
: of or relating to financial matters
Ina Centaur
Jan 15, 2008, 3:18:50 PM1/15/08
to slv...@googlegroups.com
Please read what ToryLynn has copy and pasted to the group.
If you google up: "fiscal sponsor," you should find the proper meaning
of the term. It is a very common term in NPO's. A "fiscal sponsor" is
usually the NPO that has a sufficient 501(c)3 (i.e., usually, can
receive more than $10,000 without having to raise their tier). The
fiscal sponsor basically accepts the donations, credits the donors,
and transfers it to the beneficiary. It would make more sense if the
fiscal sponsor were actually the beneficiary.
Nonprofits are not allowed to raise over a certain sum without having
to file for another level of funding ok-ing from the IRS. There are
thus large "fiscal sponsors" who do nothing but accept donations,
deduct a percentage, and then transfer it to the beneficiary. I would
suggest avoiding the fee by (I repeat!) having the fiscal sponsor be
the beneficiary!
OK, tell me if that's still unclear...
On Jan 15, 2008 12:05 PM, Lauren Weyland <lauren....@gmail.com> wrote:
> ok...maybe I misunderstood. So you want the beneficiary to be a 'fiscal'
> sponsor? I have no idea what you mean then. The donor wants to make a
> 'charitable donation' which is tax deductible and credited to SL production.
> As to the beneficiary I will defer that decision to others but not sure why
> you feel a government entity need be the beneficiary. (fiscal..primarily
> relates to government and secondarily to monetary non government
> terminology. Anyhow, I gather you want the money to go to a organization
> that can distribute it and is already a charitable organization (of am I
> just completely wrong?)
>
> Main Entry:1fis·cal Pronunciation: \ˈfis-kəl\ Function:adjective
> Etymology:Latin fiscalis, from fiscus basket, treasuryDate: 1563
ToryLynn Writer
Jan 16, 2008, 5:34:09 PM1/16/08
to slvday
I'm not sure how a beneficiary would be a fiscal sponsor, since the
beneficiary would be recieving funds from the V-Day SL group in order
to continue operating. If they were a sponsor, it would mean that they
would have to give us money, which would, eventually, go right back in
thier own pockets. The logic seems fairly circular there.
What I would like to see would be a list of in and out of world
organizations that people see as being worthy of donations. If we
raise our goal of 1million lindens, it would mean a donation of about
$3000 dollars to the beneficiary of our choice. The producers and I
discussed this and we would like to see suggestions from the V-Day
community which we would narrow down and put to an eventual vote
within the V-Day group.
So, start sending us those beneficiary ideas!!
On Jan 15, 10:53 am, "Ina Centaur" <ina.cent...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yes, and, on the practical standpoint (especially since Lauren made a
> big point about how his sponsors will only do it if it's tax
> deductable), it would make a lot of sense if the beneficiary were also
> a fiscal sponsor!
>
> > please write to campa...@vday.org.
> > releases, publicity and performance program.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
beneficiary would be recieving funds from the V-Day SL group in order
to continue operating. If they were a sponsor, it would mean that they
would have to give us money, which would, eventually, go right back in
thier own pockets. The logic seems fairly circular there.
What I would like to see would be a list of in and out of world
organizations that people see as being worthy of donations. If we
raise our goal of 1million lindens, it would mean a donation of about
$3000 dollars to the beneficiary of our choice. The producers and I
discussed this and we would like to see suggestions from the V-Day
community which we would narrow down and put to an eventual vote
within the V-Day group.
So, start sending us those beneficiary ideas!!
On Jan 15, 10:53 am, "Ina Centaur" <ina.cent...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yes, and, on the practical standpoint (especially since Lauren made a
> big point about how his sponsors will only do it if it's tax
> deductable), it would make a lot of sense if the beneficiary were also
> a fiscal sponsor!
>
>
> - Show quoted text -
Rowan Shamroy
Jan 16, 2008, 8:53:37 PM1/16/08
to slv...@googlegroups.com
I've looked up fiscal sponsorship,
Fiscal Sponsorship is a financial relationship between you and..... a registered Non-Profit Organization, who acts as your Fiscal "Agent", allowing you to solicit funds from potential donors for your project ...... as tax-deductible contributions.
there are lots of sites that explain it,
but I understand it to mean that the benificiary of the funds seeks a fiscal sponsor (or agent) to act as an intermediary between themselves and the fundraising group. It seems to be necessary when the funds being donated are very large amounts, something that probably does not apply here, and where the beneficiary does not have tax exempt status.
Does this help at all?
Rowan
On Jan 17, 2008 9:34 AM, ToryLynn Writer <Victori...@gmail.com> wrote:
I'm not sure how a beneficiary would be a fiscal sponsor, since the
beneficiary would be recieving funds from the V-Day SL group in order
to continue operating. If they were a sponsor, it would mean that they
would have to give us money, which would, eventually, go right back in
thier own pockets. The logic seems fairly circular there.
What I would like to see would be a list of in and out of world
organizations that people see as being worthy of donations. If we
raise our goal of 1million lindens, it would mean a donation of about
$3000 dollars to the beneficiary of our choice. The producers and I
discussed this and we would like to see suggestions from the V-Day
community which we would narrow down and put to an eventual vote
within the V-Day group.
So, start sending us those beneficiary ideas!!
Lauren Weyland
Jan 16, 2008, 11:15:33 PM1/16/08
to slv...@googlegroups.com
I think the whole thought process is the 'conduit'. Ina probably meant we should make the beneficiary a 'charitable organization' who could then distribute our funds to someone or some project that was particular to their group. However, as you mention the sum may not be large enough to be a great concern. And I think finding who the beneficiary will be ...certainly should be something the group should enjoy as a whole and when such beneficiary is selected then we can sort out this little circumstance.
Goodnight.....from the Moon...signing off.....(now where did I leave the Rover?)
Goodnight.....from the Moon...signing off.....(now where did I leave the Rover?)
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