I would like to set up a separate account for our CCL funds. Venmo for Business accounts charge some fees, but being able to accept credit cards seems worth it. Has anyone done this?
@Alex Messinger does it require a group tax id? The cost and complications of that has always outweighed our small donation shoe box.
@Alex Messinger Great question. In my experience, most people give using cash or their debit card because t’s simple and familiar. Accepting credit cards can add unnecessary layers unless there's a clear need.
It really comes down to context: the chapter’s size, how much money you’re trying to raise, and what tools you actually need.
When I was leading the DFW chapter, we kept things easy. Any time we needed funds, whether it was for Earth Day tabling or printing, we just asked, and people came through. It worked because we kept it direct and focused on what mattered. That was before chapters fundraised for DC conference travel and scholarships.
@Alex Messinger we have a checking account with a chapter treasurer and back-up treasurer and mainly work it using PayPal. The downside of that is that to avoid PayPal fees, the donation link has the treasurer's name instead of the chapter name. We have had people donate via Venmo to the treasurer, then he just transfers it from his personal account to the chapter account. It works for a few members to chip in a few bucks for incidentals, room rental (if needed) and conference scholarships. If we ever wanted to do major fundraising, I think we would have to change that to something more formal. We did set up a 501c4 initially but found that we didn't really need it, so didn't keep it up.
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