Re: An Idea: Offer to help

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Jay's idea about a fund drive with people contributing a hundered bucks each to the cause has merit, especially if the Commission is planning to run two shifts in the shop. does anyone know what the technicalities are of raising money for the commission to use? Or is that something that is best handled through a group like the Friends? I don't know all the legal details, but I suspect you can't just mail a check to the commission and ask them to apply it to the shop crew budget. There may also be issues about what sort of donations are deductable on your taxes. Is there a tax lawyer in the house? "
I have some serious and I believe quite valid reasons for handling this through The Commission. Indeed, there are valid reasons for NOT letting The Friends handle this. The Friends have their OWN fund-raising campaign. This is different.
THIS money will go directly to the Shops, NOW, and without any murky 'overhead'. The Commission is bound by law to tell us what they did with our money.
The Friends finances are so entangled with those of the RGRPC that some of us are concerned that doantions will just go down the black hole.
I will be discussing the details with The Commission tomorrow. As we see it right now, it will go into the Friends Of 483. You CAN just mail a check to "Friends of 483" at The Commission.
The 483 fund will be 'frozen' at its current level, so that what is in the fund as of Monday will be held for the 483, but future donations will go the CURRENT shop work.
I don't see any problem wuth tax-deuctiblity, but we'll iron that out if need be.