Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Nonprofit Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee explores options to route donations for county animal shelter through 501(c)(3) vehicle
Summary
Staff reported that residents can currently donate to the county animal shelter but the funds are not tax‑deductible; the committee discussed models used by Virginia Beach (an advisory 501(c)(3)) and asked staff to investigate local sheriff’s‑office foundations as possible partners.
The audit committee discussed whether the county should facilitate tax‑deductible donations to support local animal-shelter operations.
Staff reported donations currently come to the county and are accounted for in the county’s books, which makes those donations non‑tax‑deductible. “Individuals are able currently and have been able to make donations, but [the money] has to be returned to the county,” a staff presenter said. Committee members and staff noted that some foundations and private nonprofit organizations will not provide grants directly to a locality but will provide funding to a recognized 501(c)(3), which can limit fundraising and employer matching opportunities.
Presenters described the Virginia Beach model, where an animal‑care unit is a municipal function but a parallel citizens advisory committee (a 501(c)(3)) raises nonprofit donations and directs gifts to the shelter. Staff said they contacted Virginia Beach and the city attorney’s office for clarification on the legal construct and are awaiting additional detail. Committee members also mentioned a local group (referred to in the meeting as the Dreams of Hope/Foundation of Hope) that supports police and sheriff functions and suggested checking whether that organization or a sheriff’s‑office advisory group could absorb animal‑shelter fundraising or provide an administrative model.
The committee asked staff to continue investigating options and to check whether the sheriff’s office or an existing local nonprofit could provide a vehicle that would allow donors to receive tax deductions and enable employer matching gifts.
