[VAcourier] Clarification of what portion of dues are tax deductible

Thu Apr 16 11:28:54 EDT 2009

We received an inquiry about what portions of the division dues are tax 
deductible. According to IHQ, the $10.00 membership dues and Virginia 
Division Life Membership Dues are not tax deductible but any additional 
donations that a camp member wishes make (which will be listed on the 
invoice to check off, i.e. Oakwood Restoration Fund, Jefferson Davis 
Memorial Fund, Sesquicentennial Commemoration Fund, Virginia Division 
Heritage Defense Fund, and additional camp donations) are tax deductible 
since they are donations with no tangible benefit to the member.

John Sawyer, Commander
Virginia Division SCV

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[VAcourier] Membership Renewal System (MRS)
Date: 	Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:48:45 -0400
From: 	Virginia Division SCV Communication List <vacourier at scvva.org>
Reply-To: 	vacourier at scvva.org
To: 	vacourier at scvva.org

Please distribute this to your Camp Officers and Members.

In response to numerous camp adjutants and the general membership 
concerning the past Virginia Division Billing System mailings, several 
changes have been made.

1. Members will send their entire original invoices, along with 
remittance for national, state and camp dues, to their camp adjutants 
who will check/record/copy the information on their camp rosters/records 
and then forward the original statements and a corresponding check for 
Division Dues only to Division Adjutant Mike Rose whose address will be 
listed at the top of the invoice.

2. The Virginia Division will no longer be collecting or accepting 
National dues. Camp adjutants will be responsible for sending their 
members' National dues and updated member contact information directly 
to IHQ. National Life Membership payments should likewise be forwarded 
to IHQ.

3. Under a new contribution listing on the bill, members now have the 
option to make additional donations directly to their camps. Any monies 
collected should be retained by the camp treasurer and any other 
designated funds, including Virginia Life Membership payments, should be 
forwarded to the Division Adjutant.

4. The billing cycle will end on October 31, 2009 and any submissions 
must be postmarked by that date. Additionally, there will be no 
replacement renewal bills issued. If a bill is misplaced or lost, the 
camp adjutant or member will need to print out a Virginia Division 
Reinstatement Form from the Virginia Division Web site located at 
www.scvva.org <http://www.scvva.org> (go to the JOIN THE SCV page) and 
fill out the current members' name, address, camp and membership number 
along with the total payment and submit it to your camp adjutant who 
will then forward it to Adj. Mike Rose. If your camp does not have 
access to a computer, contact Division Commander John Sawyer for a 
reinstatement form which will be mailed to the requester.

It would be most helpful if the camp adjutants and/or newsletter editors 
communicate with their camp members and advise them to be on the lookout 
for their red billing statements in July so they can return them as soon 
as possible for proper credit. Division Adjutant Mike Rose will be 
sending out a questionnaire shortly after the Division Convention 
ensuring that our current records reflect correct addresses for not only 
our camp commanders and adjutants, but to also collect any changes in 
personal data prior to the bills being mailed.

Additionally, the Virginia Division will implement an address check by 
utilizing the National Change of Address (NCOA) Certification prior to 
any bills being mailed to members or their addresses. Any addresses 
deemed undeliverable will be sent to their respective camps so that the 
camp adjutant can verify and return the corrected address to the 
Division Adjutant. This address cleansing program comes at an additional 
cost to the Division, however, it standardizes and corrects addresses to 
meet USPS requirements. Adj. Rose will also be asking the individual 
camps what their camp dues are, so that information can be included on 
the bill and the member will have a total amount to make out his check 
for a combination of camp dues and division dues.

The billing system was initiated to induce accountability at both the 
camp and division levels. The IRS is imposing new rules, especially with 
501(c)(3) organizations, and although portions may be tax deductible, 
the division needs to ensure that we have a record of where the dues and 
the additional funding were generated. In addition, we have many members 
who utilized the billing system to update personal data.

Many other divisions are currently using a similar billing system which 
is more costly. In the future, the divisions will more than likely be 
required to participate in a billing system and we are trying to keep 
the cost at a minimum and introduce a workable system to our members 
prior to it being mandated by the National Executive Committee. We feel 
that it is best to continue using our current billing system after the 
modifications that have been suggested. It is our goal to work with the 
camp adjutants and members to make this billing cycle as smooth as 
possible. If you have any questions, please contact Adj. Rose, Cmdr. 
Sawyer, or Treas. Wright.

These and a few other changes have been requested by the general 
membership of whom 85% utilized the Billing System this past year. These 
changes should simplify the process and more detailed instructions will 
be printed on the reverse of the billing statement that we plan to mail 
out in mid-July. This will give the members over 3 months to submit 
their dues and again should simplify the entire process from years past.

Compatriots...The Virginia Division leads, we have always led and we 
will continue to do so in the future. Your cooperation will ensure that 
we march forward together, shoulder to shoulder, for the good of our 
organization and Confederate heritage.

John Sawyer, Commander

Virginia Division SCV

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