Keeping Your United Way Fundraising Events Legal Fact Sheet Drawings (sometimes called Sweepstakes): •
You can have a drawing and give prizes to individuals who participate in the annual United Way campaign.
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The entry may not be tied to pledging, which is different than participating. All individuals who participate, even those who pledge nothing, but turn in their pledge cards, can be eligible.
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If you tie the drawing to actually giving a dollar amount, increasing a pledge from a prior year, etc., then the donor’s gift to United Way is no longer tax-deductible.
Games of Skill •
You can sell employees a chance to participate in a game of skill.
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Games of skill include: guessing the number of marbles in a jar, answering historical questions, a putting contest, etc.
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You cannot have as a game of skill guessing the score or outcome of sporting events.
Door Prizes: You can enter the names of everyone who attended a campaign meeting or rally and have a random drawing to award “door prizes.” Silent and Live Auctions & Special Events You can conduct special events, including silent and live auctions, where the proceeds benefit United Way Community Investment.
Note: If you host a special event (i.e. golf tournament, silent auction) with the net
proceeds benefiting the United Way, the host corporation can solicit donated goods from other corporations (e.g. gift certificates) that will be used at the special event. If gift acknowledgements are requested by the donator(s), please contact your United Way Relationship Manager, for a standard template that your company can use.
Games of Chance Connecticut law requires permits to be obtained from the Division of Special Revenue by the charity to conduct games of chance, such as raffles, Las Vegas Nights, bingo, and others. We discourage these types of activities.
30 Laurel Street • Hartford, CT 06106 • tel (860) 493-6800 • fax (860) 493-6809 • web www.unitedwayinc.org