Base Outreach Program

Purpose. To establish the means for individual USSVI bases to conduct charitable outreach under the umbrella of the USSVCF.

Discussion: The IRS establishes rules regulating the activities of charitable organizations. We are bound by those rules and each base opting to conduct its own charitable outreach must as well. But they are not onerous. When viewed critically they boil down to two things.

            First. The activity must be legal and charitable in nature.

            Second. Funds raised and spent on a charitable activity must be auditable.

Procedure: A base opting to conduct local outreach is authorized to do so. To begin, establish a fund by contacting USSVCF’s treasurer at treasurer@ussvcf.org and opening the fund in the base’s name. Donations made by the base, members, or other local donors can be deposited by check or electronic means. Funds will be released to the base upon request.

The base will keep a record of fund usage including a description of the event or donation made, the date of the event or donation and the amount. The record will be provided annually to the CF for documentation purpose

Bases must ensure that the uses of funds are charitable in nature. Examples: celebrating Holland Club inductees, veteran’s memorials or scholarship support (refer to existing procedures).

Local advertising of base activities conducted, and donation canvassing should state that they are tax free under the provisions of Sect. 501(c)3 of the tax code.

Listen to the audio file below, where George Palmer and Mike Ferranti, officers in the Sailfish Base and USSVCF discuss the program.

https://ussvcf.org/audio/Mike & George discuss base outreach.mp3