One of our accountants, Lisa Potter, works extensively with nonprofit organizations. Her blog post, Maintaining transparency beyond the Form 990, has application for churches and ministries, even though the Form 990 is not required.

From my colleague, Lisa Potter:

Donor relationships and engagement are a high priority for our nonprofit clients. The United States Postal Service is offering a 3% postage discount for July and August, 2011 when mobile marketing and direct mail are combined. Here’s how it works: organizations print mail pieces (envelope or contents) with a QR code (Quick Response code – a two-dimensional code that users can scan with a mobile device that takes them directly to a specified landing page on a smartphone). The qualifying First Class Mail® cards, letters and flats, and Standard Mail® letters and flats bearing a QR code will receive a 3% discount on the total postage cost.

Promotion guidelines:

-         The QR code must be used for consumer interaction and be relevant to the mail piece. The two-dimensional barcode must have a marketing purpose, not administrative (such as links to online payment or internal operations) or educational.

-         Co-mingled, co-mailed and combined mailings are allowed, but the QR-coded mail must have a separate postage statement.

-         The QR code 3% promotional discount cannot be combined with any other postal incentive, except the full-service Intelligent Mail® barcode discount.

-         Effective dates for the promotion are July 1 – August 31, 2011.

For nonprofit organizations with an online presence, the USPS mail promotion can add up to worthwhile savings to connect with donors and potential donors.

(My high school English teacher would frown on my choice of word order… and I don’t want any of you to think I’m talking about raffling off a church.)

Seriously, many churches have various fundraisers – typically called “special events.”  These special
events can take different forms, including a dinner, a golf tournament, an auction and a raffle – to name a few.  Let’s talk about a raffle for a moment, particularly the required reporting by the church for its contributors/supporters/donors.

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