Charitable Solicitation Policy

Williamsburg Aquatic Club · Adopted by the Executive Board on October 29, 2026.


1. Purpose. WAC asks for gifts honestly and lawfully, in ways that protect donors, the club's charitable registration and its tax-exempt status.


2. Registration. WAC is registered with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to solicit charitable contributions. The President, working with the club's accountant, re-files the registration every year by January 15. If the filing cannot be made on time, the President requests a written extension from VDACS before the deadline. The registration must never lapse.


3. Every written request for gifts uses the club's registered name, Williamsburg Aquatic Club, and includes this statement:


Williamsburg Aquatic Club is a 501(c)(3) organization, EIN 54-1520341. A financial statement is available from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services upon request.


This applies to donation pages, appeal emails and letters, printed materials, and any fundraising page created on WAC's behalf.


4. Receipts.

  • Every contribution receives a written acknowledgment. It states the amount and, where true, that no goods or services were provided in exchange.
  • Gifts that come with something in return. If a donor pays more than $75 and receives something for it, the receipt states a good-faith estimate of what the donor received.
  • Thank-you items. Any thank-you item given for a gift must either stay within the IRS low-cost-item limits for that year, or have its value stated on the receipt.
  • Not charitable contributions. Sponsorship payments, raffle tickets and event admissions are not charitable contributions, and are never receipted as if they were.


5. No paid solicitation. WAC does not pay anyone a commission, percentage or bonus based on money raised. That includes staff, volunteers and vendors. Fundraising platforms paid through flat or processing fees are permitted. Any contract with a professional fundraiser or professional solicitor requires Board approval first.


6. Other states. WAC is registered to solicit only in Virginia.

  • WAC does not direct fundraising appeals, advertising or campaigns at residents of other states.
  • WAC does not place out-of-state donors in repeated appeal sequences without Board approval.
  • Gifts that arrive from out of state are welcome, and are acknowledged like any other gift.


7. Board review triggers. The officer leading the giving program reports to the Board if, in any fiscal year, WAC receives 25 or more gifts, or $5,000 or more, from residents of any single other state. The Board then decides whether to register in that state.


8. Restricted gifts. WAC asks for restricted gifts only for funds the Board has established.


9. Donor privacy. WAC does not sell, rent or share donor information. Donor records are used only for WAC's own purposes.


10. Review. The Board reviews this policy every year.