COLOGNE LIONS DONATION GUIDELINES

 

Part I

Donation Priorities

Lions International, of which the Cologne Lions is a member club, has designated the following as official Lions service categories:

1. Diabetes

2. Vision

3. Hunger

4. Environment

5. Childhood Cancer

6. Community Services

7. Disaster Preparedness and Relief

8. Community or Individual Health and Wellness

9. International Relations

10. Services and Opportunities for Youth

As such, the above should constitute the primary donation priorities of the Cologne Lions Club.

 

Part II

Organizational Financial Requests

From Lions Organizations

Lions International

The Cologne Lions Club is a member of Lions Clubs International.  Direct requests from Lions Clubs International should be honored to the best ability of the Club.

5M2

The Cologne Lions Club is a member of Multiple District 5M and sub district 5M2.  The 5M2 district cabinet approves/endorses district-wide projects; it is the decision of the Cologne Lions Club whether to support such projects.

Local Lions and Leo Clubs

Requests from the following are given full consideration:

• Cologne Leo Club

• Lions Clubs of Carver County

Donations to the above should be limited to $250 or less.  This restriction does not apply to the Leo Club as a sponsored project of the Cologne Lions Club.

5M2 Charter Night Donations

The Cologne Lions Club will make a $50 donation to new 5M2 Lions Clubs and Leo Clubs on their charter night.

 

 

From Non-Lions Organizations

 

Requests for financial support for the operating expenses of non-Lion sponsored community organizations will be considered.  The Club may assist with or participate in projects to benefit the community in general.

Part III

Donations to Individuals

General Fund

Note:  The General Fund is independent of fundraising activities.

Candidates

The Cologne Lions may consider support of club or 5M2 candidates for Lion offices beyond the club level.

District Officeholders

The Cologne Lions may provide financial support for hospitality rooms for club members holding District 5M2 office.

Memorials

The Cologne Lions Club provides appropriate memorials when a member suffers the death of a parent, spouse or child.  A tree of the family’s choosing will be planted in the Lions Park in their honor. 

Memorials will be given to Parade of Green charities in the amount of $50.  The family will be asked if they have a preference for a particular charity.  If not, the memorials will be rotated through the Parade of Green charities.  The Club treasurer will keep a record of the donations.

Sunshine Fund

There will be money set aside in the budget to be used to send gifts/flowers to club members who are ill, etc. 

 

Project Fund

Note:  The General Fund is independent of fundraising activities

The Following Refers to Donation Priority 4 from Part I (Health & Wellness):

Donations should be limited to individuals residing in the Cologne community or immediate family of a Cologne Lions Club member.

• Gifts of $1000 or more should require the sponsorship of an individual fundraiser, the purpose of which is to fund the donation.

• Funding for the request should not be otherwise available through insurance, or county or state assistance.  An assurance statement may be requested.

• Donations in this area should be carefully weighed by the membership so as not to set a precedent that the club may not be able to fulfill in the future in support other equally worthy recipients.

The Following Refers to Donation Priority 6-7 from Part I (Opportunities for Youth and Services for Children):

The Club will consider donations to an individual for youth activities (including, but not limited to Lions Youth Exchange, Camp Needlepoint, and other Lions Affiliated activities or scouting events).

 

Part IV

Donations of Special Merit in the Cologne Community

The Following Refers to Donation Priority 1 from Part I (Community Services):

The Cologne Lions Club has donated significant amounts of money to projects of widespread community benefit.

A donation in this category may be approved by the Clubs general membership if it includes all of the following:

• Serves a significant public population

• Has a life expectancy of at least 10 years

• Is unlikely to take place or would take place but with much more difficulty without the assistance of the Cologne Lions Club

• Takes place within the Cologne Community or one of the local school districts.

 

Part V

Policy Notification Procedures for Donations

All donation requests must be sent to the President prior to being discussed at Board Meeting or Club Meeting.  Requesters are strongly encouraged to complete the attached Donation Request Application,

All donation requests will be discussed by the Board prior to being presented at a Club meeting. Exception to this would be annual requests that are approved as part of our annual budget, such as Parade of Green, Special Olympics Polar Plunge, D-Feet Walk, etc.

Cologne Lions Board have the authority to determine if donation requests will be brought forward to the membership.  All donation requests that are not brought to the Club must be noted in Board meeting minutes.  If a Club member disagrees with Board’s decision, they may ask to be added to the next Board Agenda to ask for reconsideration,

Cologne Lions Board may approve donation request under $250.00 without Club approval. All approved donations of this type will be in the Board Meeting Minutes and highlighted by the President at the next Club Meeting.

 

All donation requests over $250.00 requires Club approval and the Board will provide a recommendation to the Club at a Club meeting.

Motions to approve donations of $1500 or more, any donation requiring a multi-year payment format or any donation exceeding these guidelines must have the following language added to it:

The proposed motion will be discussed in detail at the next regular meeting and modified, if necessary.  Prior to the regular meeting, the membership will be informed via email or by regular mail of the final form of the motion.  A final vote will take place at the following regular meeting.

Part VI

Policy Procedures for Joint Fundraising Projects

When participating with another organization(s) on a fundraising project, a written agreement will be necessary to ensure that details are clarified and there are no misunderstandings.  Said agreement will stipulate how costs and labor will be split and how the funds raised will be controlled and distributed.  The terms must be concluded prior to the starting of the project.

 

Part VII

Record of Actions

The Club secretary will keep written findings as to why a decision was made to either fund or not fund a donation.  This will be in addition to minute entries.

 

Part VIII

Assisting Members and/or

Family Members

The Cologne Lions Club does not use general funds for personal benefit of its members.

With that said, this prohibition against personal gain is not intended to preclude support of a club member(s) or their family members when availing themselves of well-established Lion programs that are uniformly available to the general public.  As an example, support for acquiring a leader dog, assisting a youth exchange member, supporting a diabetes screening where a club member or family member is screened, etc. shall not be discouraged for a club member or family member.

 

Part IX

A discretionary fund will be set up so funds are available to be used for requests not covered by any of the topics in Part I.   This fund will be made up of 10% of the profit from each fundraiser/event the club hosts.  This money will be deposited into the clubs General Account and will be tracked separately by the clubs Treasurer. 

 

Part X

A request can be deemed to be an emergency request with the agreement of the President, 1st , 2nd and 3rd Vice-Presidents. If a request is determined to be an emergency, a Zoom meeting will be scheduled and all Club members will be notified by email.  The Club members will have no less than a 2 day notice.