Chat with your LLS Staff partner before accepting any of these types of fundraising sources:
Other Forms of Donations*
Donations from Pharmaceutical or Bio-tech Companies: Before soliciting donations from these companies, obtain written approval from LLS Staff.
Third Party Platforms* �(other than Facebook)
*Approval required from LLS’s National Office at least three weeks prior to the Grand Finale
Questions? Reach out to your LLS staff partner or see the Student Visionaries Confidentiality Terms for more information.
You can accept funds from:
Approved Fundraising Activities
Cash, checks, �and credit cards
Stock Transfers (valued as of the date received by LLS’s brokerage account).
Charitybuzz: You are responsible for ensuring fulfillment/delivery �of any packages.
Matching Gifts & Volunteer Grants: �Make sure to follow the specific corporation’s matching gift guidelines. Matching gifts only apply to direct donations, and do not apply to auction items, raffle ticket sales, or sponsorships.
Sponsorship: Sponsorship commitments can be secured at any time via commitment form, however, funds received prior to Kickoff will not be included in your competition total.
Facebook Fundraisers: Link your fundraiser directly via Fundraising Tools (note: others can see the amount of funds raised via your site so those amounts will not be confidential).
The following fundraising activities will not count in your competition totals:
Raffles/Gaming (consult with your legal/tax counsel)
Not recommended:
Fundraising Activities
Requiring Prior Review
Ineligible Fundraising Activity
Donor Advises Funds, Foundations, Companies: Use sponsorship form with the “donation” option checked.
Soliciting Donations from National Sponsors: Written approval from LLS is required before soliciting any donations from a national sponsor for Visionaries of the Year.
In-Kind Credit: Some local campaigns allow in-kind credit as a donation. In-kind credit is “first come, first served”, limited to identified items, and may not exceed 10% of the total raised by your team.
Grand Finale Auction: Some local campaigns may allow silent auction items. Teams will be credited for the amount that the item sells for at the Grand Finale (not the actual item value). Firearms and Live Animals are not permitted.
Consumer Campaigns, Promotion & Retail
Funds generated via other LLS programs
Portions of Multi-Year Pledges that extend beyond the current competition timeframe
Only non-restricted funds count in total
Bachelor/Bachelorette Auctions
Cause Marketing,�Commercial Co-venture, & Charitable Sales Promotions
LLS STUDENT VISIONARIES OF THE YEAR CAMPAIGN
IMPORTANT DATES & RECOGNITION
Official fundraising period begins the day of Kickoff
Any funds dated prior to Kickoff will not count toward your team’s competition total but will be accepted as non-campaign donations to LLS.
Deadlines for Fundraising
Local campaign deadline dates will be provided by your LLS staff partner. All funds must be received by the deadlines to count in your team’s competition total.
Mission Pillars & Awards
Confirm in writing to your LLS staff partner your choice of mission pillar no later than Kickoff. Eligibility for these awards requires raising a minimum of $10,000.
Top Fundraiser Awards
Visionaries is primarily a fundraising competition, and winners – aka Visionary of the Year – will be named at both national and local levels.
Receipt of Funds
Other than portal gifts/grants/donations, all funds must be received within 90 days after your campaign Finale to count towards your team’s campaign total.
Confirmation & Weekly Incentives
All funds must be confirmed by LLS before a national top fundraiser will be named. A maximum of 5% of a total can come from weekly incentives.
Event Requirements:
Third Party Events: An event held by you or for your team to raise funds for LLS
You CANNOT
Open a bank account under LLS’s name or federal tax ID number (TIN)
Request reimbursement for any expenses related to your event or campaign
Sign any contract on behalf of LLS, including any space, catering, insurance, or other contracted needs for your event
Use LLS’s federal tax ID number (TIN) to secure any in-kind donations, including venues, invitations
LLS STUDENT VISIONARIES OF THE YEAR CAMPAIGN
THE RULES
Gift Acceptance: LLS will not accept gifts that are:
Tax Deductibility
Property of LLS
All funds raised by your campaign belong to and remain the property of LLS, even if you withdraw from the campaign.
Only donations made directly to LLS are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Confidentiality
In order to provide all teams with a fair and equitable experience nationally, candidate teams raising $250,000, or more, are asked to keep their fundraising totals confidential until the national top fundraiser has been formally announced.
LLS Branding
You must receive prior written approval prior to any use of LLS’s name, logos, or trademarks.
Agreements
Candidates may not enter into any agreement that binds or creates an obligation for LLS.
Volunteer Conduct
LLS may terminate your involvement in the Student Visionaries Campaign if we determine that continuing would jeopardize our brand, reputation, or goodwill.
Eligibility: Candidates may not be children or immediate �family of:
Relationship with LLS
SCHOLARSHIPS
Eligibility
To be eligible for a scholarship, you must raise a minimum �of $10,000.
Scholarship Disbursement
If you earn a scholarship through this campaign, LLS will provide it directly to the institution of your choice or into an established 529 plan. If those options are not available to you, a signed letter from your parent/guardian indicating proof of intent that the scholarship will be used for educational purposes is needed within two weeks following the Grand Finale.
LLS reserves the right to allow participation by more than one team from any given school or organization.
Candidate team fundraising totals are confidential until all totals are finalized. LLS may announce candidates as well as top fundraisers raising $50,000 or more at the Grand Finale and to the media. Specific donor details remain confidential, except where recognition has been promised by LLS. Keeping your fundraising totals confidential until after the top fundraiser’s total is announced provides all teams with a fair and equitable experience.
LLS STUDENT VISIONARIES OF THE YEAR CAMPAIGN
AUTHORIZED ADULT ATTENDANCE
An authorized adult (i.e. a parent, guardian, or another adult who has been designated, via written permission, by a parent/guardian) must attend all meetings.
COMMUNICATION
LLS staff may use communication methods such as email, text, and phone calls and will copy authorized adults on all text and email communications.
If group messaging applications are used, everyone must be comfortable with the terms of the application, and all authorized adults will be notified before the first message is shared.
If outside of typical office hours, LLS will make every effort to respond within two business days.
WHAT’S EXPECTED: Meetings & Communication Guidelines
If an authorized adult is unable to attend a scheduled meeting, it must be rescheduled.
Thank you for reading the Candidate Agreement and Confidentiality Terms.
Please log in to VolunteerLLS to sign the CACT document.
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Need help? Talk with your LLS Staff partner.
LLS STUDENT VISIONARIES OF THE YEAR CAMPAIGN