Volunteer Fire Department Donations

[JD1234]

Does your Department/Company have a policy on use of Department/Company funds to make donations to other community organizations? Since most volunteer companies rely on donations for some portion of their funding presumably to support fire company operations, is it proper to then take that money and donate it to another cause? On the other hand, we are seen as supporting our "community", so when a need comes up, is there anything wrong with helping out in a community cause? Any laws/guidelines that would prevent use of company funds for other causes?

[The nots so new FNG]

Does your Department/Company have a policy on use of Department/Company funds to make donations to other community organizations? Since most volunteer companies rely on donations for some portion of their funding presumably to support fire company operations, is it proper to then take that money and donate it to another cause? On the other hand, we are seen as supporting our "community", so when a need comes up, is there anything wrong with helping out in a community cause? Any laws/guidelines that would prevent use of company funds for other causes?

Our dept keeps careful tabs on where the money came from. We have donations, earmarked donations and inhouse fundraising money. We only send money out for non-FD related expenses on inhouse monies, not donations from outside entities.

If you can't track exactly where the money came from, it could be Russian Roulette if you give it away and some entitiy doesn't like that use. We can at least say that we used revenue from the 'Candy fund' or 'Fish Fry' to pay that expense and have the full records to show it.

[SilverCity4]

Our department barely has enough money for us, let alone passing it on!

That being said, your FD should have some document (by-laws or city ordinance...something) that states who manages the money. In our case, it's a Board of Directors, and they can pretty much do what they want with the money, within the confines of the By-Laws.

We've passed on equipment, vehicles and such to other agencies. If there were any organizations like a local firefighter's support organization (for widow's or retirees), I would think this would be an acceptable use of funds.

[onlocation]

we used to donate to other charitble events/groups, but then we realized that the money donated to us was donated to us and not every other group wanting doantions. we felt that it wasnt right to take money ment for us by the public and give it away to another charitable organization in need. we opted not to donate no more than what our annual membership dues are which is only a little over 100 dollars.
keep in mind money is getting tight and it is only going to get worse.

[EFDSTUSSY]

We have a city funded fire dept, using tax money. We also have a Firefighter's Association wthin the department, made of all of our volunteers. We own 2 Type-6 brush trucks and make money in the Summer on DNR/State fires, this money we do with as we see fit. When a formal request comes across the table for a donation, we vote on it as a membership.

[Eng34FF]

We would generally not give money to another charity. Donations to the department were generally provided for department use. If the people donating wanted to give to another charity, they would have. County funds are for operations.

The exceptions I have seen were to by an advertisement in the state firemans convention booklet, or a brick at a fallen firefighters memorial, or similar. Each of those had to be approved by the board of directors and membership.

[Bones42]

Donations to our fire company are donations to run the firehouse, not for fire fighting equipment. We get a too small budget from our Town and that is what pays for the fire fighting equipment. Donations are what pays for our electric, building water/sewer, natural gas, etc.

Do we sometimes donate to others...yes.

[NTFire2]

I did not mean to post in this forum