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| Gift shops, UPS and holidays—how’s the time! https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=45911 |
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| Author: | Becky Morgan [ Thu Sep 23, 2021 1:30 am ] |
| Post subject: | Gift shops, UPS and holidays—how’s the time! |
Does your museum or organization have a gift shop with an online presence? UPS has already been urging people to shop early, which sounds like decent advice. Some projects are selling parts as souvenirs, some have actual merchandise and all can use the profits. While straight cash donations are still the best to hope for, the guest or online visitor who buys holiday gifts accomplishes three things: niche gift for those difficult to buy for, donation to a cause even if it’s small, and getting the project name (and often URL) out where more people will see and ask about it. Shirts, in particular, seem to be great for stirring up word of mouth. The last two seasons have been awful for in-person sales, of course, but shoppers may start earlier if we all make a point of mentioning the shops. I know East Broad Top, AOSR, PA Trolley Museum, ARMM, RR Museum of PA, Strasburg and the Waynesburg and Washington (via Greene County Historical Society) have fairly large selections. Who else is well-supplied? Who has inventory they couldn’t move during the crisis? Have you had any luck making noise on social media? Do your scheduled work sessions include invitations for those who can’t do heavy work but can still pick and pack? |
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| Author: | JeffH [ Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gift shops, UPS and holidays—how’s the time! |
Just gotta be careful with the word "donation" if you are a 501(c)3. A T-shirt sale is not a tax deductible donation for the purchaser. If you give away a t-shirt to donors as a "thank you gift" then the fair market value of that gift has to be subtracted from the deductible amount of the gift. |
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| Author: | EJ Berry [ Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gift shops, UPS and holidays—how’s the time! |
Some nonprofits give their donors the option of declining the premium so the donor can claim the full amount of the donation. Phil Mulligan |
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| Author: | Becky Morgan [ Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Gift shops, UPS and holidays—how’s the time! |
JeffH wrote: Just gotta be careful with the word "donation" if you are a 501(c)3. A T-shirt sale is not a tax deductible donation for the purchaser. If you give away a t-shirt to donors as a "thank you gift" then the fair market value of that gift has to be subtracted from the deductible amount of the gift. Yes. EBT ran into that some time back when a FEBT membership perk was a very nice print (Ted Rose, I think) which they had to classify as “trinket value” in order to get the full donation. It’s easier to do that with prints than anything else tangible. |
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