| Policies and Guidelines |
Maine 4-H Program |
B.1.12 4-H Fund Raising
When fund raising for a 4-H club, or under the 4-H umbrella for any reason, clubs and leaders must be conscious of upholding the good name of 4-H, get approval for the activity from the county 4-H contact person, and use all funds for 4-H purposes. In handling club funds, follow the 4-H Financial Guidelines, in Section B.2.3 of this manual or other responsible financial procedures. Keep good records and be very open about such activities.
If funds are raised for a charitable cause, clubs and leaders must be sure they clearly inform donors about how the funds will be used and then follow through on that commitment. University of Maine Cooperative Extension, as the protector of the 4-H emblem, must make sure that such sanctioned activities are appropriately concluded. People who donate money to a specific cause or organization have every right to believe that the 4-H fundraisers will honor their desire to have the money forwarded to that cause or organization. After the funds are collected, you cannot revise where and to whom the funds will be directed. If you find the original intended cause or organization has all the money it needs, or you no longer trust them to use the funds honorably, the only option is to return the money to the donors. When such activities are concluded, send an accounting of what funds were raised and how they were expended to the Extension office. Fundraising for police organizations is prohibited by Maine law.
4/02/08