Field Fundraising FAQ

Wreaths Across America

Can local units sign the Location Coordinator or Group Leader policies from Wreaths Across America or do we send it to National for signature?
Per NHQ General Counsel, the unit contact can sign the new policy agreement as long as the unit commander has been notified and the unit has already received wing commander approval for the activity. (3/2021)
At the beginning of each fiscal year, may a Wing Commander issue an approval letter for all units to participate in Wreaths Across America rather than waiting on individual unit requests?
The Wing Commander may provide a blanket approval for all units to participate in Wreaths Across America. However, for SUI and CI compliance, each unit should maintain a copy of the letter of approval for their records.

Also, knowing that every unit participates in WAA differently, it is recommended each unit still submit an ORM and plan for how their ceremonies will be conducted, how members will participate, etc to assist with any concerns for safety or other issues that might arise. Keep in mind, the Wing Commander's approval process is to ensure units are complying with state and federal guidelines as well as CAPRs regarding fundraising and safety - a blanket approval is acceptable, but it does not eliminate the commander's awareness of what the units are doing.

Website Donation Module

How does my unit request a fundraising donation button for our website?
The website donation module is an integrated feature on CAP SiteViz websites which streamlines and enhances fundraising efforts. It provides a centralized landing page for secure online donations, promoting ways to give for donors, and inspiring donor trust in the organization.

This project is part of CAP's strategic plan, your Field Fundraising team has been working with Marketing and Communications, IT, and Financial Management departments to roll-out the opportunity. Funds donated through the button on your page would be designated directly to your unit. Sign-Up for our Field Fundraising E-Newsletter to receive updates and learn more about the success of this program. The donation module launched July 18th, 2023.

While the main donation page will be static for units (including the donation button specific to the unit) additional pages for fundraising activities may be added within the SiteViz module. Work with your Wing PAO and/IT for more information about SiteViz.
Where can I find more information about the Donation Website Module for SiteViz for units? Including a PowerPoint and Webinar?
Please allow Social Media / Sharing Cookies to access this content.

For the PowerPoint presentation, please click here.
Our unit is utilizing SiteViz and the donation button. We noticed a gift we received is less than the donor gave? Are there fees included when a person makes a donation?
The platform fee for the donation button is currently 4%, as there is not a cost for the software. We expect with a higher volume of transactions to negotiate a lower rate in the future.

The transaction fee by the vendor allows the full use of their AI driven software to drive matching employer donations, as well as conversion to monthly donations. There are other engagement opportunities for tributes, sharing to social media, etc. Plus, they provide an automated IRS compliant tax receipt. All of these items raise the overall level of donations for the charity.

We have utilized this software at NHQ since last year and have experienced a strong increase in completed transactions and higher donation amounts per donor. You may be interested to know 85% of CAP donors have covered this payment processing and the transaction cost.

Before the donor completes the transaction, they will have a chance to review the transaction costs and may choose to deselect the checkbox which says “cover transaction costs.” If this happens, then the transaction costs are deducted from the gift before it is transferred to your unit account.

We did review other donation platforms with lower fees, but the cost to pay the vendor for their platform and the management of an organization the size of CAP with more than 1,400 units was cost prohibitive. Having a unified system that is easy to set-up and use, plus the benefits of engaging donors for local units made this vendor the best choice.
How will funds received through our unit donation button be received by our unit? Who can review the reports?
Your Wing Admin will be responsible for pulling monthly reports and transferring funds to your account. Please be aware that reports will be pulled on the 15th of the month for the prior month's activity. For example, a gift made on July 1st would not be accessible by your wing administrator until after August 15th and would likely arrive in he squadron's account by the 1st of September.

Regarding report access, both your Wing Administrator and the Wing Financial Analyst will have access. Members at the squadron and wing levels (including wing finance or command staff) will not have access to run the donation reports because the reports are tied to the payment processing system (Stripe) which is not an open platform.

CAP's financial management department has been a strong partner in the set-up to figure out best options. Prior to the donation module launch, Wing Administrators received back-up documentation from NHQ when a gift is transferred with little detail beyond name and purpose. The new reports will be much more encompassing so you can steward your donors. However, anonymous donors will remain anonymous per their request.
After reviewing the website donation module training and PowerPoint, I still have more questions. Who do I contact?
Please review the PowerPoint training provided in the FAQs. It has contact information at the end of the slidedeck. The email contact will vary depending on the type of question.
Where do the funds go when a donation is made through a Wing or Squadron donation website?
When a donor contributes through your dedicated donation page, the funds are directed straight to your wing or squadron. The integration with Stripe and FundraiseUp ensures that the donations are channeled directly through Wing Banker to your accounts, enabling you to use these funds for your local initiatives and needs.
Can our specific squadron or wing name be added to the donation button for donors to see when they make a donation?
We understand the interest in personalizing the donation button to each squadron or wing. However, currently, the option to add the specific squadron or wing name to the donation button is not available. Rest assured that each donation made through your dedicated wing or squadron donation website is directed straight to your wing or squadron. This ensures that the funds are designated to your unit and accessible for your use.

Should my CAP Unit donate or sponsor another charity?

While Civil Air Patrol units may wish to donate to a qualified nonprofit organization, CAP units should always be good stewards of donated funds. The perception/optics of raising money and then giving it to another organization can cause an incorrect perception and/or loss of trust from our donors and community.

The correct analysis and response to this query must be based on CAP being a 501(c)(3) under the IRS Code. Therefore, in order for this type of donation to be permissible we must consider the following:

Does the transaction advance CAP’s charitable mission (if the local unit meets at church facilities without a charge then under those circumstances a small donation may be permitted as a token of appreciation).
There must be no COI (conflict of interest) for any CAP person involved in the donation transaction.
There must be no violation of CAP donor restricted funds previously given to the local CAP unit.
There must be no misuse of funds by the receiving organization due to potential bad publicity from CAP supporting a failing entity.
No question that donating these funds will imperil CAP’s financial health.
It is prudent to consider all of this before being able to answer that it is acceptable for a local unit to donate funds or resources to another charity.

Can my squadron (unit) participate in AmazonSmile?

AmazonSmile has announced the program is ending effective February 20, 2023. If you are looking to grow revenue for your squadron, take a look at encouraging members to search for employer matching companies and volunteer service hour grants on our website. You should have a number of members/parents who are current employees or retirees of qualifying companies in your area.

Also, CAP supports the opportunity to conduct Facebook fundraising for local squadrons with proper approval.

Take a look for tips and links for unit fundraising at www.gocivilairpatrol.com/fieldfr.

How do I request an IRS letter in good standing for my unit?

CAP Tax Exempt Status

An important part of soliciting donations or conducting fund raising activities is CAP’s federal tax exempt status. The IRS has ruled that CAP and its subordinate units are exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. This makes donations to CAP eligible for deductions from income by donors as “charitable contributions” to the extent allowed by law. Verification of CAP’s tax exempt status may be found by referring to the IRS’s annual edition of “publication 78” or by requesting a current letter or exemption with your unit's information.

To request a letter of good standing, click here to email the following information:

Email should include
Subject: IRS Letter in Good Standing Request

Include in the body of the e-mail:

Your name and CAP ID
Your duty position
Full name of CAP Unit
Physical address of CAP Unit (street, city, state, zip)
Summary of how letter will be used to ask for what amount(s), for what purpose, and from what organization(s)
Do you have wing commander approval for this fundraising activity?

How do I request a .org email address to use in fundraising?

When to use a gocivilairpatrol.org account?

According to CAPR 120-1 dated 1 October 2017 "6.9. Advertising or fundraising on any .gov domain is not permitted. For the purposes of this section, "advertising" does not include the recognition of individuals or companies that have demonstrated financial or other support to the performance of CAP missions. When such recognition is extended via links or references to non-CAP sites, a disclaimer, in no less than 8-point type, shall be clearly displayed stating: "LINKS OR REFERENCES TO INDIVIDUALS OR COMPANIES DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN ENDORSEMENTOF ANY INFORMATION, PRODUCT OR SERVICE YOU MAY RECEIVE FROM SUCH SOURCES.”

Typically, a request may be made if you are an active senior member and responsible for fundraising for your local unit. This request is not intended for cadets or for parents or non-active members.

Click here request a gocivilairpatrol.org email account. All email requests must include a (CC) Carbon Copy to the Wing Commander before the request will be considered. Under no circumstance will a request be granted without allowing the Wing Commander to disapprove the request.

How does my squadron receive a discount on Microsoft products, including Microsoft Teams, so we may work more effectively?

As a nonprofit, CAP is eligible for FREE Office 365 tenants

To register for a nonprofit Office 365 license visit TechSoup
If you do not already have a TechSoup account you will need to create one which is where the IRS letter will be needed. You will receive instructions on how to access the cloud-based software.
You will need a copy of the IRS letter showing our Tax-exempt status and our 501(c)(3) status. The Tax-exempt status form can be found here
For the most up-to-date infomation, check https://capipedia.cap.gov/ under Remote Operations for more information.

A member of our squadron requested a free non-profit account on Canva, do we qualify?

Canva offers a limited number of nonprofit accounts for organizations. With more than 1,400 units within Civil Air Patrol, there are not enough slots for interested members to qualify under the CAP umbrella.

CAP's Marketing and Strategic Communications (MAC) department manages access to Canva licenses across CAP, and only five licenses are available for each wing MAC/PA team.

To request one of the five assigned licenses for your wing, reach out to your wing PAO. It will be up to the wing PAO to determine to assign and manage the five licenses. In addition, the end-user must have a branded email address from the wing or an NHQ .gov email.

Please note due to the limited number of licenses available, if you request a nonprofit account through Canva directly it will be denied by the MAC team.

How can units request space for fundraising at a Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club location?

Walmart corporate level now requires nonprofits to register and make initial requests through the Spark Good page. Nonprofits can request space, such as a table, in front of a Walmart or Sam's Club for their activities.by visiting the Spark Good website. Units need to be set up as a user under CAP's overall user account before making the request.

Our squadron would like to raise funds to provide financial assistance for a member who is in need. We would like to set-up GoFundMe account for then and contribute to it using unit funds and/or individual donations. Is this allowed?

We do offer the CAP Response Fund under certain circumstances. You can read more here.

We do see this type of activity occur frequently to support funeral expenses, medical expenses, recovery from unexpected home damage, etc. It's a nice way to support fellow members, however CAP resources or an official tie to CAP is prohibited.

When people give to support a specific individual, please note the gifts are not tax deductible, nor should it be received or receipted by CAP. We recommend a GoFundMe account to be set up and managed by an individual. CAP is unable to serve as the repository for funds including the processing of funds and/or making payments to individuals. Also, use of CAP's brand or portraying the fundraiser as an official CAP activity is prohibited.

For more information regarding CAP's crowdfunding guidance, please visit this page.

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