Charity — How to Win for all

You make a difference and are special as a brother knight. Charity is the catalyst of our order - - our number 1 principal.So why do some councils fail to pay the Texas State charity amount?

How you and your council WIN - - and execute a winning strategy is by donating your time, talent, and money to your diocese, parish, and community.This article will point out some misconceptions regarding the Texas State Council and the charity assessment that each council is asked to pay each year.

Council Charity payment

The council money that you send in along with your Texas per capita payments funds the State charity.

Were you aware that 70% of your donation amounts are sent to YOUR Bishop?

Why don’t all council’s send in their charity?

Surprisingly, some brothers and councils lose sight of our principal of charity.One of the most common reasons some councils do not pay their charity is they have a failing Hall or Home Association.The Hall becomes the council’s charity.Besides not helping the parish and community this taking care of the Hall as the council’s “charity” may be running afoul of IRS rules.

Halls

Why does this happen?Over time some brothers lose sight of why they joined the Order. Often the brother begins to associate a home association, which was started by council money and labor.Halls further benefits from the IRS agreement with Supreme, whereby councils are allowed to be operated under 501(c)(8).This Internal Revenue Service rule allows councils to not have to collect tax on items sold by a council.

Thus, instead of paying the council’s charity amount, rationalization begins. Councils make their priority to pay and take care of the Hall instead of charity. The Hall first mentality is incorrect according to the IRS agreement, but over time brothers “have always done it this way”. Habit does not make it correct. But having councils send money to the hall as the council’s priority does show a pattern of willfully ignoring the IRS guideline.The IRS rule states that the halls are supposed to send monies back to the council.Any monies above and beyond the hall’s operating expenses are to be returned to the council for charity allocations.

If a hall or home association requires payments from a council to stay open and pay its bills, this home association and council are no longer in compliance with the original agreement between the IRS and Supreme. Just because a council in a hall have done this for many years does not make it right, it makes it a pattern.This habit is a major reason councils fail to pay their charity.

Save the Hall beyond all else — brothers dig in their heels as they have forgotten that the Hall was meant to provide a revenue source that is then turned over to the council. The council then uses the monies earned in the Hall to support the charity.

In summation, Texas State charity payments normally are not paid because:

• “We take care of our own and do not want our money to go elsewhere;”
• Our hall needs the money (IRS rules require Home Associations to RETURN any monies above operational expenses to a council — so a council may donate to charity);
  • this IRS rule is how the KoC is allowed to not collect taxes on our sales and councils have the 501(c)(8) status;

Plan for Charity

Council programs attract potential candidates, motivate brother knights, priests, Bishops, and your community. Plan by asking your council Brothers, and your priest for worthy causes that need help. For instance, could your council purchase a Ryobi atomizer sprayer to assist your parish in disinfecting and preventing the virus? Many parishes are disinfecting the church and parish by hand, which is time-consuming.But did you know there is equipment out there that could assist your priest and provide a program for brother knights to actively assist the parish?There is a Ryobi machine that atomizes and uses ionization to rapidly disinfect surfaces and the airborne particles.

How you can help your council to WIN

Become active and offer your suggestions for programs that will help your council to earn money for charity. Some examples of fundraisers meant to support a Council charity include

• your council’s world-famous fish fry;
• smoking meats, pork butts, turkeys, briskets, sausages, chickens, etc.;
• raffles;
• bingo;
• selling tamales;
• Ash Wednesday pancake dinner …

Next, other charitable programs include wheelchairs, raise money for ultrasound machines — find a project that your council is enthusiastic about and implements. These charitable donations and charitable programs help your parish and community.You can do these programs online - - the wheelchair program has videos that are available - - link to the wheelchair website.Put ads in the church bulletin and recruit new members by highlighting charitable programs your council is working on.

Community

How about cleaning and repairing a home for a disabled veteran, or someone in need? Maybe a brother knight has lost their job or are elderly and cannot afford to maintain their house. The recipient is benefited and the council benefits by having a program allowing brother knights to do what they joined the order to help others through our first principle of charity. A project that allows your council to work together as one is a WIN-WIN for everyone!

Let’s unite and support CHARITY

Please remember our number one principal — Charity. Supporting our #1 principle of Charity was probably the reason you were excited and happy to join the Knights.We all win when our council fully supports the Texas State Council and charity. By assuring your council pays its council charity dues and your council conducts programs, ultimately helps your parish, Bishops, and community.