Tibetan Cultural Institute of Arkansas
Special Events Policy
A special event shall be defined as an irregular or non-recurring event such as lectures, teachings, and ceremonies by resident or visiting teachers, fundraising activities, picnics and celebrations, etc. which are sponsored or promoted by the Institute and open to members of the Institute and/or the general public.
For the purpose of coordinating and organizing these events, the Board of Directors hereby establishes a standing Special Events Committee. Only events coordinated by the Special Events Committee and approved by the Board of Directors shall be considered official events of the Institute, and eligible to receive Institute support.
Special Events Committee Duties and Responsibilities
The Special Events Committee works to ensure the success of special events sponsored or promoted by the Institute through communication, planning, coordination, and implementation of activities related to the event. The committee will work within established guidelines and/or propose specific guidelines related to such events.
Event Plan and Approval
The Special Events Committee will present an event plan for approval by the Board of Directors. The event plan shall include a description of the event and its activities, projected number of attendees, qualifications for attendance, recommended or possible venues for the event, an estimate of associated costs, promotional activities, associated fundraising activities, potential liability and insurance requirements, other special requirements, etc. The Board of Directors will review the event plan and vote to approve or disapprove the event. The chairperson of the Special Events Committee will maintain records of submitted and approved events, and corresponding documentation.
Communication
The Special Events Committee will keep the Board and other relevant persons informed as to progress, milestones, obstacles, problems, etc. during the planning and implementation phases of the event.
Event Publicity and Literature
All publicity and literature intended for pre-event promotion or designed to be distributed during the event shall be approved and/or developed by the Community Outreach Committee prior to printing or publishing. Under no circumstance shall any literature, information, or communication imply that it is official Institute communication without prior approval by the Community Outreach Committee or Board of Directors.
Where allowed by the venue and Institute policy, Institute brochures, membership applications, the Institute’s web site address, etc. shall be prominently displayed and available to attendees.
Solicitation of Donations
Where allowed by the venue, the event will include donation boxes in visible locations. Donations received will be deposited into the General Operating Fund of the Institute, unless a prior Board motion has been approved to target donations for a different purpose. Donations may, by prior or subsequent motion of the Board, be divided among different recipients (for example, 75% of the donations designated for a visiting teacher, with 25% going to the Institute’s General Fund, etc.) Any costs of the event (venue rental, travel expenses, etc.) shall be deducted from the donations prior to any distribution. Displaying multiple donation boxes with different purposes or targets will not be allowed without prior board approval. Donation boxes will be clearly marked with signage indicating the specific purpose and intent for which donations will be used.
Other Fundraising
Other fundraising activities (e.g., auctions, sale of merchandise, etc.) shall comply with the policies of the venue and the Institute. All proceeds from such activities will be deposited into the Institute’s General Fund, without a previous Board motion to the contrary. Sharing of the proceeds may be permitted by Board motion, subject to the same conditions as described in the “Solicitation of Donations” section above. The specific purpose and intent of fundraising shall be clearly identified with appropriate signage, etc.
Accounting for Income and Expenses
All receipts from donations and fundraising activities shall be counted and signed for by at least two members of the Institute. Receipts will be delivered to the Treasurer of the Institute as soon as possible after the end of the event. As soon as possible after the end of the event, the Special Events Committee will present to the Treasurer a complete accounting of all expenses incurred as a result of the event. No distribution of funds shall be made until all expenses have been recorded.
Modification
All or part of this policy may be waived on a per-event basis by prior approval of the Board of Directors.
Adopted by the Board of Directors
February 7, 2012
