Auction & Fund-a-Need Script with Fair-Market-Value Disclosure
An emcee/auctioneer run-of-show and receipting toolkit for a benefit auction and fund-a-need paddle-raise — its purpose is compliance as much as revenue.
Draft: pending review
This starter document is signed off by Events/advancement director + nonprofit tax counsel + state charitable-gaming counsel before it ships. The guardrails below define that review.
What’s inside
- Full run-of-show: welcome, live-auction patter, fund-a-need script by level, close
- Bid sheets and receipts pre-printed with each item's good-faith fair-market value
- Quid-pro-quo disclosure: only the amount paid above FMV is deductible
- Raffle/wine-pull gaming-law decision checklist and permit tracker
Legal & ethical guardrails
The sector-specific compliance points this document must honor.
- IRS §6115 requires a written quid-pro-quo disclosure whenever the donor's PAYMENT exceeds $75 and part is for goods/services (the trigger is the payment, not the item's FMV); an auction winner deducts only the excess of the bid over the item's stated good-faith FMV. A separate $250 §170(f)(8) threshold also applies
- Charitable-substantiation requires contemporaneous written acknowledgment stating whether goods/services were provided
- Raffles and 'games' are regulated gambling under state law and often require a license/permit and reporting
- Fund-a-need is fully deductible only if no goods/services are received — keep it separate in receipting
Held for professional review.
The native DOCX and full working text ship only after sign-off by Events/advancement director + nonprofit tax counsel + state charitable-gaming counsel on this exact version. The summary and review requirements remain visible in the meantime.
Not legal advice. Not legal, tax, or accounting advice. The Fundraising Co. provides educational fundraising materials and is not a law firm; nothing here creates an attorney–client relationship or substitutes for advice from professionals licensed in your jurisdiction. Laws and IRS rules vary by state and change over time. Review every document with qualified counsel before use.