Fundraiser Question

[albionwood]

The new California law is pretty straightforward and might be a model for other States to adopt.  It basically says, you can donate homebrew to a nonprofit and they can sell it at fundraisers (as long as they have a serving license), full stop.  It specifically says you CANNOT sell it as a benefit for your homebrew club (i.e. you can't get around the permitting laws just by calling your brewery a club!).

This is one of the primary reasons why I'm interested in starting a homebrewing club here.  Many local nonprofits would be happy to serve homebrew at their functions.

[thatgeekguy]

If you're primarily interested in rasing funds for your club, there's other options. We recently partnered with a local brewery who supports our efforts to do a brewing demo and raffle during their Saturday tour and tasting. Folks had already paid them for entry and were tasting their beers, so we had no conflicts as we weren't serving any homebrew.

We did two all grain demos simultaneously during the three hour period they were open for the tour/tasting, with great interest from folks. We ended up signing up about five new members, which was an added bonus. We had applications and business cards on the raffle table, and will probably get additional members as a result of that as well.

As far as the raffle, we solicited local pubs for gift cards, t-shirts, empty growlers and other swag. The club donated a set of five pint glasses from local breweries, and a commercial seasonal ale assortment. Our local  homebrew shop donated an extract kit, and a starter equipment kit as two items as well. The brewery donated a gift basket full of swag and beer, and the grand prize of a private party for twenty-five at the brewery. As I said, they actively support us as they started as homebrewers and are still dues-paying members of the club.

Tickets were $5 for 1, $8 for 2, 12$ for 3, etc. Lots of folks would buy two and let us keep the change from a ten dollar bill. When all was said and done we had raised $1000 for the club in one afternoon and exposed a lot of craft beer drinkers to our club and the joys of homebrewing. We'll probably start doing this twice a year.

[tommymorris]

Actually, we recently got invited to do a joint tasting with a brewery as a fund raiser. That should help us a lot.

[thatgeekguy]

Excellent, please report back with details on how it's structured and how it went.

[cornershot]

Actually, we recently got invited to do a joint tasting with a brewery as a fund raiser. That should help us a lot.

Seems like Colorado has all the fun these days.

[Bruce B]

Actually, we recently got invited to do a joint tasting with a brewery as a fund raiser. That should help us a lot.

That's awesome!  The homebrew will add some character to the event and the brewery won't have to supply all of the beer.  Win-win!  Just be prepared in case your beer is better than the breweries.  That happened at a fest I was pouring at a couple of years ago.  We had a Watermelon Wheat that people were lined up to get.  The brewery next to us also had a Watermelon Wheat but had very few takers.   

[denny]

Actually, we recently got invited to do a joint tasting with a brewery as a fund raiser. That should help us a lot.

Seems like Colorado has all the fun these days.

Yeah, they get to do a joint tasting...what?

[morticaixavier]

Actually, we recently got invited to do a joint tasting with a brewery as a fund raiser. That should help us a lot.

Seems like Colorado has all the fun these days.

Yeah, they get to do a joint tasting...what?

he he

[tommymorris]

Actually, we recently got invited to do a joint tasting with a brewery as a fund raiser. That should help us a lot.

Seems like Colorado has all the fun these days.

Colorado is awesome but my post is about Mississippi. You know, the most progressive state in the south.

Actually I had nothing to do with setting this up. Other folks from the club have done this. But as I know more I will report back.

PS. If I never post again it's because I was shot for using the words progressive and Mississippi in the same sentence.

[phunhog]

The new California law is pretty straightforward and might be a model for other States to adopt.  It basically says, you can donate homebrew to a nonprofit and they can sell it at fundraisers (as long as they have a serving license), full stop.  It specifically says you CANNOT sell it as a benefit for your homebrew club (i.e. you can't get around the permitting laws just by calling your brewery a club!).

This is one of the primary reasons why I'm interested in starting a homebrewing club here.  Many local nonprofits would be happy to serve homebrew at their functions.

As an update there is currently legislation to change the law so that the non profit CAN be a brewing related charity.  This is being done so that AHA can have the NHC in CA.  But I do wonder if then a legally recognized non-profit homebrewing club (501c3) COULD have events where they sell their beer and all profits go back to the club.

[Jimmy K]

As an update there is currently legislation to change the law so that the non profit CAN be a brewing related charity.  This is being done so that AHA can have the NHC in CA.  But I do wonder if then a legally recognized non-profit homebrewing club (501c3) COULD have events where they sell their beer and all profits go back to the club.

Maybe, but I'm in a non-brewing related (plenty of drinking though) that is a 501(c)3 and the IRS is VERY particular about what we do with the money we raise.

[phunhog]

As an update there is currently legislation to change the law so that the non profit CAN be a brewing related charity.  This is being done so that AHA can have the NHC in CA.  But I do wonder if then a legally recognized non-profit homebrewing club (501c3) COULD have events where they sell their beer and all profits go back to the club.

Maybe, but I'm in a non-brewing related (plenty of drinking though) that is a 501(c)3 and the IRS is VERY particular about what we do with the money we raise.

I bet they are!  If this new law passes in CA I am seriously thinking about starting some sort of non profit homebrewing club/collective.  The "club" could then hold fundraising beer festivals 2x year and would be able to keep the profits.  The caveat is that only "members" can attend but anyone can become a club member.

[dbeechum]

Yeah, I would imagine if you do that, you'll have the ABC looking very particular at your doings particularly since this is part of the bill:

23356.2.d.5 Only bona fide members of the nonprofit organization may attend the event.

That gives the ABC a lot of room when they issue the license to tell you to go spit.

[phunhog]

Yeah, I would imagine if you do that, you'll have the ABC looking very particular at your doings particularly since this is part of the bill:

23356.2.d.5 Only bona fide members of the nonprofit organization may attend the event.

That gives the ABC a lot of room when they issue the license to tell you to go spit.

The whole "bona fide member" thing is up for interpretation.  Look at the California Homebrewers Assoc....there sole purpose is really to put on two homebrewing festivals a year.  Anyone can pay ten dollars and become a member.  I know of lots of people who go to the Southern CA Homebrewers Festival who don't brew and just see it as a good party.  It wouldn't be hard to start a  non-profit that focuses on homebrewing education and beer appreciation.  You could then charge a small annual membership fee (5 dollars) and host your own festival 2x a year.  Plus I don't know if the ABC can really deny a one day license to a non-profit that meets all the legal requirements. 

[dbeechum]

One fest - they only do the SoCal fest. NCHF is put on by a whole other group.

And the one fest wasn't always the case with them, they also used to do talks, etc. But leaving it at the one fest was what I think ultimately made them vulnerable to the ABC. Now they offer discounts and are starting to gear up for more events.

And never doubt that a negative enforcement agency like the ABC, if given room, can squash your license because your hair offends the field agent or something equally silly. (This is often one of the most frustrating things about the ABC or building inspections - how the rules are interpreted all depend on who's the one doing the interp. Take for example the ability of folks in NorCal to have a commercial festival with homebrew pouring at it. We tried to get that cleared down here only to get shut down by our local office.