§ 950.202 - Charity eligibility requirements.

§ 950.202 Charity eligibility requirements.

(a) The requirements for an organization to be listed in the Charity List shall include the following:

(1) Certification that it provides or conducts real services, benefits, assistance, or program activities (hereafter listed as “services”), in 15 or more different states or one or more foreign countries over the 3 calendar year period immediately preceding January 1 of the campaign application year. A schedule listing a detailed description of the services in each state (minimum 15) or foreign countries (minimum 1), including the year of service and documenting the location and date and year of each service, and the number of beneficiaries of each such service must be included with the CFC application. The schedule must make a clear showing of national or international presence. Broad descriptions of services and identical repetitive narratives will not be accepted in the sole discretion of OPM if they do not allow OPM to adequately determine that real services were provided or to accurately determine the individuals or entities who benefited. It must be clear in the documentation submitted that the organization provided at least one human health and welfare service in the calendar year prior to the year for which the organization is applying. Publications or other documents in lieu of a schedule detailing this information are not acceptable.

(i) Local charitable organizations are not required to have provided services in 15 states or a foreign country over the prior 3 years. The schedule for local organizations is only required to document services in their local area. Local organizations must also certify that the Organization Address submitted with the application is the primary location where the organization's services are rendered and/or its records are maintained.

(ii) This requirement cannot be met solely by the provision of services via telephone, unless the service is emergency in nature such as a suicide prevention hotline. The requirement is also not met solely by disseminating information and publications via the U.S. Postal Service or the Internet, unless it meets the criteria for web- based services as described in § 950.202(a)(1)(iii), or a combination thereof.

(iii) Real services for web-based service organizations may be considered if the organization provides service logs or other records indicating the geographic distribution of users in each state. The organization must demonstrate the scope of services received by users over the three-year period immediately preceding the start of the campaign year involved. Reports that reflect only the number of hits or visits to a Web site are not sufficient to establish the provision of real services. In addition, two of the three following types of information must be provided to demonstrate the provision of real services, benefits, assistance, or program activities:

(A) Evidence that recipients, including members of the general public, dues paying members or affiliate organizations, have registered for use of the Web site;

(B) Summary reports that document customer feedback, through service satisfaction or utilization surveys, demonstration of two-way communications, such as an online class, or other mechanisms; and

(C) Documented evidence that recipients of web-based services paid a fee for the service.

(iv) Providing listings of affiliated groups does not demonstrate provision of real services by the applicant. Location of residence of organization members or location of residence of visitors to a facility does not substantiate provision of services. Schedules that describe activities conducted by an entity other than the applicant, such as a chapter or a support group, must include information documenting the applicant's role in the delivery of the service. Details may include items such as whether the chapter is funded by the applicant or how the applicant assisted in the delivery of the service. Applications that fail to include a description of how the applicant itself provides service may result in a denial.

(v) Organizations that provide student scholarships or fellowships must indicate the state in which the recipient resides, not the state of the school or place of fellowship. Mere dissemination of information does not demonstrate acceptable provision of real services.

(vi) While it is not expected that an organization maintain an office in each state or foreign country, a clear showing must be made of the actual services, benefits, assistance or activities provided in each state or foreign country. Organizations that provide services in one location may only count the state in which the services are provided toward their eligibility to participate on the national charity list. However, an organization may have beneficiaries from several states and want service to those beneficiaries considered toward the 15-state requirement to participate on the national Charity List. If an organization can document that the services are subsidized or were provided free-of-charge, and list the value of those services to each of the beneficiaries, then the service to the beneficiary may be considered a service in the state of the beneficiary's residence, similar to a financial grant or scholarship. For example, a medical institution providing free housing to family members of the patient during the length of the patient's stay must list the location of the medical institution, the city/state of residence of each beneficiary, the dates of service, and the value of the housing provided to each beneficiary's family members.

(vii) An organization's role in providing information to the media, such as authorship of an article for a newspaper, magazine, or journal, or serving as an interviewee or reference for a television news program, or the authorship of a book, does not in itself constitute a real service for CFC purposes. Likewise, the production and/or distribution of information, such as a report based on research, surveys conducted by the applicant organization, or publication of a policy position paper, does not, in itself, constitute an eligible service. With regard to media-related activities, research, and reports, the applicant must describe the manner in which beneficiaries requested or used the document or information in order to establish the provision of a real services, benefit, assistance, or program activity.

(viii) De minimis services, benefits, assistance, or other program activities in any state or foreign country will not be accepted as a basis for qualification as a national or international organization. Factors that OPM will consider in determining whether an organization's services, benefits, assistance or other program activities are de minimis include, but are not limited to: nature and extent of the service, benefit, assistance or activity; frequency, continuity, and duration; value of financial assistance awarded to individuals or entities; impact on, or benefit to, beneficiaries; and number of beneficiaries.

(2) Certification that it is an organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as tax exempt under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) to which contributions are deductible under 26 U.S.C. 170(c)(2). The CFC will verify that each applicant's name and Employer Identification Number appears in the IRS Business Master File (BMF). If the organization does not appear in the BMF, one of the following must accompany the application:

(i) An affirmation letter from the IRS, dated on or after January 1 of the campaign year to which the organization is applying, that verifies the organization's current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

(ii) A local affiliate of a national organization that is not separately incorporated must submit a certification from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or CEO equivalent of the national organization stating that it operates as a bonafide chapter or affiliate in good standing of the national organization and is covered by the national organization's 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) tax exemption. The letter must be signed and dated on or after October 1 of the calendar year preceding the campaign year for which the organization is applying.

(iii) For central organizations that are churches, the CFC will accept a copy of its most recently published listing (such as a church directory) of section 501(c)(3) organizations that are included in the group exemption held by the central organization. A subordinate may alternatively obtain a letter from the central organization affirming the subordinate's status as an organization exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that is included in the group exemption held by the central organization.

(iv) Family Support and Youth Activities (FSYA) located on military installations in the United States and Family Support and Youth Programs (FSYP) located on military installations overseas must provide a copy of certification by the commander of a military installation, as outlined in paragraphs (a)(3) and (4) of this section, to demonstrate tax-exempt status.

(3) Family support and youth activities or programs certified by the commander of a military installation as meeting the eligibility criteria contained in paragraphs (a)(3) and (4) of this section may appear on the list of local organizations and be supported from CFC funds. Family support and youth activities may participate in the CFC as a member of a federation at the discretion of the certifying commander.

(4) A family support and youth activity or program must:

(i) Be a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that provides family service programs or youth activity programs to personnel in the Command and be a Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentality that supports the installation MWR/FSYA/FSYP program. The activity must not receive a majority of its financial support from appropriated funds.

(ii) Have a high degree of integrity and responsibility in the conduct of their affairs. Contributions received must be used effectively for the announced purposes of the organization.

(iii) Be directed by the base Non-Appropriated Fund Council or an active voluntary board of directors which serves without compensation and holds regular meetings.

(iv) Conduct its fiscal operations in accordance with a detailed annual budget, prepared and approved at the beginning of the fiscal year. Any significant variations from the approved budget must have prior authorization from the Non-Appropriated Fund Council or the directors. The family support and youth activities must have accounting procedures acceptable to an installation auditor and the inspector general.

(v) Have a policy and practice of nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin applicable to persons served by the organization.

(vi) Prepare an annual report which includes a full description of the organization's activities and accomplishments. These reports must be made available to the public upon request.