Sponsorship Guidelines
As a non-profit, tax exempt organization operating with permission and approval through the University of North Dakota, your company has the opportunity to make a tax-deductible donation to SEA. While a full explanation of the benefits and requirements for attaining tax-deductible status is available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf, we have summarized the details below.
- A donor must provide at least $250 dollars or provide $75 in goods or services to qualify for tax-exempt status.
- A donor is responsible for obtaining written acknowledgement of all donations made to the recipient. The name of this document is referred to as a “contemporaneous.” The Society for Energy Alternatives promises to furnish a written contemporaneous regarding your donation soon after receiving your gift.
- A charitable organization is required to provide a written disclosure to a donor who receives goods or services in exchange for a single payment that is more than $75 in value.
Good faith contributions provided from SEA to donors providing $75 or more in goods and/or services and/or $250 (or more) in funds include:
- Name will appear on the School of Engineering & Mines (SEM) trailer (the trailer hauls our vehicle and related equipment). Font size of company name is contingent upon amount of donation.
- Every effort will be made to provide a customized contemporaneous to your company within two weeks of receiving your donation.
- Company's name will appear in “Sponsors” section on our website, (www.und.sea.edu), link on our homepage.
Amounts donated to SEA that are less than those listed on the previous page will still receive a thank you letter, but the donator should not expect to receive any kind of tax deduction (or deferment) from the United States Government. Additionally, SEA will not list your company's name (or logo), in the back of it's MONTHLY or on the SEM trailer. Donations made for these amounts can only be counted as “token” donations (www.irs.gov). Support in any amount is always appreciated, however.
SEA recognizes that the more a donor provides, the more the donor is sacrificing in the name of our cause. For this reason, we have different “Sponsorship Levels” to recognize the level of contributions made to SEA. They are as follows:
Sponsorship Level Title:
$10,000 (or more) Platinum Sponsor
$5,000-$9,999 Gold Sponsor
$1,000-$4,999 Silver Sponsor
$100-$999 Bronze Sponsor
Each level of sponsorship carries with it special incentives. These are our very small (but very heartfelt) way of saying “thank you” to those that believe in us enough to invest not only their assets—but also their faith—into making our dream a reality. By combining your financial contribution with our efforts, we are partners in a shared vision of a greener tomorrow.
The benefits received by sponsors are cumulative (in addition to the four points on the previous page). For example, someone who has donated at the Touchstone Sponsor level will receive all the benefits of the Lodestone Sponsor and Hearthstone Sponsor levels. Those wishing to become Keystone Sponsors (for instance) would not have to donate (at least) $5,000 all at once; they would merely have to pledge (in writing) to donate it over a 12-month period, and provide at least 50% of it in the initial sponsorship ($2,500 or more) at the beginning. An initial contemporaneous would be furnished for this first donation, and additional contemporaneous documents would follow as funding increased throughout the year.
Once the already-pledged amount is arrived at, SEA will write a concluding contemporaneous, spelling out that all funds promised have been received. We will make every effort to help your company gain fair and full recognition for it's donation to the IRS. The benefits of the sponsorship levels are explained below.
Sponsorship Levels
Bronze Sponsor ($100-$999)
Sponsors at the Bronze Level will have their names posted on the "Sponsors" portion of our webpage. Names will also appear on our team banner which will be displayed prominantly during the race and other events in which we participate. Donations above $250 are tax deductable as outlined above, and all sponsors at this level will recieve a comtemporaneous in the format previously listed.
Silver Sponsor ($1,000-$4,999)
All sponsors at the Silver level will recieve all of the benefits of the Bronze level. At the Silver level, donors have the choice of a small logo or their name in three inch lettering appearing on the car and trailer.
Gold Sponsor ($5,000-$9,999)
All sponsors at the Gold level will recieve all of the benefits of the two preceding sponsorship levels. Gold sponsors can have up to a four inch tall logo on the car and trailer or lettering if the donor desires.
Platinum Sponsor ($10,000 or more)
SEA's highest level of sponorship, the Platinum level, offers all of the benefits of the previous levels and more. Company's donating at this level receive not only their logo on the trailer and team banner in at least five inch lettering, but will also receive their logo on both sides and the front of the vehicle. Special recognition will be provided on the website for the platinum sponsors.
