For charity groups-how do you sell donated things?
 

Our group is pretty strong and we receive a lot of donations. Periodically we have a yard sale and try to sell fabrics we can't use, books and supplies. Sometimes it's a hit and sometimes it's a waste of time. Like when we tried to sell wool in the summer. The wool I contacted a local SCA group and asked them if they wanted it, and they bought a bunch of it.

How do groups price and sell books they don’t keep in their “libraries”? Are there tax issues to be reckoned with?


But we really need to raise money to buy batting and backing material. We make little things from the donations to sell at local craft bazaars and such. What we can't use or sell we donate to Salvation Army or Goodwill.

Thanks

One of my guilds has held two sales at the local senior center to sell donated fabric, books, and other sewing supplies. We priced the fabric at roughly $1/yard, and it went pretty quickly. We donated the remaining fabric to other charitable groups. Other guilds often sell their excess fabric at their quilt shows. I think the trick is to price it right.

have you thought about donating the extra books to either your local quilt shop to re-gift to customers and/or to your local public library....I know mine has a book/sell/volunteer group that has a book selling store and then has a giant once a year sale......

Our guild has an annual Treasure Sale; one area is straight donation items to the guild for sale to members (all profits go to the guild), and the rest is comprised of tables rented by members to sell their quilting/needlework related items whether handmade, repurposed, gently used or never used (all profits go to the member seller, who can donate if they wish back to the guild). Items are new or gently used. Our guild is a 501(c)(3). Our IRS advisors told us that if we sell to the membership only no sales tax is required to be collected.

We also participate in several local seasonal events (spring, fall and winter) selling raffle tickets (with the required permit), handcrafted items and never/gently used quilting or needlework items. Since the venue is public, and sales are open to the general public, sales tax is required to be collected and paid to the state.

Some states allow participants in "flea market" and "garage sale" events to forego the collection and payment of sales tax up to a certain amount per year (for example, up to $5,000). It's a low amount on purpose since it's assumed that a garage sale is not a significant source of household income. I may have worded this poorly, but hopefully have communicated the rationale behind the exception.

Hope this helps - if you have specific questions, please post them with "NEED CPA ADVICE FOR GUILD" in the subject line - someone on the chat board's gotta be married to one!

A friend of mine has a permanent "craft table" in her church's basement. Well, actually, it's two 8' tables. They have handcrafted things, plus donated knick-knacks etc. There's an envelope where people can pay (on the honor system) and they get a steady little stream of cash from this. I don't think they even know who the customers are... it could be anyone who comes through the church, any social groups who meet down there, even the AA folks.

They also have an annual rummage sale.