The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-19
BEGGING is BAD.
Board of Control FrOWns on
Paid Solicitors.
Charitable Institutions Do Not
Get All Money Raised.
COMMISSIONS HEAVY.
Expense Must Be Paid Out of
Money Raised.
Rules for Raising Money for
Charity Ready Soon.
COMMISSIONS HEAVY.

Charitable and benevolent organiza =
lions which send out personal solicitors
on a commission basis are not to be in
the best of favor with the state board
of control. The board believes that this
is a pernicious method of raising funds
as often the expenses and the commits
sions eat I'D the total amount secured
for charitable work. The board is get
ting up a set of rules and suggestions
under the law passed by the 1911 ses-
sion of the legislature relative to char
liable and benevolent institutions so
liciting funds in Kansas. While the
hoard does not prohibit the sending out
of canvassers on commission it sug-
gests that the method is a very poor
one and ought not to be used.
The law requires that before any
charitable or benevolent institution can
solicit funds outside of the single coun-
ty where the headquarters is located
q certificate must be obtained from the
board. If the certificate rs not obtain
cd there is a heavy penalty.
Not Charitable Institutions.
The board has held that the follow
Ing kinds of organizations are not to
be considered as charitable or benevo-
lent:
Religious organizations:
Y. NJ. c. a.
Y. w. c. a.
Salvation Army.
Fraternal or benevolent associations
which maintain homes for members or
children of members when the soliciting
for funds to support the home is con-
fined strictly to the membership of the
order. This includes the Masonic Home
at Wichita and the Odd Fellows Home
at Manhattan.
Hcmes for old people or children and
hospitals which are owned and main
tanned by religious organizations where
the support is obtained from requests.
the income from patients and by col
1ections only from the members of the
organization.
The board has plenty to do with the
dozens of other charitable organiza-
tons where the funds are raised by
public subscriptions and the classes
shown above cover only few of the
charitable institutions of the state. The
board has worked out the preliminary
draft of the rules and suggestions rel
ative to organizations soliciting funds.
The rules are as follows:
Funds are raised as a rule either
personally by the officers of institu-
lions. by correspondence, or on COM
mission. The best method is to raise
money by means of letters of appeals;
that is, letters are sent to the indiVid-
uas from whom it is reasonable to
expect aid. stating the purpose and
object of the work. as we'll as what
has been done during the past year or
two. In this connection the publication
of annual reports is valuable both in that
# shows the needs which may exist, as
we'll al the work carried on by funds
previously raised.
Costs Too Much.
ITO raise funds by means of sending
people out who get a commission of
the money raised, is pernicious
method. It frequently results in that
the individual raising the money pre-
sumably for some praiseworthy enter
prise. needs to spend every cent rails
ed for personal expenses, or the COM
mission may be eXorbitant.
THE general requirements which