COMMUNITY SERVICE

Community Service is a service that is performed for the benefit of the public, or it's institutions by the VFW or as a representative of the VFW.

 

Hours: Posts should list the hours of community service performed by the Post or it's Auxiliary. Only hours benefiting the community are to be reported.

 

DO NOT report hours for:

  • Buddy Poppy Distribution
  • Post Fund Raisers
  • Post maintenance or repairs
  • Volunteers in Post canteen or kitchen (EXCEPTION: Can claim if work done in canteen or kitchen while hall is donated to outside service group of the VFW).
  • VFW meetings, conventions, conferences, school of instructions, or OTI.
  • Church activities that a member may do for 1 particular church and not the others in town. The service should benefit the entire community, not just a section of it. (Usher, Lecture, Minister, etc) Exceptions that would count for Church Activities would be to Speak at a church, Teach a Sunday School class, help with a church food bank.
 
Money/Donations: Report in Exp or donation column: (Value is in dollar amounts, round to nearest dollar).
  • Actual money expended from Post funds in support of community service projects.
  •  Moneys donated or expended by Post members in performance of community service hours reported, and donations made in the name of the VFW.
  • The rental value of Post Home or facilities used by community service organizations when no rent is charged.
 
DO NOT report:
  • Donations made to the Post.
  •  Income to the Post.
  • Proceeds from Buddy Poppy distribution.
  • Any value to the hours reported.
 
Mileage: Posts should report the miles for use of volunteer's automobiles and Post owned vehicles on community service projects.  The value of the mileage should be calculated using the IRS authorized $0.14 per mile to and from the community service project.
 
DO NOT report:
  • Any vehicle expense
  • Mileage for vehicles owned by another organization such as DAV.
  • Mileage if the volunteer has received reimbursement for that mileage.


DO NOT double report hours or money. Report only once in one section of the CSR.
 
ITEMS THAT CAN BE CLAIMED THAT SOME ARE NOT AWARE OF:
  • If your post raises your flag daily (not ones that are lit and up all the time), you can claim 5 min to raise and 10 min to take down and fold.
  • Everyone or almost everyone recycles at their homes or at work, keep track of these hours.
  • AAA offers a 55 alive class most of the time for free, have you asked for them to come and give a class you can open to the public? This is giving back to the community by possibly saving lives.
  • When was the last time you gathered cloths from your closets or other family members, and taken to goodwill or homeless shelter?
  • When was the last time you stopped into a nursing home to visit with a couple of it's residents for a while, read a book, talk about grandchildren, or just good old' days? Family member in the hospital? Visited?
  • Do you sponsor a fire safety class with your community? Contact the local fire department, or police dept.
  • Americanism, we all do things that fall under this category, if not go out and do things with the schools or community.
  • I know some of you get out and do things with the youth. Sporting events, teach a Sunday School Class?
  • Do you take a fellow veteran to a doctor appointment or help transport them around?
 
DO NOT: Claim a color guard detail that is done for a VFW Member. (This is part of the duties of the Post) If it is for a veteran (not a VFW member, this can be counted). If you are getting paid for this service you cannot count it. 
 
The important thing is to get the word out to your members what is and isn't reportable and you will be surprised what you can put on your Community Service Report.
 
Remember: This report helps us to be a part of the Community and we are a Tax Exempt Organization under 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Service code. We must be able to keep this status by making sure we are reporting the tings we can on the Community Service Report.
 

Report your Community Service through the Program Activity Reporting (preferred) or send the form /uploads/Documents/2023 Docs/2024CommunityReport.pdft to the State HQ.

 

Instructions on how to enter your information On-Line using the Program Activity Reporting feature.