Southwest Allegheny News

Two bills aimed at supporting local communities have been approved by the Senate's Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee. The bills, sponsored by Sen. Devlin Robinson, have the potential to significantly impact nonprofit fundraising and tourism in Pennsylvania.

One of the bills, Senate Bill 667, co-sponsored by Sen. Wayne Fontana, seeks to modernize fundraising practices for nonprofit organizations. Currently, state-licensed and registered nonprofit organizations are only allowed to accept cash and checks for fundraising raffles. However, with the proposed bill, these organizations would be able to accept electronic payments through platforms like Venmo. Sen. Robinson emphasized the importance of this change, stating, "There's been a significant decline in attendance at fundraising events for nonprofits such as fire departments, churches, and VFWs, which rely heavily on fundraising in order to serve their communities. By allowing people to purchase raffle tickets electronically through apps like Venmo, people will be able to conveniently support these nonprofits."

The second bill approved by the committee is Senate Bill 845, which aims to establish a tourism improvement district (TID) process in Pennsylvania. TIDs are designed to boost local tourism by providing a stable source of funding for marketing campaigns promoting a community's attractions. This bill offers counties the option to participate in the TID program and does not require any new general fund dollars from state or local governments. Sen. Robinson highlighted the potential benefits of this bill, particularly in the context of COVID-19 recovery and economic development. He stated, "Pennsylvania cities have many attractions that people from all around the world travel to visit. Speaking as a native, Pittsburgh has unique experiences and appeal - from museums to sporting events - that boost our city's tourism. Authorizing TID enactment for counties would help cities continue to recover from the decrease in traveling due to COVID, while spurring economic development and job creation."

Both bills will now proceed to the full Senate for further consideration. If passed, they have the potential to make a positive impact on nonprofit organizations and local tourism in Pennsylvania.

To learn more, click on this link: https://senatorrobinson.com/2023/12/12/robinson-bills-boosting-nonprofit-fundraising-local-tourism-approved-by-committee/