CHARITIES LOSING REVENUE

Ohio’s veterans, fraternals and charities are losing $15,000 per day do to legislative inaction

Holiday charity donations to be drastically cut

(Columbus OH - December 12, 2013) Ohio’s veteran and fraternal organizations have recently been forced to shut down a video raffle pilot program under threat of state government enforcement and it’s costing Ohio charities $15,000 per day going into the Holiday Season, a critical time of year for charities in need.

These groups had hoped to see movement on House Bill 325 (Rep. Rick Perales), which would clarify a gray area of state law, legalizing video forms of bingo, the very same games which veterans and fraternal are already permitted to play under Ohio law.  But with the legislature adjourning for the rest of 2013, the Attorney General decided to take enforcement action against the video raffle system since legislation is unlikely to pass anytime soon.

“It’s unfortunate for our posts, lodges and 501c3 charities that we have been unable to get the Ohio House to move this bill through the committee process,” said Bill Seagraves, President of the veterans and fraternal coalition and Director of VFW of Ohio Charities.  “We have to make funding cuts, turning down request ranging from toys for inner-city Christmas parties to assistance for indigent veterans housing and support.  Legislators in Columbus need to understand that this is having a real negative impact on our communities.”

While veterans and fraternal organizations are hopeful House Bill 325 will receive its first hearing in January when the legislature returns, they are now left to make hard choices about which charities to cut over the Holidays.

“When you are losing $15,000 in revenue, cuts have to be made,” said Glenn Hickman of the American Legion Department of Ohio Charities.  “We take great pride in our charitable contributions and the impact on communities, which makes this situation hard to swallow.”

With declining revenues from paper forms of bingo, a number of veterans’ posts throughout Ohio are under threat of having to sell off their assets and close their doors.  The charitable video bingo program was helping these posts make a turnaround with half of the revenue supporting their overhead expenses and half going to local 501c3 charities.

“My own AMVETS post in Columbus is up for sale,” said Merle Pratt, AMVETS Department of Ohio.  “The video raffle program was helping the post remain open while supporting charities in need.  But we are running out of time and will likely have to close our doors early next year.”