| "Can
Club’s Conduct Seminars?"
"Toastmasters clubs must constantly seek new members
by promoting itself in the community or company. One
recognized method of promotion is to conduct training
programs or seminars. These programs attract attention
and build goodwill in the community or company. But
clubs are limited in the types of training and seminars
they can offer.
Because
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit organization
with a 501 (c) (3) rating with the United States Internal
Revenue Service, our tax-exempt and nonprofit statuses
could be jeopardized if our organization or its clubs
anywhere in the world are perceived as being in the
seminar business and in competition with for-profit
enterprises that pay taxes. In addition, liability must
be considered. In the countries where Toastmasters clubs
are covered by liability insurance, the insurance is
not valid for activities outside of normal Toastmasters
meetings.
The
following restrictions on training programs and seminars
help to preserve our tax-exempt and nonprofit statuses:
- A
club may conduct only Success/Communication, Success/Leadership,
Youth Leadership, The Better Speaker Series, The Leadership
Excellence Series, and The Successful Club Series
programs outside of the club for nonmembers as a means
to promote the club within the community or company
and increase membership. Clubs cannot hold any other
training programs or seminars for nonmembers.
- All
of these programs are to be presented by club members
acting as representatives of their clubs, thereby
preserving the program’s, club’s and organization’s
identity; and
- No
individuals, educational institutions or other organizations
may derive financial gain either directly or indirectly
from the presentations of these programs.
Occasionally a club wants to conduct a training program,
workshop or other special event and open it to members
of other Toastmasters clubs. A Toastmasters club's purpose
is to educate its own members within the club setting,
not to provide training or other events for Toastmasters
members from outside of that club. An event held for
members who belong to other clubs then becomes a district
event and is under the district’s authority. A
district may occasionally have a club conduct a training
program or similar event for other Toastmasters clubs
and members, but this is at the district's discretion
and can only be done with the district's advance permission.
The event also must be in keeping with the district
and club missions."
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