Steam & Excursion > WM #1309 donations

Ok, WHERE is the best place to make a donation to the WM #1309 restoration, that you can be SURE your money is going for work on the steam locomotive, and not to paint more red diesels?

Keystone1 Wrote:
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> Ok, WHERE is the best place to make a donation to
> the WM #1309 restoration, that you can be SURE
> your money is going for work on the steam
> locomotive, and not to paint more red diesels?

Mark your donation by check writing on the actual check "for WM #1309 only." This is the way we are making donations at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum when donating for a special project.

John in White Marsh, Maryland

Keystone1 --
I just now checked with my bank to see what the financial industry standards and practices are for processing checks. Once you sign a check, it is a "live check," and the payee can do with it whatever they wish. The donor has to TRUST that the recipient (WMSR, in your case) will honor the donor's instructions as to exactly what their donation is spent on. The only things the bank cares about are whether or not the check-writer has signed the check, and whether or not what the check-writer has written as the PAYEE matches the name on the PAYEE's account.

To give an example -- if someone wanted to write a check to someone named "Elizabeth" and Elizabeth has the name on her bank account set up as "Elizabeth," no check written to "Beth" or "Liz," etc., would be honored.

So -- one needs to TRUST whatever organization one is donating money to. If you do not think you can trust them to honor your instructions, then do not donate to them.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/18 17:21 by Margaret_SP_fan.

Such funds would be "earmarked", meaning appropriated for a particular project.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

Well......I hear you guys and gals...but maybe I don’t trust the Western Maryland Scenic to spend a donation on only the steam locomotive. Isn’t there a more direct way to be sure way to be sure the 1309 gets the money? It is not like I am giving them $100,000 to paint diesels, passenger cars or raises. I just want to see the steamer run again.

Keystone1 Wrote:
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> Well......I hear you guys and gals...but maybe I
> don’t trust the Western Maryland Scenic to spend
> a donation on only the steam locomotive. Isn’t
> there a more direct way to be sure way to be sure
> the 1309 gets the money? It is not like I am
> giving them $100,000 to paint diesels, passenger
> cars or raises. I just want to see the steamer run
> again.
I do understand your concerns. I was told that they did not spend donated money marked for the 1309 on the painting of the one diesel into the new red, white & black WM paint scheme, that this money came from other sources. I hope that this is true. I can tell you that I personally have seen money that was donated to the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore that was not used to maintain certain donated passenger cars. When Railroad Passenger Cars (RRP) closed down in 1995, they donated three operational passenger cars, 2 which are genuine B&O passenger cars. RRP also gave the museum money, securities, all their tools and all kinds of spare passenger car parts and all the head-end power parts to be used on the former B&O Club/Observation car #3302 "Edward G. Hooper." As I have explained to you all many times, the 3302 is sitting outside parked in the front yard rusting away. The museum has not done what it promised to do with the money they received. And who knows what happened to the securities, spare parts, tools, etc. Thus I can understand why when making a donation to the WM Scenic R.R. that one has to be concerned as to where the funds will be used. Hopefully now that they have restarted their restoration program, that all money donated and marked for the 1309, that it will be used ONLY for the 1309.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

The bank doesn’t care, but the IRS does :

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/restricted-unrestricted-nonprofit-funds-2502167

TL

Posted from iPhone

IS the WM Scenic RR a non-profit ( for IRS purposes)?

Can you designate specific funds going to taxable, tax paying, corporations?
Is the taxable corporation legally bound by restrictions on such checks?
My suspicion is that the IRS sees all inflows, to corporations, as taxable with certain exemptions, and subject to the rules regarding profitability...
and taxes due on those profits..

W...

(. I know,
I know ,
The old joke about: “We’re a ‘non profit’ organization, it wasn’t supposed to be that way; but, that’s how it turned out..l”)...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/18 15:01 by wcamp1472.

wcamp1472 Wrote:
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> IS the WM Scenic RR a non-profit ( for IRS
> purposes)?

Very interesting question, Wes.

I've worked with, managed, served on the board of, and been employed by multiple non-profit tax-dectable organizations since 1961. I went on the WMSR's website and can find very little information to show that they are. If they are, they do a very poor job showing it, or taking advantage of it.

There is a separate linked page on their website for Foundation Membership. It states "All Membership Donations are tax deductable." The Foundations relationship to the WMSR is not clear. it does not mention 501(c)3.

Beware!!!!

-John Stein



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/18 17:59 by LarryDoyle.

It’ll be interesting to see if the WMSR responds to our speculations about their tax status...
Surely their staff and supporters know and follow what’s said here...

LarryDoyls’s analysis and experience, sure should promot a PR response in order to tap into a vast reservoir of deductible donations.
That Tax identification number is important for all potential contributors. Their advertising ought to be boasting about their successes.
And there ought to be corporate outreach programs, etc.

But, tax exempt status has strict rules and regulations to keep donations and operations, healthy & legitimate.

OK, John Hankey, what say you?

W.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/18 17:47 by wcamp1472.

Searching the IRS Tax Exempt databases does not find any Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.

https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/

jst3751 Wrote:
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> Searching the IRS Tax Exempt databases does not
> find any Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.
>
> https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/


Therefor, any "donation" to that outfit is apparently NOT tax deductible. No wonder they have never been audited.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jst3751 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Searching the IRS Tax Exempt databases does not
> > find any Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.
> >
> > https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/
>
>
> Therefor, any "donation" to that outfit is
> apparently NOT tax deductible. No wonder they have
> never been audited.

Y'all didn't look hard enough.

Jack the EIN of the "Non Profit Entity" is EIN: 52-1584622 and is under the name: western maryland scenic railroad development corp.
You can see an example of the name here:
https://wmsr.com/pdfs/WMSR%20FLAGGING%20TARIFF.pdf

Took me all of 8 minutes to find that.

Regards,

Dave



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/18 19:36 by dbesade.

Dave,

Thanks for clearing-up that tax question . That’ll help with check writing
That makes a huge difference for anyone thinking of donating...
Anyone that is on TrainOrders ,

So, I guess designating a specific project for the funds is straight forward?

I had sent them a check specifically for the restoration of a WM business car....don’t know of the car’s status, as of now.

W.

dbesade Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > jst3751 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Searching the IRS Tax Exempt databases does
> not
> > > find any Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.
> > >
> > > https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/
> >
> >
> > Therefor, any "donation" to that outfit is
> > apparently NOT tax deductible. No wonder they
> have
> > never been audited.
>
> Y'all didn't look hard enough.
>
> Jack the EIN of the "Non Profit Entity" is EIN:
> 52-1584622 and is under the name: western
> maryland scenic railroad development corp.
> You can see an example of the name here:
> https://wmsr.com/pdfs/WMSR%20FLAGGING%20TARIFF.pdf
>
>
> Took me all of 8 minutes to find that.
>
> Regards,
>
> Dave

Y'all didn't bother to double check the details.

Searching the IRS for that Federal Employer number for a determination letter, or the federally required form 990 filings, finds NOTHING. NADA. NILCH.

A federally recognized non-profit is REQUIRED to not only have their IRS non-profit determination letter publicly available, but also must post yearly form 990 returns, which again must be publicly available.

THOSE ITEMS serve as the ONLY valid proof that an entity is a federally registered and accepted non-profit.

SO, until the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad provides that information publicly, they can not be considered a non-profit and any donations given to them can not be considered tax deductible.

jst3751 Wrote:
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> THOSE ITEMS serve as the ONLY valid proof that an
> entity is a federally registered and accepted
> non-profit.

Wrong. If an organization is on the Publication 78 List, they are eligible. Regardless they have filed a 990 as noted by 501c3lookup. You really need to stop spreading fake news, or at a minimum contain your anger at WMSR.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/18 09:37 by dbesade.

---

---

Unless and until an entity by the name of "Western Maryland Scenic Railroad" clearly publishes their federal non-profit information, any donation to them can not be considered tax deductible.

The entity named "Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Development Corp" is not the same as an entity named "Western Maryland Scenic Railroad" unless they have filed some sort of DBA.

AFAIK, the entity "Western Maryland Scenic Railroad" does not anywhere publicly state that they are a federally recognized non-profit organization, nor does that enity appear in any IRS non-profit database.

It is up to the entity to provide proof to any donor or potential donor that they are a federally recognized non-profit and that a donation to that entity will be deemed tax-deductible by the IRS.

WOW...

So, are the required, publicly available documents the kind of things that would be on an organization’s web site?

Are they posted anywhere in Cumberland?. I’m curious.

Thanks to all that are trying to unravel the tax code for us, & for trying to determine WMSR’s actual status, concerning deductiblity (for donors) of donations...

They should have an active outreach program to coordinate and formalize the solicitation of contributions, wills and trusts, endowments. Do they have such an active solicitation group, or leader? If not, why not?

They had decent ridership...
And steam draws more paying crowds than dismals...

W.

Posted from iPhone

With the new tax code and the much larger standard deduction, unless you donate a big amount, you most likely will be ahead taking the standard deduction, rather than itemizing deductions. If so, their being tax-exempt or not has no bearing on donations.

That makes sense...

Forget about the documentation,
Keep the records, be careful on directing the specific use, if unsure, give to a more trusted, worthy cause..

W.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/18 06:54 by wcamp1472.