Choosing where donations go after the fundraising page is live is a costly mistake in a charity challenge: the Federal Trade Commission notes that money given to an individual is not tax deductible, even if that person passes it on to a charity. Organize the event in this order: agree with the charity how money reaches it, set the challenge and targets, work back from the date over 12 weeks, assign roles, check the state and IRS rules, then count the event and report the total.
How do you organize a charity event? For an endurance challenge such as a rowing relay, decide first who receives the money and how, because that sets whether gifts are tax deductible and who must register or issue receipts. Then fix a measurable target, a date and a 12-week countdown, give each task an owner, and check three US rules early: most states require the charity or its fundraiser to register before asking for donations (FTC), donors need an IRS-compliant written acknowledgment from the charity for any single gift of $250 or more, and a payment over $75 that is partly a gift and partly for goods or services (a quid pro quo contribution) needs a written disclosure from the charity (IRS Publication 1771, revised November 2023).
This plan is written for people in the US organizing a participation challenge for an existing charity: a team rowing relay, a step or walking challenge, a cycling relay or any effort that can be counted. It lists the decisions in the order they depend on each other and gives a table for each. It is general information, not legal or tax advice, and this site does not collect donations or run events.
Quick specs
| Input or item | Typical value or source | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Where donations go | The charity’s own donation page, a personal crowdfunding page, or the charity running the event (FTC) | Decides tax deductibility and who controls the money |
| Lead time | 12 weeks in this plan (our suggestion) | Leaves room for venue booking, state checks and training |
| Target | Distance or time, plus a money goal | Gives supporters a number to follow and volunteers something to count |
| Rowing time for the distance | Split × distance ÷ 500 (Concept2 pace formula) | Turns a distance target into hours and shifts |
| State registration | Most states require the charity or its fundraiser to register (FTC); find the regulator via NASCO | Must be checked before soliciting |
| Donor receipts | Contemporaneous written acknowledgment for any single gift of $250 or more (IRS Pub. 1771) | Donors cannot deduct without it |
| Paid entry with a benefit | Written disclosure for a payment over $75 that is partly a gift and partly for goods or services (IRS Pub. 1771) | Charities that fail to disclose face a penalty of $10 per contribution, up to $5,000 per event, unless they show reasonable cause |
Before inviting rowers, compare a cumulative rowing challenge, live race and continuous relay so everyone understands the same timing and counting rules.
Step 1 — Decide where the money goes
Decide the money route before anything is announced, because it fixes deductibility, fees and who answers to donors. The FTC explains that crowdfunding money goes to the campaign organizer, who controls how it is spent, and that gifts to individuals are not tax deductible even when the organizer plans to pass them to a charity.
| Route | Who receives and controls the money | Tax deductible for donors? (federal) | Points to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supporters give through the charity’s own donation page or event page | The charity | Yes, if the charity is eligible; check it in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search | The charity’s rules for third-party events and how it credits your total |
| Supporters give to a personal crowdfunding page you set up | You, as campaign organizer | No, per the FTC, even if you later pass the money on | Platform fees, payout timing, and how you will prove the money reached the charity |
| Supporters give through an online fundraising platform that lists the charity | The platform or an intermediary first, then the charity | Depends on the charity; some states require the platform to say whether it is deductible (FTC) | Platform fee and how long the transfer takes |
If the charity runs the event itself, it picks the route from this table and handles registration and receipts as its own fundraising; the rest of this plan still applies to the logistics.
Our suggestion: get the charity’s agreement in writing before you use its name, and ask how it wants donations to arrive, who issues receipts and how it will report the final total to you.
Common mistake: Launching a personal fundraising page first and asking the charity later. Supporters who expected a tax deduction will not get one, and switching pages after launch splits the total.
Takeaway: Agree the money route and receipts with the charity before the first announcement.
Step 2 — Set the challenge and the targets
Pick one challenge format that can be counted, then set two targets: the effort (distance or time) and the money goal. A distance target only works if you know how long it takes, so convert it into rowing hours and shifts before you promise it publicly.
| Target | How to set it | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Distance or time | Choose a figure your team can finish in the time you have at the venue | Time-for-distance table and formula |
| Shift length | No longer than the longest continuous piece each rower has logged in training (our suggestion) | The 4-week beginner rowing plan for new rowers |
| Number of shifts | Rowing time ÷ shift length, rounded up | Same formula |
| Money goal | Your own estimate of supporters and gifts; publish it only once the money route is fixed | Step 1 table |
Worked example, with assumed inputs: a team plans a 100,000 m indoor rowing relay and expects an average split of 2:20 per 500 m. Concept2’s formula gives 140 × 100,000 ÷ 500 = 28,000 seconds of rowing, or 7 hours 46 minutes 40 seconds. In 20-minute shifts each rower covers about 4,286 m, so the relay needs 23 full shifts plus a final shift of 6 minutes 40 seconds: three shifts each for eight rowers, the last one short, plus changeover time.
Takeaway: Convert the distance target into hours and shifts before you announce it.
Step 3 — Build the 12-week countdown
Work backwards from the event date. Twelve weeks is our suggested lead time for a community challenge: enough to confirm the venue, finish the state and charity checks before soliciting, and give new participants time to train. Allow more time for larger or outdoor events.
| When | Main tasks | Owner (see Step 4) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 weeks out | Agree the charity, money route and receipts (Step 1); pick the format and date; draft the budget | Event lead, finance lead |
| 10 weeks out | Book the venue and equipment; ask the venue about permits, insurance and first-aid cover; check state registration with the charity | Event lead |
| 8 weeks out | Set targets and shifts (Step 2); recruit participants; start training plans | Participant captain |
| 6 weeks out | Open the donation page through the agreed route; publish the target and date | Communications lead |
| 4 weeks out | Recruit volunteers; draft the shift board and counting sheets; confirm any raffle or ticket rules (Step 6) | Volunteer coordinator, counting lead |
| 2 weeks out | Final shift rota; equipment check; briefing notes for volunteers | Participant captain, counting lead |
| Event week | Walk-through at the venue; print sheets; confirm how on-site gifts will be taken | Event lead |
| After the event | Send funds as agreed; report the counted total and money raised; thank supporters | Finance lead, communications lead |
The donation page opens at six weeks, after the money route and the state check are settled, so supporters see one page with the right receipts from the start.
Takeaway: Put the money route and state check before the donation page in your countdown.
Step 4 — Assign roles
Give every task one named owner. Small teams double up, but each role below needs a person, because these are the jobs that otherwise fall through on the day.
| Role | Responsible for | Works most with |
|---|---|---|
| Event lead | Charity agreement, venue, overall schedule, final decisions | Everyone |
| Finance lead | Budget, keeping costs separate from donations, passing funds to the charity, records | Charity contact |
| Participant captain | Recruiting rowers or walkers, training plans, the shift rota | Counting lead |
| Counting lead | Counting rules, shift board, metre or lap sheets, the running total | Participant captain |
| Volunteer coordinator | Recruiting and briefing volunteers for the desk, changeovers and counting | Counting lead |
| Communications lead | Donation page text, updates, the final report to supporters | Finance lead |
For a rowing relay, the participant captain and counting lead need the same numbers: each rower’s logged longest row and steady split. The beginner rowing guide has a short checklist rowers can complete before the rota is drawn.
Takeaway: Write an owner next to every row of the countdown before week 10.
Step 5 — Budget the costs
List every cost before the event and keep costs separate from donations, so the charity receives a clear figure and supporters can see what was spent. Prices vary too much by city and venue to list here; the table shows what to budget for and who usually gives the figure.
| Budget item | Who gives you the figure | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Venue hire | The venue | Hours booked, deposit, cancellation terms |
| Equipment hire or loan (machines, timers, screens) | Supplier or a lending club | Number of machines, delivery and collection times |
| Insurance and first-aid cover | The venue, your insurer or the charity | What the venue requires in writing |
| Permits | Local authority, if public space is used | Application date and approval |
| Payment processing and platform fees | The fundraising platform or card reader provider | Fee per transaction and payout timing (FTC advises checking both) |
| Printing and signage | Local printer | Quantities |
| Refreshments for participants and volunteers | Caterer or donations in kind | Whether items are donated or paid for |
The finance lead keeps two lists: costs paid by the organizers, and gifts received for the charity. Our suggestion is to agree with the charity in advance whether any costs are to come out of the money raised, and to say so on the donation page if they are.
Takeaway: Agree with the charity how costs are covered and keep costs and donations in separate records.
Step 6 — Run the compliance checks
Check these rules before the donation page opens. They come from US federal sources; states add their own rules, so the state check goes first.
| Check | Rule and source | Who usually handles it |
|---|---|---|
| State registration | Most states require the charity or its fundraiser to register before soliciting donations (FTC). Find your state’s charity regulator through NASCO | The charity, with the organizers |
| Charity status | The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search shows whether a gift to the charity is tax deductible (FTC) | Organizers, before using the charity’s name |
| Gifts of $250 or more | The donor cannot deduct a single gift of $250 or more without a contemporaneous written acknowledgment. For a cash gift it names the charity and the amount, and states either that nothing was given in return or describes what was given with a good-faith estimate of its value; for donated property it describes the property without valuing it. The donor must have it by the earlier of the date they file that year’s return or the return’s due date, including extensions (IRS Pub. 1771) | The charity |
| Entry fees or tickets that include a benefit | A payment over $75 that is partly a gift and partly for goods or services, such as an entry fee that includes a dinner, is a quid pro quo contribution. The donor can deduct only the amount above the value of the benefit, and the charity must give a written disclosure saying so, with a good-faith estimate of that value, when it asks for or receives the payment. Exceptions exist, such as token items, so the charity confirms which apply. A charity that fails to disclose faces a penalty of $10 per contribution, up to $5,000 per event, unless it shows reasonable cause (IRS Pub. 1771) | The charity, with organizers supplying the value of the benefit |
| Raffles and games | Raffles count as gaming; many states and localities regulate gaming by exempt organizations, and IRS Publication 3079 covers the federal tax and reporting side | The charity, before any tickets are sold |
| Online platforms | Check the fee, the payout timing and whether the platform says if gifts are deductible (FTC) | Finance lead |
| Records | Keep a record of every gift; donors need a bank record or a written receipt with the charity’s name, the date and the amount (IRS Pub. 1771) | Finance lead and the charity |
If you plan to take gifts at the venue, choose methods that leave a record. The FTC advises donors to avoid cash, gift cards and wire transfers and to pay by card or check; the explainer on contactless donations at events covers how tap-to-pay card readers work.
Takeaway: Finish the state and IRS checks with the charity before the donation page goes live.
Step 7 — Count and run the event day
Fix the counting rule before the day and write it on the shift board: what counts (metres on the monitor, laps, steps), who records it, and when the total is updated. Two people agreeing on every entry keeps the total credible when you report it.
| Moment | What happens | Record kept |
|---|---|---|
| Before the start | Check each machine or route; reset monitors; brief volunteers on the counting rule | Equipment check sheet |
| Start of each shift | Rower confirms name and machine with the counter; the counter notes the monitor’s start reading | Shift board entry and start reading |
| End of each shift | Counter reads the monitor, a second volunteer confirms, a photo of the monitor is taken | End reading, shift metres, both initials and the photo number |
| Changeover | Next rower ready before the shift ends; reset the monitor only after the reading is recorded and confirmed | Changeover time on the board |
| Every hour | Counting lead adds up the shift metres (not the monitor readings) and updates the public total | Running total sheet |
A metre sheet that works as a template, our suggestion rather than a standard (example values are assumed):
| Machine, shift, rower | Start | End | Shift metres | Checks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1, shift 1, A | 0 | 4,280 | 4,280 | 2 initials, photo 001 |
| M1, shift 2, B | 4,280 | 8,510 | 4,230 | 2 initials, photo 002 |
If a monitor is not reset between shifts, its reading keeps growing, so shift metres are always end reading minus start reading; adding up the readings themselves counts the same metres twice. | Finish | Final count checked against the sheets and photos | Signed final total |
For an indoor rowing relay, the monitor shows metres directly; the pace guide helps the counting lead see whether the team is on track for the target time. If those metres are also supposed to appear on a Concept2 challenge board and a name is missing, use the Logbook check order before anyone re-enters the same workout.
Common mistake: Building the rota from each rower’s best test time. Use steady splits and logged longest rows, and keep spare rowers for changeovers.
Takeaway: Count with two people, photograph every monitor reading and update the total on a fixed schedule.
Step 8 — Close the books after the event
Send the money, report the result and thank supporters within days, while the event is still fresh. The finance lead and the charity close the records together.
| Task | Detail |
|---|---|
| Transfer funds | As agreed with the charity in Step 1; keep proof of the transfer |
| Receipts | The charity issues written acknowledgments; IRS Publication 1771 says charities typically send them no later than January 31 of the year after the gift |
| Report | Publish the counted total, the money raised and, if agreed, the costs |
| Records | Keep the counting sheets, photos, budget and transfer records together |
| Debrief | Note what took longer than planned for the next countdown |
More planning guides are collected under event planning, and pacing for long efforts under endurance challenges.
Takeaway: Report the counted total and the money raised in one update, with the charity’s confirmation.
When this does not apply
This plan covers a US participation challenge for an existing charity. Adjust it in these cases:
- Outside the US. Tax deductibility, registration and receipts follow other countries’ rules; the Singapore rules in the FAQ show how different they can be.
- Your own organization is the charity. Its own registration, governance and receipt duties apply in full; this page treats the charity as a separate partner.
- Raffles, auctions or galas. Gaming and ticketed dinners bring extra state, local and IRS rules; check them with the charity before planning.
- Public roads and parks. Events in public space involve the local authority; check its approval process and lead time before fixing the date.
- Health and safety. Ask the venue and your insurer what first-aid cover they require; this site does not give medical advice, as the about page explains.
Takeaway: Check the rules that match your country, organization and format before following the countdown.
Method and sources
This plan was compiled on October 7, 2026 from IRS Publication 1771 (revised November 2023), IRS Publication 3079 (revised October 2018), two FTC donor guidance pages, the NASCO resources page and, for two FAQ answers, the Singapore Charities Unit. The countdown, roles, budget items and counting flow are our editorial suggestions, not legal requirements; the rowing example uses Concept2’s pace formula with assumed inputs. We did not run or test an event for this page. The cover image is an illustration. Machine basics for rowing events are under indoor rowing.
Related reading
- Rowing pace per 500 m chart and conversion formulas: turn a distance target into rowing hours and shifts.
- Rowing machine workouts for beginners: a four-week plan for participants new to the machine.
- Contactless donations at events: how tap-to-pay card readers handle on-site gifts.
