Mid-South Division
Relay For Life Team Fund
Raising and
Logo Usage Guidelines
Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm in conducting a project to benefit the American Cancer Society!
Your efforts help us to accomplish our mission and will make a difference in lives everywhere.
The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community based voluntary health organization
dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and
diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service.
When conducting a fund raising event for the American Cancer Society, please adhere to the following
guidelines. We request that Relay Team Captains share this information with all team members.

Before You Start: The American Cancer Society requests that teams carefully consider their fund
raising efforts. During the planning of any event ask these questions:
1. Is it ethical?
2. Is it offensive to any group?
3. What is the financial risk/outcome?
4. Do we have unanswered questions or any doubt? (Call your local American Cancer Society
office)

Expense Planning: When holding a fund raiser where expenses are incurred, teams should ask the
following questions before moving forward:
1. How will expenses be paid?
2. Where will funds for these expenses come from?
3. Is the revenue worth the effort of volunteer time?

Responsibility for Expenses: Any expenses incurred during a team fund raiser are the sole
responsibility of the individuals contracting for the goods and services.

Taking Expenses Out of Events: The sponsoring team of the fund raising event must consider any
expenses incurred in production of the event as a donation. If the team wishes to take expenses out of the
proceeds of the event, checks MAY NOT be made payable to the American Cancer Society and will not
be tax deductible. Teams may not use cash donations to cover expenses. We suggest that if a team
wishes to hold a fund raiser that will have expenses, then the team should develop a plan to secure
sponsors for the event. These sponsors would then make their donations directly to the vendor providing
the service/goods. These donations would not be tax deductible; however, the team could provide
benefits such as promotion, recognition and publicity to sponsors.

Fundraiser Disclosure Statement: The American Cancer Society requests that Relay teams print the
following disclosure statement on any promotional items such as posters, tickets, etc.:
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“The American Cancer Society Mid-South Division is duly registered and permitted to solicit
charitable contributions in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi.
The official registration and financial information may be obtained by the Secretary of State’s office
in each state.”

Distribution of Fundraiser Income: If your team fundraiser is conducted and promoted in support of
the American Cancer Society, all proceeds must go to the American Cancer Society. The team/sponsor or
any individuals involved with the event may take no fees, commissions or salary.

Proper Deposit of “American Cancer Society” Checks: All checks made payable to the American
Cancer Society, Relay For Life, or similar name must be deposited into an authorized Mid-South
Division, Inc. “Deposit Only” account through our Shared Services Center in accordance with our official
accounting procedures. Expenses cannot be reimbursed under any circumstances through this account.
Only funds raised through Relay For Life may be credited to the Relay event. Income derived from other
American Cancer Society income sources such as Legacies, Federated Employee Giving Campaigns, and
other ACS-organized special events such as Galas, Golf Tournaments, Golf Passes, etc. cannot be
counted as Relay income. Teams conducting their own events such as these must follow the guidelines
outlined in this document.

Opening Special Bank Accounts: No bank accounts can be opened under the American Cancer Society
or Relay For Life name.

Sponsorship Income vs. Team Income: Sponsorship income can not be counted as team fundraising
income. Sponsorship income is generally to cover event expenses. Sponsors will be acknowledged
under event sponsorship guidelines.

Use of Logo: If the American Cancer Society or Relay For Life name and/or logo are used on any
promotional materials (print or broadcast), the team/sponsor must contact the local American Cancer
Society office and staff person for approval of the use of the logo. Appropriate wording for any
promotion is as follows: “A portion of the proceeds from (event name) will go to benefit the American
Cancer Society.” The American Cancer Society name and logo may not be used in any way that may
appear as a trademark or endorsement of the sponsor’s product(s).
Basic Logo Guidelines
The logo serves as shorthand for our brand. It symbolizes all we do and all we stand for. Therefore, when
using the logos in our system, adherence to the following standards is essential:
1) The relationship and relative distance between the elements that comprise our logos must not be
changed in any way, nor should they be used separately as single graphic devices* or text.
2) Logos must be used in their complete and unmodified form. No part of any logo should ever be
deleted.
3) Color formulas and combinations other than those indicated here are not permissible.
 For a full color logo, the sword panel should be Pantone 200 (Red), the main section should be
Pantone 286 (Blue), and the crescent, stars and Relay For Life should be Pantone 2607 (Purple).
 For a grayscale logo, the sword panel will appear gray, the main panel will appear black with
white words, and the crescent, stars and Relay For Life will appear black.
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4) Logos should never be distorted, skewed, filtered, ghosted, or otherwise modified in any way that
detracts from their graphic integrity.
5) Use of full-color logos is preferred.
6) Whenever possible, our logos should be presented on a white to near-white background**. Logos may
be embossed on any color.
7) The logotype and sword must always appear white. Therefore, reproduction on color paper is not
allowable except when embossing.
8) Individualized, custom logos for departments, meetings, programs, events, balls, galas, or any other
purpose are not allowable.
9) Do not violate the logo clear zone. The clear zone is defined as the width of the sword panel. There
must be white space of at least that width on each side of the logo.
All American Cancer Society logos are legally registered and protected trademarks. Use is subject to
terms and conditions of the American Cancer Society Trademark User Agreement..

Sales on behalf of American Cancer Society: Laws governing sales tax and nonprofit status prohibit
our Relay teams from selling items with the Relay/ACS logo on them (i.e., pins, bears, pens). The selling
of such items by teams, without the collection of sales tax, threatens the Society’s nonprofit standing.
A sale is the transfer of tangible personal property in exchange for cash. The buyer is
receiving
property in an amount equal to the fair market value of the cash transferred to the seller. Sales will be
subject to sales tax unless a specific exemption exists.
A donation, on the other hand, is the result of a gift. Most often, any property that is transferred to the
donor is a mere token; the fair market value of the token item is considerably less than the amount
donated. The proceeds from donations are generally not subject to sales tax.
Also, the manner in which something is marketed can make a big difference. For example, if the
marketing materials state “Buy a bunch of daffodils and support the American Cancer Society,” the
proceeds generated from the daffodils will be treated as a sale and will be subject to sales tax. The ACS
should charge, collect and remit sales tax.
If, on the other hand, the marketing materials state “Make a donation to the ACS and receive a bunch of
daffodils as a thank you,” the proceeds generated could be treated as a donation which may not be subject
to sales tax.
Because every state has varying sales and use tax laws, please check with your American Cancer Society
staff partner before selling any items.

Acknowledgement Letters for Donated Items: The American Cancer Society will gladly provide
acknowledgement letters for items donated to the event. Team members are responsible for forwarding
the donor’s name, address, phone number, and the description of the gift to the American Cancer Society
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within two weeks after your project. The acknowledgement letter from the American Cancer Society will
state the description, not the value, of the donated item.

Small Games of Chance/Raffles: Because laws vary from state to state, local American Cancer Society
staff should contact the attorney generals office and comply with any applicable state laws regarding
games of chance/raffles. The same process should also be followed for online auctions. We ask that our
Relay teams help us respect state and local laws when planning fundraisers. For any prize (cash and noncash) that is valued at $600 or more, the American Cancer Society is required by the IRS to issue a W-2G
form. If a Relay team plans to hold a small game of chance/raffle with a prize fitting these criteria, the
team captain must notify the local Relay staff partner who will then notify the American Cancer Society
Finance Department for appropriate handling.

Sales Tax-Exemption: Relay fundraising teams are not permitted to use the American Cancer Society’s
State Sales Tax-Exempt (in Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee) or Federal Employer Identification
numbers when directly purchasing materials or supplies for their fundraisers from suppliers/vendors.
Both State and Federal tax laws specify that groups raising funds independently to later provide financial
support to the American Cancer Society are prohibited from claiming exemption from State and any other
applicable taxes on such purchases.

Insurance Liability: The American Cancer Society cannot be responsible for insurance coverage
liability or liquor licensing for any outside sponsored event. This will be the responsibility of the
team/sponsor. The insurance carrier of the American Cancer Society requires this due to the fact that the
American Cancer Society does not have control of nor is present for the activities in the outside
sponsored event. We suggest that teams conducting fundraisers requiring insurance coverage ask a local
insurance agent/office to donate the coverage.

Political Guests: The American Cancer Society is a public charity that cannot support or oppose
political candidates or parties. The American Cancer Society can invite current legislators to attend ACSsponsored fundraising events. However, you should emphasize to the legislator in writing that the
American Cancer Society is a non-profit, charitable organization that may not engage in political activity
and request that they refrain from doing any campaigning at the event. Violation of this prohibition can
result in revocation of the American Cancer Society’s tax-exempt status. Giving a specific candidate
complimentary passes to an event that others must pay to attend is also prohibited.

Conflicts of Interest: The American Cancer Society reserves the right to request you not approach a
particular donor, business or organization for the purpose of underwriting or contributing to your project
due to potential conflicts of interest that may arise among other income development initiatives and your
plans.

Right to Refuse: The American Cancer Society reserves the right to refuse involvement in your project
at will. Additionally, the American Cancer Society reserves the right to terminate partnership with your
business/organization and/or you at will.
The American Cancer Society greatly appreciates the hard work and effort put into raising dollars for the
mission. We appreciate your understanding that adherence to all local, state and federal laws as well as
protecting the name and reputation of the American Cancer Society are necessary to ensuring that our lifesaving work continues.
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I acknowledge that I have reviewed and understand this information about outside sponsored events
benefiting the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.
________________________Team Captain Name
(Please Print)
________________________ Team Captain Signature
________________________Date Signed
________________________Name of Fundraising Activity
________________________Contact Person of the Activity/Phone number
________________________Date Fundraising Activity Will Be Held
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