Sponsor Note: HAIL! Impact gets 501c3, Holding Charity Tailgate w Three Women's Teams
There's been a big development with HAIL! Impact, which this morning was notified that Michigan's athlete-affiliated charitable organization received its determination letter granting 501c3 status meaning donations to it are now tax-deductible. Apparently the trick was you have to actually make it about charity, not just paying players with NIL. Who coulda guessed Michigan would figure this out?
ALSO
This news came in just as I was about to let you all know they're hosting a charitable tailgate this weekend with three Michigan women's teams at the Charity Tailgate on Hoover.
WHO'S COMING?
Three of Michigan's women's programs: Basketball, Softball, and Gymnastics. These programs have already completed volunteer initiatives with Hail! Impact, demonstrating their commitment to making a positive impact in their community.
The event's schedule is as follows:
- Women’s Basketball will make a special appearance at 4 PM.
- Women’s Gymnastics will take the stage at 5 PM.
- Women’s Softball will wrap up the evening at 6 PM.
The tailgate is open to the public. All revenue generated from drink sales will directly support the three featured women’s programs. Attendees can enjoy refreshments, engage with athletes, and make a difference in the lives of student-athletes and local nonprofits.
WHERE DO I FIND THIS TAILGATE?
If you've tailgated with us before you'll remember the location (<---link to map)—it used to be the Radio Supply building—by the train tracks bordering Elbel Field.
The building is gone but our friend Martin still owns the property and hosts a public tailgate with food trucks and beverages for sale, with all the benefits going to that charity. Also the band will march right by when they leave Revelli.
WHICH FOOD TRUCK?
SLOWS BBQ!!!!!!
Follow on Instagram @charitytailgate for Slows Bar BQ and Pop-a-Shot giveaways.
BATHROOMS?
There are Nine of them.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT HAIL! Impact.
Hail! Impact, a shining example of volunteerism at its finest, was launched earlier this year in April by a dedicated team of volunteers, including Coach Harbaugh’s Former Assistant Chin Weerappuli, Andy Johnson, Mike Leach (yes THAT Leach), and Shelly Kovacs. Their goal? To empower athletes and nonprofit organizations through their innovative approach to the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) movement.
The driving force behind Hail! Impact is their unwavering dedication to community-driven initiatives. Since their inception, they've collaborated with Michigan Football, Hockey, Softball, Women’s Basketball, and Gymnastics, partnering with local nonprofits such as ChadTough Defeat DIPG, Ele’s Place Ann Arbor, Peace Neighborhood Center, Girls Group, and Cancer Support Community of Ann Arbor.
Hail! Impact thrives thanks to individual donor contributions raised at hailimpact.org and larger sponsorships. Their sponsors include Stifel Financial Services and the generous Lakritz Marcus Family, who provided a substantial grant to support Women’s Softball. If your company is interested in sponsoring a specific team and charity please reach out directly at [email protected].
The organization's volunteer-driven structure ensures that every dollar raised goes directly back into the community and supports the student-athletes who are passionate about giving back.
Meet the entire Hail! Impact team in person and join them in celebrating the power of sports and community this weekend. Go Blue!
For more information about Hail! Impact and their initiatives, visit hailimpact.org.
WHAT IF I CAN'T MAKE IT?
I can't either, but we're going to try to do this next week (Rutgers).
September 15th, 2023 at 11:24 AM ^
Great news. I told my daughter to stop by the tailgate. Very cool of Mike Leach to help get this going post death.
September 15th, 2023 at 11:26 AM ^
Wow - it feels like Michigan is in a completely different place than a year ago with NIL!
The SI article indicated the stregnth of our commercial side with Valiant and this seems to indicate that we're trailblazing the way on the nonprofit side as well. The Leaders and Best!
September 15th, 2023 at 4:39 PM ^
As someone who's worked in several 501c3 and 501c4 orgs - that status is super important to corporate and foundation donors from a risk and compliance perspective, which means we'll likely build faster/more viable inroads with legitimate companies compared to less legitimate collectives who wouldn't likely pass regulatory/compliance hurdles with, let's say, Fortune 500 donors - creating the foundation to supply legit big dollars for athletes.
This is better news than it even sounds.
September 16th, 2023 at 8:24 AM ^
To me it's all about transparency and accountability. To still even pursue a 501c3 after the IRS memo means this group is trying to do things the right way. They'll have to submit annual fillings that are public, be held to more scrutiny, give up any equity by having it be a nonprofit etc
The fact they actually GOT a 501c3 when Ohio State (allegedly) is the reason the memo was released in the first place is the definition of the Michigan Difference
September 15th, 2023 at 5:02 PM ^
Could HAIL get 20 million in donations a year and still stay 501c3 or would they have to significantly scale up their charitable actions?
September 15th, 2023 at 8:27 PM ^
Having done the filings for charitable status of a couple of organizations, it's not the amount of money gifted but what the organization does with its funding dollars that will be determinative of a change or no change in status.
What confuses me somewhat is how the players get money. If they are working for the organization, the can be compensated at a reasonable level and the income would be taxable to them as ordinary income.
Scholarships would work but then I can see certain issues potentially arising.
September 15th, 2023 at 8:47 PM ^
My guess, without any inside information, is that the flow of funds goes like this: donors give to HAIL, which then gives cash to other charitable orgs, which then employ/contract with SA's at FMV for their NIL, which supports the charitable purpose.
September 16th, 2023 at 8:49 AM ^
That's very interesting. I figured there was no way giving money that pays athletes for their NIL would ever be considered charitable, and I laughed heartily at SEC style schools even trying. I would be interested in learning whether your hypothesis is what HAIL is actually doing.
September 16th, 2023 at 9:59 AM ^
I know their initial mission was to have the athletes do 24 hours of community service for a year, then have them write an essay, and then they'll get their money.
Maybe the standards are higher now that the collectives are drawing more scrutiny from the IRS? Idk
September 16th, 2023 at 11:07 AM ^
Paying athletes for charitable work would not be a problem but what they receive as income would be taxable. The bigger question is the FMV of the work the athlete performs. If the charitable organization pays more than FMV, then the charitable status of the organization would be subject to review and revocation. Charities also file IRS Form 990 which is available for public scrutiny.
September 15th, 2023 at 6:40 PM ^
Is food and drink credit card only or can I use cash?
September 15th, 2023 at 8:10 PM ^
