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Thank you in advance...
your response can help us make the difference!
Please take a few minutes to read this short notice with supporting links and
understand the importance of this request and how it greatly effects your
Florida organization's bottom line.
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It's Official! Florida
Charities and Nonprofits can now use the State of Florida's
contract purchasing system! Please follow this link to view the
state approved
vendors and the products now available.
Click Here! |
Florida's Department of
Management Services (DMS) has implemented the provisions of
House Bill 1977
and is currently in the rulemaking process for those specific provisions
requiring administrative rule for implementation. One of those specific
provisions requiring rule implementation is the definition of the term
"eligible user." Traditionally, "eligible users" have been defined
as local governments, political subdivisions, and universities.
These users are permitted to make purchases from state term contracts
that are competitively procured by the Division of State Purchasing. See
the proposed rules at MyFloridaMarketPlace.
After reviewing the information
provided by CharityWorks, DMS stated in a
letter dated September 10th, 2002 that
some charities and other non-profit organizations will be included in
the definition and criteria of "eligible users" as defined in the final
rule for HB 1977. CharityWorks believes that all IRS approved
charities that are registered and operating in the State of Florida
should be included as "eligible
users" under this Bill. See
letter from Senator Stephen Wise.
CharityWorks and Florida
Nonprofits need your response!
The rulemaking
workshop held on January 23, 2004, conducted by DMS, proposed the
definition and criteria for other "Eligible Users". The proposed
definition is too restrictive and excludes the majority of Florida's
Nonprofits. Interested parties are encouraged to participate in
the Government rule making process by providing comments to Mr. Richard
Brown of DMS, by e-mail at;
brownr2@dms.state.fl.us.
Your opinion about allowing Florida's charities and other qualified
nonprofits have the right to use the State's purchasing system is very
important and could make the difference.
CharityWorks has and will
continue to present DMS with letters of support from charities, other
nonprofits, grant-making foundations, vendors, and individual
donors. The vision we have for Florida is to be the first state with a
complete and comprehensive program that supports the purchasing needs of
its charities.
See the example support letter from the City of
Clearwater.
Not only will the correct
decision by DMS create substantially better pricing for products and
services needed by our charities and nonprofits, (stretching their
buying power), it will also be a noticeable boost for the economy and
the businesses which produce these products and services. The
CharityWorks database already contains over 57,000 Florida non-profit
entities, many of which could benefit from this new law. In terms
of real money and the power of community service, it's time to take
action.
Please contact everybody you
know that is involved with a charitable organization and send them here
to offer their support. The more letters we have, the better case we can
present to DMS. Also, if you have any good news/media contacts,
ask them to help CharityWorks spread the word through an appropriate
press release and/or story about the impact this legislation represents
for your local organization(s). Again, thanks in advance for
everyone's continued support.
Updates:
Saturday, January 10, 2004 ~
By Jim Ash, Palm Beach Post Capital Bureau
If you agree with
CharityWorks' position, please contact Chris Renfrow, President/CEO.
Or snail mail it to...
Mr. Chris Renfrow,
President/CEO
Charity Works,
Inc.
915 Chestnut
Street
Clearwater, FL
33756-5643
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