Private Organizations

Private organizations (PO) are self-sustaining special interest groups set up by people acting exclusively outside the scope of any official capacity as officers, employees, and agents of the Federal Government.  They operate on an Air Force installation with the written consent of the installation commander.

Below are some frequently asked questions for new and established Private Orgs/Unofficial Unit Activities. If you do not find the answers below to your questions, please call the Private Organization Office at 660-687-6513.

What are the AFIs governing Private Organizations?

The Private Organizations Program is governed by AFI 34-223. Fundraising is governed by DAFI 36-3101, and there is a 2019 Private Organizations Guide.  A link to these can be found on right hand side of this page.

What is an Unofficial Unit Activity?

Examples of Unofficial Unit Activities are coffee funds, water fund and snack bar funds.

What determines if your organization should become a Private Organization or stay an Unofficial Unit Activity?

If the activity’s current assets exceed a monthly average of $1000.00 over a three month period, the activity must become a private organization. Do not include the inventory in this calculation.

How do I start a new PO?

First conduct a meeting of the organization and elect a board. Then submit a Memo to establish a New PO, constitution, bylaws, insurance waiver, and officer list package. There are templates for these on the right-hand side of this page. Once the organization has been approved, then it will establish a bank account and an organization email account. Be sure to inform the Private Org Monitor of the organization’s email address. This will be the only address used to correspond with the Private Org.  All completed forms should be sent to 509.FSS.FSR.PrivateOrganization@us.af.mil for processing and approval.

How do I plan for a successful fundraiser?

All required forms and instructions are located on right-hand side of this page.  To ensure fundraisers are approved in a timely manner, units must submit and route packages correctly. The package must include a Fundraiser Request Form with the facility/venue and Safety’s  approval, also if serving food, an approved Public Health Food Booth form, and any form of advertising that the Private Org plans on using for the event such as a flyer. It is imperative that packages be completed electronically by an elected officer and forwarded to the Private Org Office at least five to six weeks prior to the event, preferably 40 days.  This will allow ample time for adjustments. Completed forms can be sent to:  509FSS.FSR.PrivateOrganization@us.af.mil.  The PO/UA monitor will validate that required documents are current and begin the routing process.

Advertisement for the fundraiser is prohibited until the request is formally approved, so if you want to advertise, please adjust the submission for approval accordingly.  Example: If the PO wants to advertise the week leading up to the event you will need to submit request at least 7 to 8 weeks prior to event. Government email advertisement is specifically prohibited.   

What is considered a fundraiser and how often can one be held?

A fundraiser is any exchange of funds for an event on or off base. Fundraisers can be conducted three per calendar quarter.

What is not allowed for fundraisers?

There are certain fundraisers that are not allowed. The following are prohibited:

• Fundraisers conducted in uniform
• Fundraisers conducted by military or civilians during duty time
• Utilizing government equipment or supplies for the production, planning or promoting of the fundraiser
• Fundraisers that are gambling related such as raffles, games of chance, or lotteries
• Fundraisers that include the sale of alcoholic beverages
• Fundraisers that duplicate MWRF or AAFES services

Can my PO/UA use the Commercial Sponsorship and Marketing Office to promote or acquire sponsorship for a fundraiser?

No, paragraph 10.19.1.2 of AFI 34-223 and the Commercial Sponsorship & Sale of Advertising AFI 34-108 strictly prohibit the use of the 509^th FSS Marketing and Commercial Office to seek sponsorship funds for PO fundraiser events.

Key Points

• Fundraisers are very limited during the annual CFC or AFAF seasons.
  • CFC Campaign, 8-weeks, usually 15 Oct – 15 Dec
  • AFAF Campaign, 6-weeks, usually 15 Mar – 30 Apr
• Fundraisers are limited to three per quarter–applies to on base events.
• PO/UA may not use government computer systems and equipment to give notice of the event.

Who can I contact if I have questions regarding POs? You can contact the Private Organization Monitor by calling (660)687-6513 or by email at 509FSS.FSR.PrivateOrganization@us.af.mil.