membership faqs
FBL Annual Membership Drive for 2022
The 2022 membership drive has begun. We hope you join us or renew your membership now. Here are the answers to some of the questions that you may have. If you have already joined for 2022 thank you.
How do memberships work?
Membership dues are our main source of working capital. Memberships run from January through December each year. For the last two years the sign-up period has run from October through the end of September. So, if you joined in October 2021 or later, you are a 2022 member. We plan to continue with this policy, but we can’t guarantee it. Each membership is entitled to one vote. Member votes typically occur at our annual member meeting. Issues that have come up have been minor changes to the by-laws and the election of board members.
Are my dues tax-deductible?
The Friends of Bolton Lakes is a 501(c)(3) public charity incorporated in the State of Connecticut. Because we don’t know your particular tax circumstances, the most we can say is that your contribution “may” be deductible. We acknowledge all membership dues and other contributions with an email that you should save or print for tax purposes.
Will my employer match my contribution?
Because we are a public charity, many employers will match your membership dues and other contributions. If your company has a matching gift program please request a match. Area employers already known to match contributions to FBL include United Technologies and United Healthcare. We expect many other employers will do so as well. We will gladly document our status as a registered charity with your employer if they require it.
What do you do with the money?
The short answer is that we use the money to support our mission. For more information on our specific actions to date, please see our Newsletter Page.
Our biggest expense is water quality monitoring to provide early warning of issues that might come up with the lakes. We also spend money to prepare educational materials for residents and newcomers and to prepare handouts for meetings with town and state officials. We incur overhead expenses for insurance, website hosting, a PO Box, as well as smaller expenses for government compliance documents, stamps, and so on. We present a treasurer’s report of income and expenses at our annual member meeting.
How do I join?
If you are not a current member and your email address is on file, you will have received an email with a membership form attached. Fill in the form and mail it to us at the address on the form along with your payment. Since 2019 you can use either the mail-in form or pay online. See the links below.
If we don’t have your email address on file, we will send a form by US mail. Email is the most cost-effective way for us to reach you and we encourage everyone to provide a current email address. We do not share your email address with anyone and our virus protection is up-to-date. Unless our communications cross in the mail, only non-members will receive requests to join. If you receive a solicitation, you aren’t a current member. If you are a current member, we thank you.
Join with online payment
Online payment instructions
Join using the print form
Can I make an additional donation using the online payment form?
While we cannot add a field for an additional donation, you can still include an additional donation with your membership. To do so, select any membership type that shows the total contribution, including dues and the additional donation you wish to make. Select the desired membership type in the membership dropdown. Use the “Write us a comment” field to specify how you would like your contribution to be applied. For example, to choose an Individual membership with a $20 additional donation, select one of the buttons showing $45, select Individual Membership in the dropdown, and note in the comment field that you would like the donation applied as an Individual Membership with an additional donation and we will apply your donation according to your wishes.
Why should I join? I get the emails and other information as it is.
We think you already know the answer to that one! Caring for the lakes is a long-term project. We rely on member contributions now and into the future to continue this important work. Memberships are available at several levels to fit most budgets. We’re also glad to accept contributions of any amount.
I have a compliment, concern, criticism, question, or suggestion. How do I reach you?
Go to our contact page, type away, and hit “Submit.” Let us hear from you. We value your input.
You can also use our contact page to let us know if you are interested in becoming a volunteer. We are always looking for additional help.
The 2022 membership drive has begun. We hope you join us or renew your membership now. Here are the answers to some of the questions that you may have. If you have already joined for 2022 thank you.
How do memberships work?
Membership dues are our main source of working capital. Memberships run from January through December each year. For the last two years the sign-up period has run from October through the end of September. So, if you joined in October 2021 or later, you are a 2022 member. We plan to continue with this policy, but we can’t guarantee it. Each membership is entitled to one vote. Member votes typically occur at our annual member meeting. Issues that have come up have been minor changes to the by-laws and the election of board members.
Are my dues tax-deductible?
The Friends of Bolton Lakes is a 501(c)(3) public charity incorporated in the State of Connecticut. Because we don’t know your particular tax circumstances, the most we can say is that your contribution “may” be deductible. We acknowledge all membership dues and other contributions with an email that you should save or print for tax purposes.
Will my employer match my contribution?
Because we are a public charity, many employers will match your membership dues and other contributions. If your company has a matching gift program please request a match. Area employers already known to match contributions to FBL include United Technologies and United Healthcare. We expect many other employers will do so as well. We will gladly document our status as a registered charity with your employer if they require it.
What do you do with the money?
The short answer is that we use the money to support our mission. For more information on our specific actions to date, please see our Newsletter Page.
Our biggest expense is water quality monitoring to provide early warning of issues that might come up with the lakes. We also spend money to prepare educational materials for residents and newcomers and to prepare handouts for meetings with town and state officials. We incur overhead expenses for insurance, website hosting, a PO Box, as well as smaller expenses for government compliance documents, stamps, and so on. We present a treasurer’s report of income and expenses at our annual member meeting.
How do I join?
If you are not a current member and your email address is on file, you will have received an email with a membership form attached. Fill in the form and mail it to us at the address on the form along with your payment. Since 2019 you can use either the mail-in form or pay online. See the links below.
If we don’t have your email address on file, we will send a form by US mail. Email is the most cost-effective way for us to reach you and we encourage everyone to provide a current email address. We do not share your email address with anyone and our virus protection is up-to-date. Unless our communications cross in the mail, only non-members will receive requests to join. If you receive a solicitation, you aren’t a current member. If you are a current member, we thank you.
Join with online payment
Online payment instructions
Join using the print form
Can I make an additional donation using the online payment form?
While we cannot add a field for an additional donation, you can still include an additional donation with your membership. To do so, select any membership type that shows the total contribution, including dues and the additional donation you wish to make. Select the desired membership type in the membership dropdown. Use the “Write us a comment” field to specify how you would like your contribution to be applied. For example, to choose an Individual membership with a $20 additional donation, select one of the buttons showing $45, select Individual Membership in the dropdown, and note in the comment field that you would like the donation applied as an Individual Membership with an additional donation and we will apply your donation according to your wishes.
Why should I join? I get the emails and other information as it is.
We think you already know the answer to that one! Caring for the lakes is a long-term project. We rely on member contributions now and into the future to continue this important work. Memberships are available at several levels to fit most budgets. We’re also glad to accept contributions of any amount.
I have a compliment, concern, criticism, question, or suggestion. How do I reach you?
Go to our contact page, type away, and hit “Submit.” Let us hear from you. We value your input.
You can also use our contact page to let us know if you are interested in becoming a volunteer. We are always looking for additional help.