February is tax-filing time for US Optimist Clubs

Once per year, we remind Optimist Clubs in the United States of their filing responsibilities with the IRS.

This year, we must also remind your Optimist Club that in order to be in compliance with Optimist International Policy C-11, you must send a copy of your filing acknowledgment to Optimist International within 30 days of filing.

The IRS form 990-N (e-Postcard) is due on or before February 15.

To file, please have ready:

1. Employer identification number (EIN), also known as a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
2. Tax year
3. Legal name and mailing address
4. Any other names the organization uses
5. Name and address of a principal officer
6. Web site address if the organization has one
7. Confirmation that the organization’s annual gross receipts are $50,000 or less
8. If applicable, a statement that the organization has terminated or is terminating (going out of business)

E-file is an option for tax-exempt organizations not required to file a long-form which includes nearly all Optimist Clubs except those managing large sums of money (over $50,000) or property.

Read more about the process here: Annual Electronic Filing Requirement for Small Exempt Organizations.

Log-in to file here: Form990-N Electronic Filing System e-Postcard.

The filing is free and is required in order to maintain tax-exempt status as an Optimist Club.

Clubs that have independent charitable trusts or foundations may have different filing requirements and we ask that you please contact your tax advisor for more information if your club falls into that category. Thank you.

It's scholarship competition time!

Each year, Optimist International sponsors three scholarship contests to encourage students to become better communicators.

The first is the Optimist International Essay Contest. It takes place between September and February. The official topic for 2019-2020 is "Is Optimism the Key to Achieving the Dreams you iMagine?" Download the entry form.

The second is the Optimist International Oratorical World Championships. It takes place between January and May. The official topic for 2019-20 is “Just iMagine a World without Boundaries.” Download the entry form.

Optimist International partnered with St. Louis University to expand the Oratorical Contest in 2016. This year, in the third year of the partnership, we expect it to improve even more! District winners will compete on an international stage where they have the opportunity to win up to $22,500 in scholarship money.

The third opportunity is the Optimist International Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCDHH). Although not all clubs and districts host this contest, those that do hold it between January and May. The official topic for 2019-20 is “Just iMagine a World without Boundaries.” Download the entry form.

ALL scholarship contests begin at the CLUB LEVEL. The winning club entries for the essay contest must be submitted to the district chairperson by February 28, 2020, for district-level competition. The names of the winning oratorical contestants must be submitted to the district chairperson by February 28, 2020, for regional competition assignments which begin March 7, 2020. 

For information about the Essay Contest, please contact District Chair Monique Connors

For information about the Oratorical Contest, please contact District Chair Cathy Cena.

It is our understanding that only the Essay Contest and Oratorical Contest are being hosted at the PNW District level in the 2019-2020 administrative year. 

Shown in the photo are Bob Speicher, President, West Tacoma Optimist Club, and Oratorical Contest winners from Covenant High School in 2018.