Affinity Agreements and Unrelated Business Income
Many nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations maintain lists of donors, members, and other supporters. The list will often include names, titles, employers, phone numbers, physical addresses, email addresses, and additional identifying information. Outside organizations, particularly commercial entities, seek to purchase or otherwise access the mailing list to promote their products.Access to the nonprofit organization’s membership list is often part of a larger contract, commonly referred to as an affinity agreement. In general, a tax-exempt organization can enter into affinity agreements that benefit its members, and it may inform and educate the members about such programs. However, when the tax-exempt organization becomes contractually...