PA FBLA Local Chapters
Call for Nominations for the 2023-2024 State Project
Follow These Steps!
Dear PA FBLA Advisers

PA FBLA has chosen a charity as its annual “State Project” every year for at least 45 years, and possibly as many as 65 years. For the years that PA FBLA has records, PA FBLA chapters have raised more $2 million and volunteered hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours. A complete list of PA FBLA state projects and fundraising efforts can be found at the following link.
 
How is a state project chosen? Here are the steps:
 
1.    Local chapters (or charities working hand in hand with local chapters) submit a written proposal for consideration. Applications must be submitted no later than March 2, 2023, no later than 11:59 pm.
a.    It’s OK for a chapter to contact a charity and let the charity provide much of the data necessary for the application if your chapter stands behind that organization.
 
2.    One of the first responsibilities of the newly elected state officer team is to review the proposals submitted and determine what they believe are the Top 5 submissions.
 
3.    The top 5 proposals are invited to make a presentation to the newly elected state officer team and their advisers later this spring.
 
4.    The officers debate the projects and the presentations and then rally around the ONE project that they believe will be named the “2023-2024 PA FBLA State Project.” By time the debate is complete, the state officer team will choose a state project theme and a fund raising goal for the state.
 
How can chapter find out about legitimate charities? Take a look at the Better Business Bureau complete charity list and its evaluation: ---------> https://give.org/charity-reviews/national/
 
How does a chapter submit an application? This is the link to the online application and the information that is necessary as part of the proposal submission: ---------> https://pafbla.wufoo.com/forms/pwa119q0fxrrnn/
 
If your chapter believes in a charity, your chapter can research the data and submit the information on its own
OR
Make contact with the charity, provide the information above, and encourage them to submit the report on behalf of your chapter. If you work with the charity, look for the following:
  1. Are there regional offices across the state that local chapters can reach out to for supports for its own projects, speakers, etc.? (very important, but not a sole determinant of the value of the project)
  2. Are there fundraising projects conducted by the charity that PA FBLA chapters can participate in?
  3. Are there community service opportunities in which local chapters can participate?
 
This is one of the most significant undertakings PA FBLA participates in each year. Your chapter could very well be the one that submits the chosen proposal!
 
Question: If a charity has been chosen before and is on the list, does that disqualify it from being selected as the 2023-2024 State Project? Answer: Absolutely not!
Question: Can we designate funds raised by chapters stay in Pennsylvania? Answer: Yes. Many times the money is given to the Pennsylvania state chapter of the charity and not the national organization office.
 
I am looking forward to receiving your chapter’s state project entry! Here's where you can find out much information about a charity:
Here’s an example of the Better Business Bureau review of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, this year’s state project, and its designation as an accredited charity.
Sincerely,

Bruce E. Boncal
PA FBLA Executive Director
bboncal@pafbla.us
570.279.6998 cell/texts
Pennsylvania FBLA | www.pafbla.org