Legal Question in Technology Law in Washington

Can a non-business/corporation entity accept donations, and what are the restric

I run a free website service and want to start accepting donations. This hasnt been any problem so far, but I dont know the specific laws about it.

On top of that, to increase donations, I want to fund a ''Prize Giveaway'' through the site; anyone who donates a flat price will be entered into this random-drawing contest. Again, I dont know how legal this is, and what restrictions need to be put on any of this.

I (the web administrator) am located in Washington state. The website owner is located in England. The webserver is located in Canada. The webhost's company is based out of Texas.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.


Asked on 11/14/02, 1:42 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Re: Can a non-business/corporation entity accept donations, and what are the res

This is a common interest among web site operators and owners. The "Prize/Giveaway" is permitted under certain circumstances, but some rather strict rules must be followed to avoid a situation where the activity is actually a "lottery" (an activity that is zealously guarded as the exclusive province of the state).

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Answered on 11/14/02, 1:55 pm


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