City of Indianapolis, Indiana
Charity Solicitations Commission
707 Lemcke Building
PUBLIC SOLICITATIONS APPLICATION
(Ordinance No. 140, 1951, Chapter 15, passed November 19, 1951, requires that an application for a public solicitation be filed prior to beginning the solicitation. Solicitation cannot be started until a permit or certificate has been issued by the City Controller. The application must be complete at all details and signed by officers of the organization. Write “none” or “no” where appropriate. Where blank space is insufficient, use separate sheets indicating number to which they refer. This application must be subscribed and sworn to before Notary Public.
State of Indiana
County of Marion
- Name of organization: People’s Temple Christian Church “Disciples of Christ”
- Address: 975 No. Delaware
- Telephone: ME4-9852, WA5-9079
- [First word crossed out] Solicitation or activity: Appeal to our local church & sister churches in our denomination over radio for food and clothing
- Scope of area of solicitation or place and address of activity: Actually we solicit a close group for aid in feeding people in our free restaurant. We do not canvass any area
- Solicitation or activity begins: No dates
- Solicitation or activity ends: Year round social service
- Specific purposes of project: In reality we appeal over radio for support of our broadcast cost & free meal project & free closing distribution
- Need for project (specific reasons for need; figures if available. Show need justifies amount of appeal.): Our staff including Pastor receives no salary otherwise we cannot begin to serve as we do. We are almost entirely self-supporting
- Methods of solicitation. [Box is left blank, notation added]: Mostly free will offerings. Occasional candy sales & annual church dinner
- Amount of appeal: 0
- Cost of appeal: 0
- Percentage of cost to total appeal: 0
- Itemized list of expenditures (salaries, printing, advertising, rents, music, telephone, stationery, postage, prizes, cost of merchandise, refreshments, etc.): Vehicle for food transport $50.00 mthly, fund raised from local church & contribution from regular (our church budget $50.00 weekly approx.. cost of food) [illegible]
- If ticket sale, number of tickets: 0
- Sale price of tickets: 0
- Names of paid promoters: 0
- Names of paid solicitors: 0
- Percentage payable to promoters or solicitors: 0
- Remuneration, salaries, or allowances to promoters or solicitors: 0
- Contract with promoters or paid solicitors attached: 0
- Disbursement of proceeds (explain in detail.): We received about 6 boxes of food (i.e. average grocery cartons) per mth. From churches in our denominations. One $50.00 check from Executive in Christian church. [Marginal note cut off]
[Page 2]
- Officers of organization, addresses, telephone numbers
President: James W. Jones, 2327 No. Broadway, WA5-9079
Vice-President: Rev. A. J. Ijames, 100 Block So. Sherman, FL9-255 [last digit illegible]
Secretary: Elsa Brill, S. 10th St., Beech Grove, ST6-3294
Treasurer: Rev. Russell Winberg, (owner) Brothers Printing Co., [phone number illegible]
Directors: J.W. LeTourneau, RR, c/o W. 71st St., Augusta, Ind., AX1-6143
Principal Catherine Irvin, Sch. #29, 21st & College, WA3-1916
- Persons in charge of solicitations: none
- Resolution authorizing solicitation: [blank]
- Statement of charitable work being done by applicant and proposed use of funds: Reverse side – Feeding & Clothing service
- Financial statement of preceding fiscal year (Funds collected, cost, final distribution): Check with our accounting firm. Capital Business Service
- Financial statement of present assets and liabilities of applicant: Capital Business Service will provide you our financial records
- Additional information, including names of affiliated organizations: Christian Church Disciples of Christ denomination, Anthony Hall Home for Senior Citizens, owned and operated by our nonprofit
- Certification [language in form not included]
- Signers (Names), Titles, Addresses, Telephone No.: /Rev. James W. Jones/, Pres. of Peoples Temple, 2327 No. Broadway, WA5-9079
/Elsa S. Brill/, Secy. of Peoples Temple, 243 S. Tenth, Beech Grove, Ind.
- Oath: Subscribed and sworn to before me this 5th day of November, 1960. My commission expires Jan 8th, 1963.
/Elsa S. Brill/
[Page 3]
[Letter on Charity Solicitations Commission, City of Indianapolis, letterhead]
November 1st 1960
Peoples Temple
945 North Delaware
Indianapolis, Indiana
It is our belief that the solicitation you are making in Indianapolis is governed by General Ordinance No. 71-1942. The application form currently required is enclosed.
This notice is not to be interpreted in any way as disapproval of your organization or its purpose, nor is this Commission consider it unworthy of support. It appears however, to be a charity solicitation which may require certain procedures including filing of application (in duplicate) for approval and subsequent reports.
Application should be filed two months prior to actual solicitation. A prompt report of funds raised and disbursements made, together with audited financial statement should be furnished this Commission as required by the Ordinance.
Charity Solicitations Commission
/Harriet Beattey/
Mrs. James L. Beattey
Secretary
[Handwritten note at bottom of page] Our group did not receive this request with the warmest feeling, particularly in view of the fact that we are giving service that other community [illegible word] agencies are supposed to provide. [Last lines cut off]
[Page 4]
[carbon of letter, original on Charity Solicitations Commission, City of Indianapolis, letterhead]
December 22, 1960
Elsa S. Brill
945 North Delaware
Indianapolis, Indiana
This is to advise you that the Charity Solicitations Commission has approved your application for a license. You may obtain this license by applying at the office of the City Controller.
Your attention is directed to the provision of the Ordinance which requires that a detailed report of your activity be submitted to the Commission for its consideration not later than 30 days after the solicitations have been completed. Forms for such report are attached.
According to the Ordinance, the original license can only be issued for a 90 day period. If additional time is required, you may request an extension of 90 days prior to the original expiration date. This procedure may be repeated prior to the expiration of each 90 day period, up to one year, at which time a new application must be filed with the Commission. Interim financial reports should accompany each request for extension.
If there are any further questions, please do not hesitate to call us.
Charity Solicitations Commission
Mrs. James L. Beattey
Secretary
cc: Controller’s Office
[page 5]
[Letter on Charity Solicitations Commission, City of Indianapolis, letterhead]
August 18, 1961
Elsa S. Brill
People’s Temple
945 North Delaware
Indianapolis, Indiana
Re: Financial Report
The Charity Solicitations Ordinance of the City of Indianapolis provides that a financial report covering any charitable activity shall be furnished the Charity Solicitations Commission within thirty days after the close of such activity.
This is to remind you that the required report covering your solicitation has not been received.
The letter from the Commission which was directed to you informing you of its approval of your application, also called attention to this requirement of the law. A form is attached so that you might conveniently make the report.
Please have it completed and returned to the Commission promptly. Failure to do so places your organization in a position of having violated the Ordinance, and thus automatically jeopardizes approval of future applications from your organization.
Charity Solicitations Commission
/Harriet Beattey/
Mrs. James L. Beattey
Secretary
[Handwritten note] I am sorry for the delay we did not use the Solicitation papers consequently no report to make. [Last line cut off]
[Last four pages of documents consists of memos from Better Business Bureau]