Questions about giving to the chapter

If you were looking for a Mercer Island Police Foundation, you are in the right place. Gifts for Mercer Island police personnel go through the Mercer Island Chapter of the North Sound Police Foundation. The chapter is part of the Foundation and is not a separate charity, so tax receipts and registration are in the Foundation’s name (EIN 82-2956637).

It is the Mercer Island community chapter of the North Sound Police Foundation, a Washington 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The chapter exists to raise and recommend funds that directly benefit personnel of the Mercer Island Police Department.

MIPD is a City department. Its officers and professional staff are City employees. The Foundation is an independent charity. It cannot hire officers, set policy, or speak for the City. It can support needs the City budget doesn’t cover.

The MIPD badge is used with permission of the City of Mercer Island. The badge shows who the chapter supports. The official name, The Mercer Island Chapter of the North Sound Police Foundation, shows who receives the gift. Donations are not payments to the City.

Yes, to the extent allowed by law. Give through the North Sound Police Foundation. EIN 82-2956637. Keep your Zeffy receipt and consult your tax advisor.

The North Sound Police Foundation was formerly named the Mill Creek Police Foundation, and some giving portals still show the old name. EIN 82-2956637 is correct. Designate Mercer Island Chapter so your gift and any match are credited to Mercer Island.

Yes, apart from a 10% Foundation share. Gifts made on the Mercer Island donation form, or by check with “Mercer Island Chapter” on the memo line, are designated to benefit Mercer Island Police personnel. Under Foundation bylaws, 10% of each designated gift supports the Foundation’s general operations and administration. The Board may still approve Mercer Island requests from that share. Expenditures benefiting MIPD personnel are approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

The Foundation’s Board of Directors approves every expenditure. For Mercer Island, the chapter’s citizen delegate and MIPD delegate identify needs with the Department and bring requests to the Board.

Yes. Email [email protected] first. Then mail a separate check for each project, or tell us in writing how you’d like your gift divided. Gifts through the online form support Mercer Island Police personnel generally, and the Foundation’s Board of Directors approves how they are spent based on the Department’s needs.

A gift made for a specific project will not be redirected to another purpose without your written permission. If a project you supported is fully funded or doesn’t go forward, we will contact you to ask before using your gift for anything else.

Yes. Equipment or other property for the Mercer Island Police Department is a gift to the City of Mercer Island, and the City decides whether to accept it. A request from the Department is not acceptance. The chapter does not buy anything for MIPD until the City has agreed to accept it. If the City declines, the purchase does not go forward.

Under Mercer Island City Code chapter 2.50, the City Manager may accept gifts of property worth up to $10,000 and reports those decisions to the City Council. Larger gifts require City Council approval. The City Manager must decline any gift that is inconsistent with City policy or law.

Once accepted, the item belongs to the City, and MIPD sets the training and policies for its use. The chapter and the Foundation have no role in how officers use donated equipment. Some support never becomes City property, such as event costs and small program supplies the Foundation pays for directly.

No. The Foundation supports non-budgeted charitable purposes: equipment, wellness, training extras, community education, and similar needs. It does not replace the City payroll.

No. The bylaws forbid campaign intervention and limit legislative activity in line with 501(c)(3) rules.

Member Agencies agree to an annual report on use of allocated funds. The Board may remove an agency that misuses funds. We will publish a simple year-end list of chapter-supported items once the first grants are made.

Yes. Email [email protected] to start. Sponsorships should be consistent with City ethics rules and the Foundation’s charitable purpose.

Yes. Make it payable to North Sound Police Foundation, write “Mercer Island Chapter” on the memo line, and mail it to P.O. Box 12006, Mill Creek, WA 98082. To hand-deliver a check on the Island instead, email [email protected]. The Foundation sends your tax receipt.

No. This site is run by the Mercer Island Chapter of the North Sound Police Foundation. It is not a City of Mercer Island or Mercer Island Police Department website. For emergencies, call 911. For non-emergency dispatch, call (425) 577-5656.