Legislation authored by Assemblymember Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) to help non-profit organizations organize fundraising events with wine donated from California’s wine industry has been signed into law.
“Californians have a generous spirit and a love of wine,” said Evans. “With so much need in our state, we need to expand partnerships between non-profits and their supporters in the wine industry. The Governor’s signature of this bill enables the wine industry to be even more generous in its support of many worthy causes.”
‘AB 1964 recognizes the relationship between non-profit organizations and the wine industry, and enables non-profits to raise badly-needed funds at times when other potential sources may not be available to them,’ said Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa), a co-author of the legislation.
AB 1964 increases from one to three the number of temporary alcohol licenses a non-profit can obtain each year from the Department of Alcoholic Beverages Control (ABC) to conduct wine dinner and wine auction fundraisers. It also allows non-profit organizations with a pending temporary alcohol license application filed with the ABC to temporarily store wine leading up to the event in order to ease event organization.
Evans identified the issues addressed in AB 1964 last year through a series of public hearings called “Navigating the Maze,” which brought representatives of the non-profit community, the wine industry and the ABC together to discuss how to simplify the organization of fundraising events involving wine. Last year, Evans authored and the Governor signed AB 323, which enables all vintners to donate and pour their wines at charitable fundraisers.
The California wine industry made over $115 million in charitable contributions in 2006, the most recent year for which data is available.
AB 1964 passed the Senate 35-0 and the Assembly 74-0. It is supported by Wine Institute, Family Winemakers of California, the California Association of Nonprofits, the California Association of Museums, and the Napa Valley Coalition of Nonprofit Agencies.
