Gone are the days when Western Pennsylvania’s fire departments relied solely on community donations, hoagie sales and summer festivals to finance new equipment.

Many stations rake in hundreds of dollars per month through tip boards — raffles in which participants purchase tickets with a chance to win prizes, ranging from a string of Christmas lights to a new grill.

Nonprofit organizations, including fire departments, were permitted to accept online payment methods for raffles during the pandemic — a reprieve from the state’s small game of chance law.

But as pandemic restrictions began to lift, the exception went away.

State Sen. Devlin Robinson is looking to bring the regulations up to date.

The bill — which passed the Senate’s Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee last week — would allow nonprofits to accept online payment methods like Venmo and CashApp or credit and debit card payments for raffle games.

“It’s 2025,” said Robinson, R-Bridgeville. “I think it’s time that we update the system and allow them to start raising funds the way that business is done nowadays.”

Greensburg, Tarentum stations weigh in

Since the covid-19 pandemic, tip boards have become the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department’s largest source of fundraising, Chief Tom Bell said.

Members of the fire department’s six stations start a livestream on their Facebook account to highlight the prizes up for grabs, and patrons residents buy tickets — ranging from $3 to $40 — for a chance to win.

The raffle games generate about $300 to $400 per week, he said.

“It’s a vital tool we can utilize other than being on a street corner selling subs,” Bell said.

Returning to cash and check payments for raffles after the pandemic has placed a burden on stations like Summit Hose Company in Tarentum, Chief Josh Fox said.

“In my opinion, that should always be allowed,” he said. “I think it’s dated that we’re not. Everywhere you go, a lot of people use debit and credit cards for everything.”

Approved in at least 25 other states, the legislation would apply to nonprofit organizations such as fire departments, churches, youth sports leagues and veteran’s groups, according to a memo about the bill.

The legislation would also support nonprofits that continued accepting online payments after pandemic restrictions were lifted, Robinson said.

“We don’t want people who are unknowingly breaking the law,” he said.

As fire departments throughout the state struggle to recruit and retain volunteers, tip boards provide a low-maintenance fundraising opportunity, Bell said. In contrast, Greensburg firefighters on Memorial Day weekend staffed a fundraising booth for nine hours during Greensburg Community Days.

“This, you go online, one person runs it all and it’s a very simple way of raising funds,” he said.

Tip board sales also open fundraising to a broader audience than a community event, said Marty Ponebshek, assistant chief of the Smithton Volunteer Fire Department.

The department’s Facebook page has doubled its following — now sitting around 10,000 followers — since it started raffle fundraising in 2019. Some winners live up to two hours away, near Lawrence or Centre counties, he said.

Based in a small borough with limited tax revenue, the fire department relies on its fundraising efforts and the occasional grant to get by, Ponebshek said.

“Everything that we’ve done for the past 112 years has been 100% fundraising,” he said. “(Raffles are) a huge boost and it’s a huge alternative to implementing taxes or any kind of service charges.”

Greensburg Diocese predicts benefits from bill

The Diocese of Greensburg’s 78 parishes could also benefit from the legislation, Chief Development Officer Jennifer Miele said.

“In an era where cash and check payments are no longer the preferred method for many,” Miele said in a statement, “this legislation would provide a valuable opportunity to enhance fundraising capacity, thereby sustaining and growing the vital ministries of our local churches.”

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