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State of Tennessee Definitions

What is a professional solicitor?

"Professional solicitor" means any person who, for a financial or other consideration, solicits contributions for, or on behalf of, a charitable organization, whether such solicitation is performed personally or through such person's agents, servants or employees or through agents, servants or employees specially employed by or for a charitable organization, who are engaged in the solicitation of contributions under the direction of such person, or a person who plans, conducts, manages, carries on or advises a charitable organization in connection with the solicitation of contributions. Any independent marketing agent or entity to whom a professional solicitor assigns fund raising or solicitation responsibilities shall be deemed to be a professional solicitor for purposes of this part. A salaried officer or permanent employee of a charitable organization is not deemed to be a professional solicitor. However, any salaried officer or employee of a charitable organization that engages in the solicitation of contributions for compensation in any manner for more than one (1) charitable organization is deemed a professional solicitor. A professional solicitor does not include an attorney, investment counselor, or banker who in the conduct of such person's profession advises a client. See T.C.A. §48-101-501(7).

What is a charitable organization?

“Charitable organization” means a group which is
or holds itself out to be a benevolent, educational, voluntary health, philanthropic, humane, patriotic, religious or eleemosynary organization, or for the benefit of law enforcement personnel, firefighters, or other persons who protect the public safety, or any person who solicits or obtains contributions solicited from the public for charitable purposes. “Charitable organization” does not include any authorized individual who solicits, by authority of the organization, solely on behalf of a registered or exempt organization, or on behalf of an organization excluded from the definition of charitable organization.

What is solicitation?

"Solicit" or "solicitation" means any oral or written request, however communicated, whether directly or indirectly, for a contribution. See T.C.A. §48-101-501(10).

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Excalibur Knoxville, LLC - Dedicated to Volunteers

Excalibur Knoxville is an organization dedicated to Tennessee's finest men and women, who represent the true Spirit of America - volunteers who invest and risk their own lives to save the lives of others. All who live and travel in our great state come under the protection of our Rescue Squads and Fire Departments, who exemplify with their bravery this highest moral standard of sacrifice.

At Excalibur Knoxville, our primary mission is to assist them in their efforts to fully fund their annual operating expenses. Excalibur Knoxville takes on the humble duty of serving as a face-to-face liaison between these fine organizations and their respective communities, as door-to-door professional fundraisers. Once a year we strive to remind the people in their towns, cities, and counties of the vital services that their volunteers perform, and why they deserve to be fully funded by the communities they so willingly serve.

In short, we are honored to help everyday ordinary Tennesseans become extraordinary heroes - by donating and raising money to help save lives.

What are Excalibur Knoxville's credentials?

Excalibur Knoxville is registered & bonded with the State of Tennessee, operating under Tennessee's strict guidelines for all holders of the state's Professional Solicitors License. In order to possess a professional solicitor’s license with the State of Tennessee, all personnel must be employees. The State of Tennessee's requirement of making a company have employees, is to protect the charitable organizations and their communities from any possibility of scammers. In effect these scammers indirectly hinder the efforts of all fundraising companies to help charities, by forcing legislation that now requires the fundraisers to pay employment taxes, business taxes, unemployment taxes, business licenses taxes, asset taxes, workman’s compensation, licenses, office rent, office yearly taxes, phone services, utilities, supplies, uniform costs, tools used to conduct business, insurance, security services, auditing services, bookkeeping services, storage services, online services, trade show costs, recruiting services, recruiting advertisements, training costs, background checks, drug testing, along with the cost of mailing state documents several times throughout each month, etc…. In other words, there are enormous costs in running a fundraising business, even one that provides charitible funds to our great Tennessee Volunteer Rescue Squads and Volunteer Fire Departments.

Before any potential representative is even considered as an employee, Excalibur Knoxville pays for a complete background check (with subsequent drug testing). No rep is allowed to work in the community until they first undergo intense initial screening and training. Meetings are held every week with all field representatives to conduct extended advanced training, in order to provide the best professional representation of our Volunteer Rescue Squads & Fire Departments. All employees are top notched personnel - this is one of many areas that we take no chances on. Our sponsor’s reputations (in most cases 50+ years of service to their communities) are extremely important to Excalibur Knoxville, so one of our primary goals is to uphold and protect our sponsors at all times. Excalibur Knoxville strives to be the absolute best fundraising company that our sponsors and their communities have ever known.

How can Excalibur Knoxville afford to operate such a costly business?

Excalibur Knoxville does receive as cost, expenses, and fees a portion of the solicited funds raised through the solicitation campaign. The sponsor will receive at least 40% and up to 80% of gifts to them. Excalibur Knoxville receives a portion of what we are asking for at the doors, but anything over what we are asking for at the doors in our sponsors service area, goes 100% to our sponsor.

How does Excalibur Knoxville work hard to benefit your community?

Excalibur Knoxville provides our sponsors (Volunteer Rescue Squads & Fire Departments) with a Q&A session before the fundraising campaign begins. The Q&A is to conducted to go over the most recent of events in the sponsor’s service area, changes in services, proper knowledge of how each service is provided to the community, any problem areas, etc. While the campaign is underway, Excalibur Knoxville is also able to inform the homeowners in a sponsor’s service area of “how important their Volunteer Rescue Squad or Fire Department is to their community and the need for their support.”

Excalibur Knoxville signs a mutual contract with each of our sponsors and provides the sponsor all documentation required as an authorized fundraising company with the State of Tennessee. Our sponsors then simply sit back, and we bring them the funds they need. Settlements of money raised are performed weekly, and our sponsors receive (1) an audited report, (2) copies of all receipts given to all homeowners, (3) and all checks. Excalibur Knoxville takes on all liability when contacting the homeowners in a sponsor’s service area. To close the campaign out with the State of Tennessee, an independent auditing company must perform an audit of all weekly settlements and provide documentation of their findings to the State of Tennessee (Excalibur Knoxville pays for all these required expenses to operate as a fundraising company). Excalibur Knoxville does all the work for our sponsors, knowing that a large majority of all Volunteer Rescue Squad & Fire Department members have to work a full time job. In fact, some of them work two full time jobs to take care of their families, while serving as a member of their organization. Volunteer’s don’t have time, especially in this tough economy, to conduct their own fundraising drives. But that's where we come in, to help them get the funding they so desperately need if their organizations are to stay up and running.

Excalibur Knoxville gathers information needed to give back a family portrait to all those that give to their sponsor, as a way of saying thank you. These family portrait promotions are conducted for our sponsors each year to help our sponsors with the monies they need to maintain, upgrade equipment, and most importantly to operate on for the year.

Why are Excalibur Knoxville's services in such high demand?

Before Excalibur Knoxville started helping our Volunteer Rescue Squads & Fire Departments, many of our sponsors were struggling from year to year just to keep their operations running. This does not even take into consideration the purchase of new equipment or specialized training for their members. Before counting on our fundraising services, our sponsors came to recognize that the once-effective methods of pancake breakfasts, mail outs, phone calls, chili suppers, rummage sales, and other types of "event" fundraisers were no longer generating enough community involvement. So, as a result of our changing world and all the distractions that have come with it, Excalibur Knoxville was formed to help keep communities aware and supportive of their life-saving volunteer organizations. Excalibur Knoxville has changed all these struggles that our sponsors once had and is now helping these organizations to become financially stronger. By God's providence and grace, Excalibur Knoxville has lifted the financial burden off our sponsors, so they can have all they need to continue to do what they do best - serve their communities. Many Volunteer Rescue Squads & Fire Departments in other states (and even here in of Tennessee) have had to close their doors to their communities, due to the lack of support from their communities.

Excalibur Knoxville asks that you please continue to support your Volunteer Rescue Squad & Volunteer Fire Department on that one day each year when you see us at your door. Saving lives is serious business, and by following the 'Golden Rule' you can make a difference. For many years, the door-to-door method used by Excalibur Knoxville has worked to help save lives through the efforts of our Volunteer Rescue Squads & Fire Departments here in East Tennessee.

Excalibur Knoxville now provides anywhere from 50% to 100% of each of our sponsor's total budget for the year. Excalibur Knoxville has become the 'life blood' in helping to keep our sponsors funded, so the high calling of these unsung heroes can continue. Excalibur Knoxville has been able to help many of our sponsors to pay off their buildings, buy much needed life-saving equipment, maintain their equipment, get specialized training, and to operate in the black for the year. Each year that Excalibur Knoxville goes into our sponsor’s service area, our often-accomplished primary goal is to raise evem more money than we have in previous years. Your volunteer agencies are not immune to rising costs: fuel for emergency vehicles, maintenance of equipment, the new equipment needed to save more lives, and general operational costs such as utility bills and insurance.

Excalibur Knoxville does not want to be like any other fundraising company. We want every sponsor that use our services, as well as their communities, to see us as a professional, honest, caring, and hardworking company trying to make a difference in East Tennessee. Excalibur Knoxville employees have been known to go the extra mile for those they meet who are in need. Our employees have bought groceries for homeowner’s that could not feed their families, saved many homeowners cats up a tree, mowed homeowners yards, prayed for a homeowner’s family member or for them personally, bought gas, and more. These many stories of good deeds done actually bring more credibility to our sponsors than us, because once a year we are our sponsors' "face" at the doors of their community. Excalibur Knoxville employee’s make a living working for our sponsors. This is indeed a special job that requires a special group of people. That being said, it costs money to give the finest representation and working knowledge of how a Volunteer Rescue Squad & Fire Department serves its community. Excalibur Knoxville does so much more for our sponsors and their communities than what could be put into words. We show that we care each and every day when we come to a homeowner’s door and ask for your help & support.