Gemach | Imamother

amother

Mon, Dec 04 2023, 11:09 am

Is a Gemach a sharing/social welfare/charity or a business.
I have been very surprised to see people recommending starting/running a gemach as a way to make good money.

I always thought that a gemach was to benefit the community, not an individual.

I have no issue with the people who work at the Gemach being paid for their time, like the Mikva ladies should be paid.

I have no issue with a Gemach having a required donation to maintain staffing/the facility/getting more inventory….or double a fundraiser for a tzedaka (project Yechi)

I have no problem with with someone opening a rental business and renting dresses (or whatever) and making a business.

My problem is when something is marketed as a Gemach and even requests donations of merchandise but lining an individuals pockets. You can’t call it a gemach then. It is a business.

Is it just me?

ddmom

Mon, Dec 04 2023, 12:52 pm

No, you're 100% right.
A gemach stand for gemilut chassadim and is a non profit organization.
If it makes money it's a business!
Ps: I dk which discussion you're referring to.

amother

Mint

Mon, Dec 04 2023, 1:16 pm

I don't know what discussion you're referencing, but every gemach I know, is a non profit charity. They may charge for their services, but that money is for the upkeep of the gemach, whether it's purchasing new stock, maintaining stuff etc.
Maybe it's community specific as I haven't heard of a gemach that is a business.

amother

Caramel

Mon, Dec 04 2023, 3:10 pm

I have a gemach, never taken a penny for myself, all charges are to replace the items that have wear and tear from the borrowers and unexpected cost e.g A huge part is needed from a different country, all the gemachs were out of them. I managed to have someone bring it in for me but it got caught in customs. the price for us doubled, but we didnt raise the cost as we had money in 'the gemach fund' already if wouldnt have had to pay that we would have used the money to buy another one so more people can use it.
we started with one from our own money, we now have 5 which are often constantly out by someone. (its something you use for a max of 4 weeks)
I do get offended when people ask if we make good money from it or say something about the price. (there is a company who rents it they want over $80 more than what we charge)

Ridethewaves

Mon, Dec 04 2023, 3:50 pm

amother Caramel wrote:

Now I'm so curious what kind of gemach you run!

amother

Scarlet

Mon, Dec 04 2023, 3:53 pm

I also run a gemach. I don't charge but I do ask for donations if people want to give. The money goes into a gemach account and is used for replacing items or adding to the stuff I already have. I don't make any money off of it at all and bh it's super busy.

singleagain

Mon, Dec 04 2023, 4:15 pm

I mean even not for profit charities can pay their workers. The idea of making a gemach a business is to set yourself up an employee and then pay yourself a salary out of the business account.... At least that is my theory.

ETA: from Google

The IRS differentiates between a benefit and fair compensation for work that is done. A non-profit founder may pay themselves a fair salary for the work they do running the organization. Likewise, they can compensate full-time and part-time employees for the work they do.

theoneandonly

Mon, Dec 04 2023, 4:33 pm

amother OP wrote:

Regarding a gemach as a business venture https://www.imamother.com/foru.....04572

https://I.imgur.com/dqgjA5j.jpg

So one person on one thread mentioned opening a gemach as a business. Ok.

amother

Mint

Mon, Dec 04 2023, 5:43 pm

theoneandonly wrote:

So one person on one thread mentioned opening a gemach as a business. Ok.

I find I see a comment from someone about something and it's something I haven't heard before, so I am curious to find out more about it. Is it something many people know and I just haven't heard of it for some reason, or is it more unusual? And that's the great thing about this site, is to ask questions that one couldn't irl.

theoneandonly

Mon, Dec 04 2023, 6:40 pm

amother Mint wrote:

I think what bothered me was OP took one random person's comment on one thread and used it to assume that all gemach owners are "lining their pockets" (her words) with tzedaka money. She didn't open a thread saying, "hey, do ppl make money from gemachs like one person thinks they do?" She opened a thread implying that all gemach owners are taking money from the klal for their own benefit.

amother

Mon, Dec 04 2023, 6:51 pm

That is quite a jump. There are multiple gemachs that I am familiar with were they are most certainly not lining anyone’s pockets. I want to know where I implied all.
I have seen it three or four times before on this site and I was taken aback. I wanted to know if I was missing something or if different communities use the term differently.
Should I have jumped on on the other thread and deviated topics ?

theoneandonly

Mon, Dec 04 2023, 7:45 pm

amother OP wrote:

Ok, sorry for misunderstanding you.