I can answer this with a resounding “Yes!” and “No!”.   First off, I would say that every attorney has his own opinion, and, doubtless, many would disagree with me.   But, here is my opinion.

You cannot work in the US on a B visa.   If you are here raising support for yourself, it wouldn’t take much for a CBP (Customs and Border Protection) officer to conclude that you are working here.  After all, you are going around, asking people for money because of your m-ssionary service, and you are living on that money (or you will be living on that money when you return to your home out of the states).   This especially looks bad if you have a website with a US address where people can contribute money.   Even if you aren’t raising money while you are in the US, the existence of the website and the US address can make the CBP conclude that you are working here — the CPB are known to do web searches while you are sitting in secondary inspection to see if they can find evidence that you are “working” here in the US.    So, it is my advice that you don’t fundraise here in the US.

However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t fundraise.   You just need to be smart (and legal) about it.  As we discussed last week, you are allowed to come on an evangelistic tour.   You can come and share about your m-ssion work abroad.   And, chances are, you are associated with some organization here or abroad.   You are allowed to share about that m-ssion organization and its financial needs.   You also can share about your financial needs — after all, it is part of your m-ssion organization’s responsibilities to care for its m-ssionaries.   The ch-rch where you are speaking is free to provide support directly to your m-ssion organization.   And your m-ssion organization is free to use its money to pay its m-ssionaries, including you.

What I have just described is called deputized fundraising.   It is a method recognized by the IRS to allow people to support m-ssionaries, but still be able to get the tax deduction by donating to the m-ssion organization rather than directly to the m-ssionary.   And, donating to the organization keeps a ch-rch’s books cleaner too — it is more complicated legally if they donate to an individual.

The one thing I want to add about this is that you want to be smart and honest.   As I said, you can’t fundraise.   If you are here going from ch-rch to ch-rch asking for money, sooner or later, you could run into problems with CBP.   And, to be honest, is that what G-d has called us to?   But if you are here, in the spirit of your B visa, going from ch-rch to ch-rch, passionately sharing about what G-d is doing in your m-ssion field, there is nothing wrong with, by the way, encouraging people to support that work by praying and by donating to your m-ssion organization.