[ca] Can An Hoa Legally Reward Homeowners For Helping With Hoa Tasks?

I'm president of a small, 10-unit self-managed HOA. We're lucky to have 3 residents willing and able to serve on the board, but the other homeowners haven't attended a single meeting in the 4 years we've been around. We've even tried organizing dinners and get-togethers, but only the board members showed up.

HOA responsibilities can be pretty time-consuming, and we'd like to spread some of that workload around to avoid additional board burnout while getting more neighbors involved.

We're considering a voluntary program where homeowners earn points for helping with things like getting vendor quotes, researching projects, or coordinating maintenance. We'd potentially set aside ~$500/year for rewards, whether that's gift cards, dues credits, or some kind of drawing. The board would still make all decisions.

We try to stay pretty strict with Davis-Stirling compliance. We've seen guidance about using prize drawings to encourage voting and meet quorum requirements, and we're curious whether something similar could work for actual contributions.

Under California law, can an HOA use association funds to reward homeowners for completing voluntary tasks? Would the legality depend on whether rewards are fixed payments, dues credits, or a points-based drawing? Are there restrictions that would require us to structure or approve the program differently?

We're hoping to implement something in 2027 and want to understand the legal requirements before moving forward.

Location: CA