Questions
- Why am I not listed as a participating charity?
- When will I know how much our WCCF Gives grant will be?
- When will my charity receive our WCCF Gives grant?
- Will I know which donors contributed to our WCCF Gives grant?
- What if a donor’s gift does not arrive in time to be included in WCCF Gives?
- How does the prorating bonus work?
- Is there a minimum donation?
- Is there a maximum donation?
- What types of contributions are accepted?
- When may donors begin sending their check contributions to the WCCF?
- May our Charity collect check contributions at our location?
- May donors make a WCCF Gives contribution via an IRA charitable transfer?
- Is it possible for donors to pay with cash?
- May donors make online contributions in advance for WCCF Gives?
- Is my charity permitted to make a gift to itself during WCCF Gives?
- May my charity use WCCF Gives as an opportunity to collect payments for sponsorships, event registrations, raffles, or other games of chance?
- May my charity use WCCF Gives as an opportunity to collect membership dues?
- May my charity use WCCF Gives as an opportunity to collect contributions for a specific program?
- What is the Community Foundation’s fee for administering WCCF Gives?
- Other community foundations have announced that they will no longer facilitate a giving event for the charities in their community. What is the future of WCCF Gives?
- How will contributions be acknowledged?
- Our donor wants to make a credit card gift of $100. I understand each online transaction will be subject to a 3% credit card processing fee. How may our donor ensure that our charity receives the full $100 contribution?
Why am I not listed as a participating charity?
To participate in WCCF Gives, a charity must annually complete and submit an electronic application by June 1. Once an application is received, we conduct an internal analysis to determine if an applicant meets all the eligibility requirements. We begin accepting applications in the first quarter of each year so if you are not a participating charity this year, there is an opportunity to participate next year.
When will I know how much our WCCF Gives grant will be?
When the website leaderboard goes live on September 19, the online giving event, it will display the total of the check contributions that have been received and recorded for each charity. The leaderboard is maintained in real time, so as credit card contributions are made charity totals will increase. However, because we accept check contributions postmarked on or before September 19, we typically continue to receive contributions well after. So, final numbers are often not determined until the end of the third quarter.
When will my charity receive our WCCF Gives grant?
In the fourth quarter, you will receive one grant payment representing the total of all qualifying contributions and the appropriate portion of the bonus pool. You will also receive a list of contributors and donation amounts unless anonymity was requested. Grant payments are issued via ACH so please ensure that the WCCF has your most current bank information. Also, please ensure that all required grant reports for any WCCF grant has been submitted. Charities with outstanding grant reports will be required to submit those reports before the Gives grant will be issued.
Will I know which donors contributed to our WCCF Gives grant?
Yes. All donor contact and gift information received during WCCF Gives will be sent to the respective organizations unless the donor requests anonymity.
What if a donor’s gift does not arrive in time to be included in WCCF Gives?
All such donations are combined into a single payment to the charity, which is processed after the close of the fourth quarter. A donor list will be included with the payment confirmation. In cases where the charity has a regional service territory, the corresponding payment will be designated as “for Washington County services,” as all gifts through WCCF Gives are solicited with that stipulation.
How does the prorating bonus work?
The WCCF will enhance qualifying contributions made to participating charities by a bonus pool, estimated to be $100,000.
To maximize the growth potential of the event, the bonus pool is distributed 50% by the number of donors, and 50% by the total dollar amount. A donor is defined as an individual or institution contributing a gift of at least $25.
Donors are welcome to give as much as they would like during the event, but $10,000 per donor per charity is the maximum amount eligible for the bonus pool. For example, if a donor makes a $25,000 contribution ($10,000 for Charity A, $10,000 for Charity B, and $5,000 for Charity C), all $25,000 would be eligible for the bonus. If a donor makes a $25,000 contribution to a single charity, only $10,000 of that amount is eligible for the bonus pool.
Donors choosing to contribute to a charity via multiple giving methods (any combination of credit card, check, or IRA transactions) will only be counted once toward that charity’s donor total.
Is there a minimum donation?
Yes. The minimum gift is $25 per charity.
Is there a maximum donation?
No. WCCF Gives is your opportunity to solicit unrestricted support from your donors. Encourage them to give as much as they are able and willing to give!
What types of contributions are accepted?
Checks and IRA gifts postmarked on or before September 19 and online credit card contributions made via wccfgives.org on September 19 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. are accepted.
Each check must be made payable to “WCCF” and be accompanied by an official WCCF Gives Check Contribution Form. Gifts made to multiple charities should be made with a single check.
When may donors begin sending their check contributions to the WCCF?
Donors may begin making check contributions as soon as the check contribution form is available. Please note that all check contributions should be accompanied by the official WCCF Gives Check Contribution form.
May our Charity collect check contributions at our location?
No. Participating charities are asked to refrain from encouraging donors to send check contributions to the charity.
May donors make a WCCF Gives contribution via an IRA charitable transfer?
Yes. This is an excellent giving vehicle for donors. We know from experience that IRA charitable transfers can take several weeks to process and so charities should encourage donors who intend to give via an IRA to begin the process by September 1. Please note that gifts received via an IRA charitable transfer are not tax-deductible so the receipt the WCCF provides to these donors will differ from the typical receipt.
Is it possible for donors to pay with cash?
No, cash contributions will not be accepted.
May donors make online contributions in advance for WCCF Gives?
No. The online donation portal via wccfgives.org will be open from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m. on September 19. Having a single day to accept credit card contributions helps to control costs and also helps to increase excitement.
Is my charity permitted to make a gift to itself during WCCF Gives?
No. Neither charities, nor supporting organizations created specifically to fundraise for the benefit of another charity, are eligible to make contributions to itself.
May my charity use WCCF Gives as an opportunity to collect payments for sponsorships, event registrations, raffles, or other games of chance?
No. We cannot accept quid pro quo contributions (meaning a payment is made partly as a contribution and partly in consideration for goods or services provided to the payor by the donee organization). A few examples of a quid pro quo arrangement include payment to attend a program activity or sponsoring a table at a fundraising dinner.
May my charity use WCCF Gives as an opportunity to collect membership dues?
Yes, provided that the donor will not receive any goods or services in exchange for the gift. A listing in a donor recognition society is not considered a good or service.
May my charity use WCCF Gives as an opportunity to collect contributions for a specific program?
Each participating charity will receive its WCCF Gives contributions and portion of the bonus pools as a single unrestricted grant. If you arrange for any special use of a contribution (such as support of a particular program, etc.), that use must be coordinated directly between your charity and your donor(s).
What is the Community Foundation’s fee for administering WCCF Gives?
ZERO. Many community foundations across the country assess fees to participating charities to cover the high administrative costs associated with a giving event including the development and maintenance of websites, processing expense, staff time, opportunity cost, etc. Such fees often include a registration fee and then a percentage of the total raised.
As an added service to our local charities, the WCCF has never charged charities any fees to participate in WCCF Gives. Additionally, the WCCF has covered the credit card transaction fees since 2013, and thanks to a very generous donor, has been able to cover the credit card processing fees since 2020.
Other community foundations have announced that they will no longer facilitate a giving event for the charities in their community. What is the future of WCCF Gives?
At the WCCF, we understand how valuable this fundraising opportunity is for our participating charities, and so despite the high administrative costs, we remain committed to annually facilitating WCCF Gives.
How will contributions be acknowledged?
All donors will receive a written gift acknowledgement from the WCCF. Online donors will receive the acknowledgement in their emails shortly after completing their transactions. Check-writing donors who provide an email address will also receive their acknowledgments in their emails. Check-writing donors without an email address will receive a written acknowledgment via US mail. Charities can help to minimize costs for the online giving event by encouraging donors to provide their email addresses to the WCCF.
Our donor wants to make a gift of $100. I understand each online transaction will be subject to a 3% credit card processing fee. How may our donor ensure that our charity receives the full $100 contribution?*
Your donor will have the option to add 3% to his or her contribution total by checking the appropriate box during checkout. The donor will receive an acknowledgement for the full $103, and your charity will receive the $100 contribution. Since 2020 a generous donor has enabled us to cover the 3% credit card fee, which resulted in charities receiving the full $103. If we are able to cover the 3% credit card fee again this year, we will announce that via our social media accounts and this website.
