FAQ
General
Q. What is Mohawk Valley Gives?
Mohawk Valley Gives is a day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Mohawk Valley Gives is an initiative of GiveGab.
Q. When is Mohawk Valley Gives?
Mohawk Valley Gives is on September 20th, 2024 from midnight to 11:59 PM.
Q. What is GiveGab/Bonterra?
GiveGab, which is becoming Bonterra, is a nonprofit giving platform that helps nonprofits to raise money, engage donors and manage volunteers quickly and efficiently. GiveGab/Bonterra offers a full portfolio of simple and easy to use products that allows organizations to function in a more streamlined manner.
Q. Do I get anything in exchange for my donation?
Mohawk Valley Gives and/or the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, Inc. will not accept quid pro quo contributions, i.e. charitable donations in exchange for goods/services. All contributions to Mohawk Valley Gives and/or the Community Foundation must be fully tax deductible as allowed by law.
In the event a participating nonprofit organization accepts a donation partly as a contribution and partly for goods or services, a written disclosure statement must be provided to the donor by the recipient organization. Failure to make the required disclosure may result in a penalty to the organization. All participating nonprofit organizations maintain responsibility for their individual compliance with all IRS Guidelines for charitable contributions at all times (www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/charitable-contributions-quid-pro-quo-contributions).
Donor
Q. Who can donate?
Anyone may donate. Donations through the Mohawk Valley Gives online portal to charitable nonprofit organizations are tax-deductible and cannot be refunded. Contributions may be made via credit and debit card only. Donations will be processed and receipted by GiveGab/Bonterra.
Q. How will donations be distributed?
Each donation made to a participating nonprofit will be disbursed directly from GiveGab/Bonterra via direct deposit within 5-7 business days.
Q. How much of my donation goes to the nonprofit?
GiveGab/Bonterra retains a 3.5% campaign management fee from all donations. Credit Card processing fees are an additional 2.5% + $0.30 for all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover). You are given the option to cover the fees and if you choose this option, 100% of your online charitable gift will go to the receiving organization. All donations are final and cannot be refunded. Any donations processed outside of the Mohawk Valley Gives donation period through GiveGab.com, or subsequent recurring donations, are also subject to the transaction fees outlined above.
Q. Who will receive my contact information?
The organization(s) you choose to support will have access to your name and email address. This information is used solely to send thank you messages, provide the option to receive future notifications, and to notify you of future activities.
Q. Do I need to create an account to make a donation?
No. You do not need to create an account to make a donation. The benefits of creating an account include having your tax receipts collected in one location, being able to track your donations, follow the charities you support, and engage in future volunteering and donations. Your tax receipt is emailed immediately upon processing your donation. To claim a donation as a deduction on U.S. taxes, you should retain the donation receipt as an official record.
Q. Can I make donations via a mobile device?
Yes! Simply visit www.givemv.org on your mobile device.
Q. Can I pre-schedule a donation for Mohawk Valley Gives?
You cannot pre-schedule your Mohawk Valley Gives gift, but you may make a donation to a participating nonprofit before or after the Mohawk Valley Gives. In order for your donation to be counted towards prize incentives awarded on Mohawk Valley Gives it must be made between midnight at 11:59 p.m. on September 20th, 2024.
Q. What if my preferred organization is not listed?
Please send an email to info@givegab.com to request that we contact your organization of choice.
Q.How do I know my payment is secure?
GiveGab is a PCI-DSS Level I and SOC 1 Type 2 certified organization. Security requirements to be certified for both of these standards are rigid. As part of this, we are constantly performing external infrastructure scans as well as internal code scanning. Additionally, we are required to undergo and pass external penetration tests to ensure our systems and data are not vulnerable to security breaches.
This also means that we only partner with other businesses who adhere to as strict a code of security in order to protect our users' data.
Q.I received an error while donating. How can I fix this and process my donation?
The Customer Success team is here to help! Please use the blue chat bubble to reach out with any questions. You can also use this helpful support article about donation processing errors: Donation Processing Errors
Not for Profit
Q. Which organizations can participate?
Organizations that are verified 501( c )(3) charitable nonprofits that are headquartered or provide services in Mohawk Valley.
Q. What is state charitable solicitation registration?
Nonprofits are held to a high standard of government regulation and public scrutiny. And that is with good reason! Eligible 501(c) nonprofits are exempt from federal corporate taxes and have access to public funding. These benefits are not typically available to for-profit businesses, so laws are in place to protect the public and ensure nonprofits do not abuse their financial advantages. The IRS and states all have requirements for nonprofits.
Q. Why is state charitable solicitation registration compliance important?
While 501(c) nonprofits receive key financial benefits, the penalties for noncompliance can be serious. The IRS can revoke a nonprofit’s tax exemption and impose fines that can accrue daily. The states can administratively dissolve a nonprofit corporation and levy steep financial penalties. Perhaps worst of all, an organization can lose out on a grant or large donation because it has not kept itself in good standing.
Taking a proactive approach to compliance helps ensure the sustained success of the organization. The cost of staying compliant is small in comparison to the much larger costs of noncompliance. The saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” could not be more true in this context.
Q. What are the key aspects of state charitable solicitation registration compliance?
The IRS provides tax exemptions to eligible nonprofits under IRC 501(c). Public charities and private foundations receive 501(c)(3) tax exemption. The IRS scrutinizes organizations when they apply for 501(c)(3) but also ensures that those organizations meet the ongoing obligations to remain eligible. Nonprofits must file a 990 tax form each year with the IRS to disclose their financial data for the year.
Each state has their own set of requirements. Nonprofits are typically incorporated in a given state as a nonprofit corporation. The state in which the nonprofit has incorporated will impose requirements on the nonprofit, and those responsibilities typically span across multiple state agencies. Usually nonprofits must submit an annual filing to the corporations division of the secretary of state, maintain its license to fundraise (charitable solicitation registration), file for a state business license, and maintain state-level tax exemption with the revenue department. As nonprofits expand outside of the state or operate nationwide, they must comply with the same items in each other state as well.
In addition to IRS and state filing requirements, nonprofits must keep adequate records. Keeping accurate and complete records is critical in the event that an organization is audited. It is also common that board members or donors request information from the organization. Finally, records are necessary for submitting applications and renewal filings with various government agencies.
Q. When I check the box on my organization account to declare state charitable solicitation registration compliance, what am I attesting to?
When you check the box you are attesting (defined as "declaring that something exists or is the case") that your organization is compliant with applicable state fundraising requirements in the states in which you may solicit donors using the GiveGab/Bonterra platform.
Q. Do you have additional resources to reference about state charitable solicitation registration?
Yes! Here are a few more resources from Harbor Compliance to help you:
- Guide and Overview of Many Nonprofit State by State Compliance Requirements
- Guide and Overview Specific to Fundraising Compliance
- National Council of Nonprofits and Harbor Compliance have partnered to create a white paper explaining the state charitable solicitation registration requirements.
- A Quick Summary of Charitable Solicitation in Graphic Form
- Executive Brief: Charitable Solicitation Registration (great for driving awareness and support with leadership and the board)
- State by State Links to the State Organizations that Regulate Charities, Solicitation, and Registrations
Q. How can I ensure my organization receives its donations?
In order to receive your donations via ACH transfer, GiveGab/Bonterra requires a checking account eligible to receive ACH transfers and withdrawals. Your donations will be deposited within 5-7 business days on a daily rolling basis.
If your organization supplies the wrong type of bank account (such as a savings account), or the wrong account numbers, GiveGab/Bonterra will be in touch! After 30 days, if GiveGab/Bonterra hasn't heard from your organization, they will refund your gifts back to your donors.
Q. How are matches/challenges administered?
Matches/challenges can be set up by either the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties or directly by participating organizations on behalf of a match/challenge sponsor. As the host of Mohawk Valley Gives, all matches/challenges are subject to Community Foundation review and verification, up to and including criteria being subject to change and earnings awarded at the ultimate discretion of the Community Foundation. Only match/challenge donations that would otherwise qualify as tax deductible gifts made directly to the designated nonprofit(s) will be considered.