FAQ
Q. What is 35 Hours of Giving?
35 Hours of Giving is a philanthropic event featuring multiple ways for donors to support the endowment fund of nonprofit organizations located in and serving Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton counties. Donors can give in person, by check, or can donate online during the 35-hour giving period at 35hours.ourcommunity.org.
Funds raised go directly to each nonprofit’s endowment fund held at the Capital Region Community Foundation, where the funds are invested for the long-term sustainability of participating nonprofits.
Q. When is it?
35 Hours of Giving will take place starting at 7am on May 3rd and end at 6pm on May 4th, 2023. Donations can be made online or in-person during those 35 hours.
Q. Who can donate?
Anyone can make a donation to one or more organizations participating in 35 Hours of Giving
Q. What forms of donations are accepted?
Donations can be made online at 35hours.ourcommunity.org by MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express, Mobile Wallet, or via ACH bank transfer. Donors may also give by check using our mail-in donation form. Gifts of stock or distributions from an IRA can be made by contacting the Community Foundation office at 517-272-2870. Learn more about Ways to Give and using your bank account for donations.
Q. Can I mail in a gift?
You can download and print a donation form. Complete the form indicating the organization(s), and donation amount(s), then write a single check for the total amount payable to “CRCF.” Checks can be mailed to Capital Region Community Foundation, 330 Marshall Street, Suite 300, Lansing, MI 48912.
Completed donation forms and checks may also be dropped off at the Capital Region Community Foundation using the secure interior dropbox to the side of our office door. Mail-in donations must be postmarked April 19 - May 4 to be included in 35 Hours of Giving.
Q. When will mailed donations be visible on the website?
Donations will appear on the website starting the first day of the campaign, Wednesday, May 3. (There may be a delay for mail-in donations that are received at the Foundation after April 27.) As mailed donations continue to arrive after May 4, they will be added to the website, and the leaderboard and organizational totals will continue to increase. These donations will continue to be added up to May 12.
Q. What else should I know about mailed donations?
The donation form must be completed entirely and legibly. This makes a big difference when processing your gift. Double-check your math on the form so your total donation amount equals the sum of all your individual donations (if making multiple gifts). Be sure to include how you want your name to appear publicly or if you prefer to be anonymous to the public and the organization.
Q. Can donations be made via a mobile device?
Yes! Simply visit 35hours.ourcommunity.org on your mobile device.
Q. Are donations tax-deductible?
Yes! Donations through the 35 Hours of Giving website to charitable nonprofit organizations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Consult with your tax and financial advisors regarding your tax benefits for charitable gifts.
Q. How will I receive a receipt for tax purposes?
Immediately after you make an online donation, you will receive a thank you and a tax-deductible receipt via email. Gifts made in person or by mail will also receive a thank you email and a tax-deductible receipt if an email is provided on the mail-in form. All other donations will be mailed a thank you letter and tax receipt.
Since donations made during 35 Hours of Giving go into the nonprofit’s endowment at the Capital Region Community Foundation, any donation made will appear as a donation to the Community Foundation. These funds will then be distributed to the intended organizations’ endowed fund. The receipt will be emailed to you at the address you provide when making the donation. You should print or save this receipt for your records. If you did not receive your thank you and tax-deductible receipt email, please contact GiveGab Customer Success at support@givegab.com or through the chat bubble in the bottom right hand corner of the 35 Hours of Giving website and they will email you another one.
Q. Is there a minimum gift?
The minimum online donation is $10. The minimum for donations made via ACH is $100. Donations in-person or by mail can be made for any amount. There is no maximum donation amount aside from what is controlled by your banking institution.
Q. How much of the donation covers fees and how much will go to the nonprofit?
There are processing and credit card fees for all online transactions.
However, donors have the opportunity to generously cover the 3.5% processing fee, resulting in 100% of the donation going to the endowment fund(s) of the nonprofit(s) you choose. The Community Foundation will cover any remaining processing fees, along with all other costs associated with the event.
Q. Will my donation be matched?
The Community Foundation is providing a matching pool of $35,000. Each participating agency receives a proportionate share of the matching pool, based on how much they have raised in public donations. No single organization may receive more than 10% of the total matching pool in a given year.
Q. May I designate how a nonprofit uses my gift?
Since all donations made during 35 Hours of Giving are for the nonprofit’s endowed fund held at the Capital Region Community Foundation, there is no way to designate your gift.
Q. May I use my donation to buy event tickets, museum memberships, or other things that provide me a benefit?
No, all donations during 35 Hours of Giving go directly to the nonprofit’s endowment fund. They may not be used in exchange for anything that might be perceived as a material benefit to the donor, advisor, or other disqualified person - including dinner tickets, membership fees, golf fees, admission tickets, or other gifts.
Q. What if I can't find my favorite nonprofit on the website?
If you can't find them on the site, they may not be participating in the event this year or may not have an endowment fund at the Community Foundation. After the event, please encourage the nonprofit to contact us so we can be sure they are ready for the next 35 Hours of Giving.
Q. What organizations are eligible for 35 Hours of Giving?
Each agency participating in 35 Hours of Giving is either a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, city/county government, or a public school and holds an endowment fund at the Capital Region Community Foundation. All eligible nonprofits were given the opportunity to participate.
Q. Who will receive my contact information?
The organization(s) you choose to support will have access to your name and email address unless you elect to remain anonymous on the donation page. 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. Who is GiveGab?
GiveGab is an online giving platform that helps nonprofits raise money, engage donors, and manage volunteers quickly and efficiently. GiveGab offers a full portfolio of simple and easy-to-use products that allow organizations to function in a more streamlined manner.
Q. Do I need to create an account with GiveGab?
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.