NONPROFIT 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 or 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 to help with the long-term sustainability of participating nonprofits.

Q. How much does it cost for a nonprofit to participate?

There is no cost to the nonprofit organization! All processing fees associated with an online donation and the cost of the GiveGab platform are covered by the donor and the Capital Region Community Foundation.

Q. When does nonprofit registration close?

Nonprofit registration closes on February 24, 2023.

Q. Who can donate?

Anyone with a credit card and access to the internet!

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. How much of the donation 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) they choose.  The Community Foundation will cover any remaining processing fees, along with all other costs associated with the event.

Q. Will donations be matched?

Yes, for our 35 Hours of Giving, 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 new donations. For example, if your organization raises 8% of the total dollars raised, your endowment will receive 8% of the matching pool. No single organization may receive more than 10% of the total matching pool in a given year.

Q. Are there other incentives available?

Yes! Prizes of $500 will be awarded throughout the campaign based on certain milestones. The prize categories can be found on the Prizes page.

Q. What is a "unique donor"?

For the purposes of awarding prizes, a unique donor is one individual or corporation/business. Multiple donations from one donor to the same nonprofit will count as one gift. Organizations cannot donate to themselves.

Q. How will donors to our fund receive a receipt for tax purposes?

Immediately after they make an online donation, they will receive a thank you email and a tax-deductible receipt. Gifts made in person or via 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 receive a tax receipt directly from the Community Foundation. Your organization should not provide gift receipts for any donation through 35 Hours of Giving, since the funds are not going directly to your organization, rather into your endowment.

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. Can donors pay on a pledge during 35 Hours of Giving?

Since Giving Day is designed to generate new support for your endowment, we discourage inviting your donors to pay off an existing pledge during the campaign. 

Q. Can a donor designate how a nonprofit uses their gift?

No. All donations made during the 35 Hours of Giving are restricted to the nonprofit’s endowment fund at the Community Foundation.

Q. May a donor use their donation to buy event tickets, museum memberships, or other things that provide them a benefit?

No, donations may not be in exchange for anything that could be perceived as a material benefit to the donor, advisor, or other disqualified person. This includes dinner or event tickets, membership fees, golf fees, admission tickets, or other gifts.

Q. How will donations be distributed?

Each donation made to a participating nonprofit will be disbursed directly from GiveGab via direct deposit to the Capital Region Community Foundation within 5-7 business days. The Community Foundation will then place those donations, plus the participant’s share of the prorated matching fund, into their endowment fund within 30 days of event close.

Q. Will this be an annual event?

No. Depending on the success of this inaugural year, we plan to host this on a semi-annual basis to allow nonprofit participants to run other campaigns in between.

Q. Who is GiveGab?

GiveGab is a nonprofit giving platform that helps nonprofits to raise money, engage donors, and manage volunteers quickly and efficiently. GiveGab offers a full portfolio of simple and easy to use products that allows organizations to function in a more streamlined manner.

Q. When I check the box on GiveGab to declare state charitable solicitation registration compliance, what am I attesting to?

When you check the box you are attesting that your organization is compliant with applicable Michigan fundraising requirements, including appropriate licensing to solicit donors on the GiveGab platform.

Q. Can more than one person claim admin access on our organization's page?

Yes, pending approval from existing administrators. All administrators will need to create profiles on GiveGab. Every person who has administrative access will receive emails about updates to their page. Click here to learn how to add an admin and click here to learn how to remove an admin.

Q. How do I request admin access to an organization I don't currently have access to?

While you are going through the registration process, you will be prompted to request admin access. Follow the full steps here.

Q. How does my organization know who has donated and how much? Can I download a donor report?

All organizations that participate in 35 Hours of Giving will be able to access and download a .CSV file of their donations via their administrative dashboard on GiveGab. Note that donors will have the option to request anonymity of the gift.

Q. What portion of a donation made on GiveGab is tax deductible?

GiveGab offers the option for donors to increase the amount they give in order to “cover the fees” associated with their gift. Even when a donor decides to cover the fees, the entire amount is still tax-deductible as allowed by law. Donors will see the total amount they give to each organization reflected in their tax-deductible donation letter. The tax-deductible amount in the letter will include any additional contribution they have made to cover the fees.