FAQ
Q. What is Fayette Gives?
Fayette Gives is a “day of giving” hosted by the Community Foundation of Fayette County that aims to build a stronger Fayette by engaging the community in philanthropy and supporting local charities. During this fundraising marathon, the public donates to participating charities and special incentives are offered to promote the excitement and impact of charitable giving. Fayette Gives provides an opportunity for charities to gain exposure, and it invites everyone to be a philanthropist in a community-wide effort to give back.
Q. When is Fayette Gives?
Fayette Gives will take place on Thursday, November 7, 2024 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Q. What is the Community Foundation of Fayette County?
The Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC) is the host of Fayette Gives. CFFC’s mission is to help define charitable needs, connect donors with causes that matter to them, support nonprofit organizations, and invest charitable assets to make the community a better place to live. CFFC offers personalized donor services, grants to nonprofits, scholarships to students, and leadership in the local nonprofit community. To learn about CFFC’s commitment to philanthropy and efforts in building a stronger Fayette, visit www.cffayettepa.org.
Q. What is GiveGab/Bonterra?
GiveGab/Bonterra is a charity giving platform that helps charities 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 charities to function in a more streamlined manner.
Q. How much of my donation will go to the charity?
GiveGab/Bonterra retains a 3.5% platform management fee from all online 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. If you choose this option, 100% of your online charitable gift will benefit your selected charity/ies. If you do not choose to cover the fees, your selected charity/ies will receive the donation less the fees. Offline donations (checks, donor advised funds, IRS contributions, stock transfers) will not have fees.
The Community Foundation of Fayette County does not charge any fees to donors or participating charities.
Q. Why should I donate through Fayette Gives?
Your Fayette Gives donation will be joined with others across the region, as part of a collective effort to build a stronger Fayette County. This special “day of giving” celebrates the power of charitable giving and raises money for charities that are making a positive impact in the community. Prizes will be offered to encourage giving.
Q. Do I need to create an account with GiveGab/Bonterra?
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.
Q. What if I can't find my favorite charity on the website?
If you can't find them on the site, they may not be participating in the event this year or they may not meet the eligibility requirements. After the event, please encourage the charity to contact us so we can be sure they are ready for next year. Registration timelines and eligibility requirements are posted on the Fayette Gives website.
The Community Foundation of Fayette County has the discretion to deny grants and participation in foundation programs to organizations or programs that conflict with the foundation’s values, mission, or the spirit of foundation programs. Determination of such conflicts is subject to the foundation’s interpretation.
Q. Is there a minimum gift?
Yes. There is a $25 minimum donation per charity. There is no maximum donation; however, a donor may need to contact their credit card provider before a large transaction will be accepted.
Q. Do you have a refund policy?
All donations are final and no refunds will be issued. Please review your donation for accuracy.
Q. Who will receive my contact information?
The charity(ies) to which you donate will have access to your name, address, email, phone number, and donation amount. Participating charities are encouraged to send thank-you communication to donors.
Donors who mark themselves as “Super Anonymous” will remain anonymous to their selected charities.
As the host of Fayette Gives, the Community Foundation of Fayette County will also have access to this contact information. The foundation does not solicit donors using the information acquired during Fayette Gives (except for donors who directly donate to the foundation as a selected charity). The foundation will maintain the information to acknowledge donors and invite them to attend events or join an e-newsletter.
Q. Who can donate?
All donations must be from individuals or businesses. Charities are not eligible to make donations to themselves. Supporting organizations that directly support or fundraise for a participating charity are not eligible to make donations to that charity. No collected donations will be accepted.
Q. What is a "unique donor"?
For the purposes of awarding prizes, a unique donor is one individual or company. Multiple donations from one donor to the same charity will count as one gift. Charities cannot donate to themselves.
Q. When can I make my donation?
Online donations are available during the 12-hour period on Fayette Gives day. Offline donations, however, are available prior to Fayette Gives day. The required Check Contribution Form will become available on the Fayette Gives website in the month of October and will be shared with participating charities. (Offline donations include checks, donor advised funds, charitable IRA, and stock transfers.)
No donations will be accepted before the official announcement of offline donations in October.
Q. When will I know how much the charities received?
Preliminary results are posted instantaneously on the Fayette Gives website. Final results will be announced by the Community Foundation of Fayette County by December 31 of the Fayette Gives day's current year.
Q. What will my Fayette Gives donation be used for by the charity(ies)?
All donations made during Fayette Gives must be used to benefit Fayette County. Donations are otherwise unrestricted.
Q. May I designate how a charity uses my gift?
No. Unless a charity specifies in their profile, all donations made during Fayette Gives are considered unrestricted gifts. Thank you for trusting charities to use their discretion in how to best apply Fayette Gives donations to support their work in Fayette County.
Q. What forms of donations are accepted?
Acceptable donation methods include credit card, check, donor advised fund, charitable IRA, and stock transfers. Credit card gift cards will not be accepted. Cash will not be accepted. Money orders and counter checks will not be accepted.
Q. How do prizes work?
Prizes are an exciting way to encourage donations throughout Fayette Gives. A variety of prizes will be offered to incentivize donors and award additional money to participating charities
The prize criteria and rules will be posted on the Prizes page, once available.
Q. How do I donate online?
Credit card and debit card donations are accepted through the Fayette Gives website during the 12-hour event. MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express donations are accepted. Credit card processing fees and platform management fee apply.
Q. Can I make donations via a mobile device?
Yes. Simply visit www.fayettegives.org on November 7, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Q. I don’t have an email address – how do I donate online?
Online donations require you to enter an email address in the donation form. If you do not have an email address, contact the Community Foundation of Fayette County office at 724-437-8600 for assistance with completing your donation.
Q. My credit card was declined. What should I do?
Please contact your credit card company directly. Note: Please verify that you are entering all information correctly for your donation form. A transposed number or entering the wrong billing address or zip code can cause a card to be declined.
Q. How do I donate by check?
Check donations are accepted at the Community Foundation of Fayette County office, located at 5 South Mt. Vernon Ave., Uniontown, PA 15401. Check-writing donors can support one or more charities by submitting one check payable to “CFFC” for the total amount, along with a completed Check Contribution Form to specify the selected charity(ies). The Check Contribution Form will be available for download on the Fayette Gives website. Check donations will be accepted in October once the Check Contribution Form is available.
Q. Can I donate through a donor advised fund, IRA charitable transfer, or stock transfer?
Yes. Donor advised fund donations, charitable IRA distributions, and stock transfer donations will be accepted in October once the Check Contribution Form is available.
Please allow extra time for processing, as these transfers may take several weeks to verify and process. The Community Foundation of Fayette County is not responsible for coordinating such donations. However, donors should call the Community Foundation of Fayette County at 724-437-8600 with any questions regarding these giving methods and/or ACH transfers.
Donors are encouraged to submit a completed Check Contribution Form to ensure the delivery of donation details.
Q. Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes. When your donation is submitted, a tax receipt is automatically generated for the gross amount of your gift and emailed to the address you provide. Your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. To claim a donation as a deduction on U.S. taxes, you should retain the donation receipt as an official record.
Donors who do not provide an email address will not receive a receipt unless they request a printed copy to be mailed or if their donation is $250 or more.
Fayette Gives donation acknowledgements are sent on behalf of the Community Foundation of Fayette County. Participating charities should not send donors an additional tax receipt, but charities are encouraged to send thank-you communication.
Q. Why didn’t I receive an email receipt?
The email receipt could be in your junk/spam folder or an incorrect email address could have been entered. If you did not provide an email address with your donation, you will not receive a receipt. If you would like a receipt, please call the Community Foundation of Fayette County at 724-437-8600 to request one.
Q. How can I get another copy of my donation receipt?
Donors who provide an email address with their donation can be re-sent their email receipt. Please call the Community Foundation of Fayette County at 724-437-8600 to request a copy of your donation receipt.
Please note that donation receipts are separated by charity. If a donor gives to five charities, the donor will receive five separate donation receipts. A charity will only be able to re-send receipts for the gifts to their charity. Therefore, we recommend contacting the foundation for assistance with your receipt, to ensure that all of your Fayette Gives donations are included.
If a donor did not provide an email address with their donation and would like a receipt, they may call the Community Foundation of Fayette County at 724-437-8600 to request one.
Q. Why are donations recorded as gifts to the Community Foundation of Fayette County?
As the host of Fayette Gives, the Community Foundation of Fayette County processes all donations and distributes checks to participating charities after Fayette Gives day. This streamlines the processing and reporting, by providing each charity with one payment for their Fayette Gives total.
Q. Can I submit my donation for an employer match?
Yes. Donors are encouraged to submit their contribution for matching gift programs. You are responsible for initiating and completing the match program’s paperwork. Please make the matching organization aware that all Fayette Gives gifts are made to the Community Foundation of Fayette County (CFFC), with the end recipient as your selected charity(ies). Matching gifts should indicate the selected charity(ies) and/or the name of the donor whose gift is being matched. Please contact the foundation office at 724-437-8600 with any questions.
Q. May my charity use Fayette Gives as an opportunity to collect payments for sponsorships, event registrations, or membership dues?
No. Donations may not be used to pay 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.
Donors will receive a receipt confirming that their gift is fully tax-deductible, so we cannot accept quid pro quo contributions (meaning a payment made partially as a contribution and partially for goods or services provided to the donor or by the receiving charity). Please contact the Community Foundation of Fayette County if you have questions.