Nonprofit FAQ
THE BASICS
Q. Who can I contact for assistance?
Between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), you can use the blue chat bubble on the bottom right corner of your screen to message with Support. If you want to contact staff at the Community Foundation of Fayette County or need assistance outside of the Support hours, please call 724-437-8600.
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 nonprofits. During this fundraising marathon, the public donates to participating nonprofits, and match incentives for nonprofits enhance the impact of each gift. Fayette Gives provides an opportunity for nonprofits to fundraise, promote their mission, and invite 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 5, 2026 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 and organizer of Fayette Gives. CFFC’s mission is to build a stronger Fayette County by inspiring charitable giving, supporting nonprofits, and nurturing positive community impact. The foundation offers personalized donor services, grants to nonprofits, scholarships to students, and leadership in the local nonprofit community. To learn more about CFFC’s commitment to building a stronger Fayette through philanthropy, 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 the donation will go to my nonprofit?
GiveGab 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). Any online gift of $100 or more will have an ACH payment option, with a $3.00 processing fee. Donors are given the option to cover the fees. If a donor chooses this option, 100% of their online charitable gift will benefit their selected nonprofit(s). If a donor does not choose to cover the fees, their selected nonprofit(s) will receive the donation less the fees. Offline donations (checks, donor advised funds, IRS contributions, stock transfers) do not incur fees.
REGISTRATION
Q. What are the participation requirements for nonprofits?
- Must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and must not be a private foundation as defined in section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Must be located in or providing service in Fayette County, PA.
- Must file the Federal Form 990, 990 EZ, or 990 N annually.
- Must attend at least one (1) training session. Available sessions: July 14 at 3:00; July 29 at 9:00; August 6 at 9:00; August 11 at 3:00. All training sessions will take place in-person at the CFFC office.
- Must agree to use all Fayette Gives money to benefit Fayette County.
Fayette Gives donors will be able to claim a tax deduction for their gift; therefore, we must ensure that nonprofit recipients of these gifts are qualified tax-exempt organizations. The IRS website may be used, among other documents and resources, to verify eligibility.
The Community Foundation of Fayette County has the discretion to deny participation or remove a participant for failure to meet requirements, unethical conduct, or 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. What are the participation expectations for nonprofits?
- Promote Fayette Gives, actively participate in activities to encourage donations, and utilize the official Fayette Gives campaign materials
- Do not alter the official Fayette Gives Check Contribution Form. This is used for consistent, efficient data entry and accurate messaging.
- Build your nonprofit profile with a logo, cover photo, overview in the "Story" section, fundraising goal, and at least one "cause" identified.
- Support a positive, collaborative environment in the spirit of this community-wide event.
- Monitor the Community Foundation of Fayette County's communication about Fayette Gives to stay informed and understand the fundraiser to the best of your ability.
- Review the Nonprofit FAQ to understand donation guidelines and ensure that you are sharing accurate information with your donors.
- Contact the foundation with questions throughout the campaign.
- Permission for the Community Foundation of Fayette County to use information and photos from your nonprofit profile for promotional purposes (credited to your organization).
Q. What if I can't find my nonprofit on the website?
Your nonprofit may not have registered to participate this year, or you may not meet the eligibility requirements. Please note that your nonprofit must register for participation each year; prior participation does not roll over to the subsequent year. Registration timelines and eligibility requirements are posted on the Fayette Gives website. Please contact the Community Foundation of Fayette County with questions at 724-437-8600.
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 registration fee?
The Community Foundation of Fayette County does not charge any fees to donors or participating nonprofits.
Q. When can nonprofits register to participate?
Nonprofits must register on the Fayette Gives website between July 1, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. and September 1, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Nonprofits will receive notifications about their registration status and may be asked for additional information to determine eligibility.
Q. Are training resources available for participating nonprofits?
Yes. Visit the Nonprofit Toolkit and Trainings page on the website for online resources, training videos, webinars, and training dates.
Registered nonprofits will be added to the Community Foundation of Fayette County’s email distribution list to receive ongoing updates, tips, and important documents related to Fayette Gives. Please be sure to check your spam/junk folder if you are not seeing these emails, or contact the foundation at 724-437-8600.
DONATIONS
Q. Is there a minimum gift?
Yes. There is a $25 minimum donation per nonprofit. There is no maximum donation; however, a donor may need to contact their credit card provider before a large transaction will be accepted.
Q. Who can donate?
All donations must be from individuals or businesses. Nonprofits are not eligible to make donations to themselves. Supporting organizations that directly support or fundraise for a participating nonprofit are not eligible to make donations to that nonprofit. No collected donations will be accepted.
Q. What is a "unique donor"?
A unique donor is one individual or company. Multiple donations from one donor to the same nonprofit will count as one unique donor, even though there are multiple donation entries. Nonprofits cannot donate to themselves.
Q. When can donors make their gift?
Online donations are available during the 12-hour period on Fayette Gives day. Offline donations, however, are available prior to Fayette Gives day (date to be determined and announced). The required, official Check Contribution Form will become available on the Fayette Gives website in the month of September and will be shared with participating nonprofits via email. (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 September.
Q. What forms of donations are accepted?
Acceptable donation methods include credit card, debit card, mobile wallet, ACH* (for donations of $100+), 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.
*ACH payments are processed through a third party, Plaid. Please note that your local bank may or may not be accepted through Plaid as an approved partner for an ACH payment. For more information on approved Plaid institutions, please go to plaid.com/docs/institutions/
Q. How do you 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. Mobile wallet options are also available. ACH payments* are available for donations of $100+. Credit card processing fees and platform management fee apply.
*ACH payments are processed through a third party, Plaid. Please note that your local bank may or may not be accepted through Plaid as an approved partner for an ACH payment. For more information on approved Plaid institutions please go to plaid.com/docs/institutions/
Q. How do you donate by check?
Check donations are accepted at the Community Foundation of Fayette County office, located at 250 West Main Street, Uniontown, PA 15401. Check-writing donors can support one or more nonprofit by submitting one check payable to “CFFC” for the total amount, along with a completed Check Contribution Form to specify the selected nonprofit(s).
The Check Contribution Form will be available for download on the Fayette Gives website, in addition to hard copies at the foundation office.
Donations will be accepted starting in September (date to be determined and announced), once the Check Contribution Form is available.
Q. Can donors give 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 once the Check Contribution Form is available in September.
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 foundation 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. Are donations tax-deductible?
Yes. When donations are submitted, a tax receipt is automatically generated for the gross amount of a donor’s gift. This is sent to the email address provided by the donor. Their donation is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. To claim a donation as a deduction on U.S. taxes, donors 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 nonprofits should not send donors an additional tax receipt, however, nonprofits are encouraged to send thank-you communications.
Q. How does the match work?
Participating nonprofits will receive a 10% match on eligible Fayette Gives donations, up to a maximum of $10,000 per nonprofit.
To qualify, donations must:
- Be at least $25 per nonprofit
- Be made through an approved Fayette Gives donation method
- Be received at the CFFC office by 8:00 p.m. on November 5, 2026 (not postmarked)
If funds remain in the match pool after all 10% matches are distributed, CFFC may increase the match percentage. Match dollars will be added to each nonprofit's Fayette Gives total after Fayette Gives Day.
Q. Is there a way to resend donation receipts to donors?
Yes. The Community Foundation of Fayette County can re-send a donation receipt email to donors who provide an email address, if requested. Please contact the foundation at 724-437-8600.
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 the final amount to participating nonprofits after Fayette Gives day. This streamlines the processing and reporting, by providing each nonprofit with one payment for their Fayette Gives total.
Q. May my nonprofit 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.
Q. Can my nonprofit use raffles or other games of chance to encourage contributions through Fayette Gives?
No. The IRS rules stipulate that raffles and other games of chance are not eligible for tax deductions, so they are not permitted to be used in relation to Fayette Gives donations.
PAYOUT
Q. When will I know how much my nonprofit raised?
Each participating nonprofit will have a GiveGab account, where they can login and view donations in real time. Nonprofits can track fundraising on their dashboard and export donation reports.
Preliminary results are posted on the Fayette Gives website during Fayette Gives. The Community Foundation of Fayette County will notify participating nonprofits of their totals once all donations are finalized and reconciled. Final results are typically shared by mid-December.
Q. When will my nonprofit receive the donations?
Nonprofits will receive their Fayette Gives distribution via ACH transfer once all donations are finalized and reconciled. Additional monies from match incentives will be included in your nonprofit’s total. The distribution will be made by December 31, accompanied by a notification for your records.
Q. How will donations be distributed?
Final payment is issued by the Community Foundation of Fayette County to each nonprofit via ACH transfer. Payment will include the amount of total donations received during the giving day, net of GiveGab platform use fees and credit card transaction fees, plus the nonprofit's match dollars. The nonprofit is responsible for providing the information necessary to make the ACH transfer.
Q. How can I check the status of donations to my nonprofit?
Each participating nonprofit will have a GiveGab account where they can log in and view donations in real time, helping you to track fundraising progress. Your donation report can be exported from your GiveGab dashboard. Please be sure to calibrate the "Filter by Giving Day or Site" option, as previous years' data is also recorded in your GiveGab account for historical reference.
Q. How does my nonprofit view our donation report?
First, log in to your nonprofit GiveGab dashboard. (You can access your dashboard with the "Login" button in the Fayette Gives website menu.) Once logged in, use the left-side menu to click on "Reports" and then click "Donations". You will see a table with your nonprofit's donations. You can filter this report by donor name or email, donation date, and donation type. *Please note that all of your charity's donations will be included in this report, so you must "Filter by Giving Day or Site" to select the current year's fundraiser. On the bottom left, below the table, click "Export CSV" to export the donation report. The report will be sent via email to the administrator who is logged into the GiveGab account.
"How Do I Read My Donation Report" help article
Q. How will my nonprofit know who made donations to us?
Unless a donor marks themselves as “Super Anonymous”, nonprofits will see a donor’s name, address, email, phone number, and donation amount on the nonprofit dashboard. Please make sure to maintain the anonymity of donors who mark themselves as “Super Anonymous” and do not wish to be publicly acknowledged.
Q. Are there guidelines for how my nonprofit can use Fayette Gives donations?
Yes. Participating nonprofits must confirm that all Fayette Gives monies will be used to benefit Fayette County, PA. Monies are otherwise unrestricted.
ACCESSING YOUR ACCOUNT
Q. How does my nonprofit access our dashboard?
Nonprofits can locate the Menu on the top right corner of the Fayette Gives website, click the arrow for the drop-down options, and click "Log In". Once you log in, you will be on your nonprofit dashboard.
Q. How can I toggle between dashboards for different nonprofits and/or different giving days?
From your Personal or Admin Dashboard of GiveGab, navigate to the dark blue toolbar at the bottom of your page and click the drop down menu next to "Viewing Dashboard". Click on the dashboard you would like to view. See this Support article for more details.
Q. How do I know who has access to my nonprofit's account?
Once logged into your Admin Dashboard, click Manage Organization on the left-side menu. Click Supporters, and then filter the table by the "Full Admin Access" column. See this Support article for more details. For further assistance, call the Community Foundation of Fayette County at 724-437-8600.
Q: Can my nonprofit copy our profile from a previous Fayette Gives?
Yes. Nonprofits who have participated in Fayette Gives, or any giving day with GiveGab/Bonterra, can copy their profile from a previous giving day and edit it for the current giving day. On your Admin Dashboard, you will see a "Giving Days" list. Click on the giving day that you wish to copy your information from, and then click "Copy This Profile". See this help article for more details.
Q: How do I add myself as an administrator to our nonprofit's account?
After you search for your nonprofit's name for registration, you will see a list of the current administrator(s) for the account. If your name is listed, it will prompt you to sign in. If you are not listed, click "Request Access". An email will be sent to the current administrator(s) to approve your request.
If the current administrator(s) is no longer associated with your nonprofit or cannot approve your request, GiveGab requires you to submit a letter to the Support blue chat bubble to request access and provide your contact information. However, you may instead call the Community Foundation of Fayette County for assistance at 724-437-8600.
See this Support article for more details.
Q: How do I add an administrator to our nonprofit's account?
Once logged into your Admin Dashboard, click Manage Organization on the left-side menu. You will see an option to Add an Administrator, with a pop-up window to enter their name and email address. See this Support article for more details.
The individual will receive an automated email with the subject line "You have been added as an administrator to (nonprofit name)." This email contains instructions on how to sign in and access the nonprofit's profile.
Q. How do I remove an administrator from my nonprofit's account?
Once logged into your Admin Dashboard, click Manage Organization on the left-side menu. Click Supporters, and then filter the table by the "Full Admin Access" column. To remove an administrator, click on the icon in the Full Admin Access column to de-select their access. See this Support article to learn more.
ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH
Q. Can my nonprofit use the Fayette Gives logo in promotion/outreach?
Yes. Nonprofits are encouraged to use Fayette Gives logos, graphics, and branding to create consistency across all messaging and build familiarity with the event.
Q. Can our nonprofit edit the Check Contribution Form?
No. Nonprofits may not modify the official Check Contribution Form. This is used as an official document for consistent and efficient data entry. If you have questions, please call the Community Foundation of Fayette County at 724-437-8600.
Q. Can my nonprofit host an event to promote Fayette Gives?
Yes. Nonprofits are encouraged to make Fayette Gives an exciting and engaging day for supporters. Be sure to follow guidelines about avoiding quid pro quo contributions – no goods or services can be provided, or partially provided, in exchange for Fayette Gives donations. All Fayette Gives donations must be made directly from individuals and businesses – collected donations are not accepted. Please call the Community Foundation of Fayette County with any questions at 724-437-8600.