FAQ

Nonprofit FAQ

Q. Which organizations can participate?

Organizations that are verified 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofits that are headquartered or provide services in Herkimer and/or Oneida counties.

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Q. Why should my nonprofit organization participate?

Increase visibility of the important work your organization is doing

Opportunity to engage current and new donors in a creative way

Leverage funds through matches and challenges

Chance at winning cash prizes all day long

Ability to exercise peer-to-peer fundraising, allowing supporters to fundraise on your behalf

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Q. Who is eligible for the cash prizes being awarded throughout the day?

Nonprofit organizations that participate in Mohawk Valley Gives are eligible to win a number of cash prizes being awarded throughout the day. Each prize will have different criteria to win, and some may be time specific during the giving day. We will alert participating organizations once the prize page has been populated.

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Q. What are matches and challenges?

Matches and Challenges are a fantastic way to incentive donors to make a greater impact by supporting your organization. By highlighting a dollar-for-dollar match or unlocking a challenge incentive during your Giving Day, you can take your success to new heights and excite your supporters in the process!

A 'Match', is a pool of funds that was donated from a person or company that is intended to be used to double the amount raised by your organization.

For example, ABC Corp. donated a $5,000 match to XYZ Nonprofit. XYZ Nonprofit will receive $1 from ABC Corp. for each $1 that is donated by supporters. XYZ Nonprofit can now promote this match from ABC Corp. as a chance for donors to double their impact: a $25 gift becomes a $50 gift, a $50 gift becomes $100, and so on.

A "Challenge" is a gift that can be unlocked by meeting a goal. This goal can be measured by total dollars given or total donors engaged.

For example, the XYZ Nonprofit sets a $3,000 fundraising goal for their campaign. ABC Corp. agrees to donate $1,000 dollars once the XYZ Nonprofit reaches their $3,000 goal. As soon as the the organization reaches their goal, ABC Corp's $1,000 donation will be "unlocked"--or released to the nonprofit's donation pool. At GiveGab, this type of challenge is referred to as a "Dollar Challenge." Alternatively, you can also choose to participate in a "Donor Challenge." Instead of setting a dollar amount as a goal, a Donor Challenge is fulfilled and an offline donation is created when a certain number of unique donors have given.

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Q. How will donations be distributed?

Each donation made to a participating nonprofit will be disbursed directly from GiveGab via direct deposit within 5-7 business days. Funds will go directly into a bank account that you will specify following registration. If you have an agency fund through the Community Foundation, you may choose to have donations flow through that fund, and this should be noted on your organization's registration survey. Please email hello@givemv.org for more information about agency funds.

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Q. How can I ensure my organization receives its donations?

In order to receive your donations via ACH transfer, GiveGab 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 will be in touch! After 30 days, if GiveGab hasn't heard from your organization, they will refund your gifts back to your donors.

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Q. What’s in the nonprofit toolkit and where can I find it?

The nonprofit toolkit is full of helpful resources to make your giving day campaign a success. You’ll find recorded training sessions, a communications planning guide, tips for engaging peer-to-peer fundraisers and board members, sample social media and email content, as well as graphics to pair with them. The toolkit can be found in the main menu on givemv.org.

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Q. What if I have questions setting up my profile?

We’re here to help! If you have specific questions about setting up your giving day profile, you can always click the blue icon in the bottom right corner to ask the GiveGab team a question. Alternatively, you may also reach out to the Mohawk Valley Gives team at hello@givemv.org

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Q. Is Mohawk Valley Gives right for all nonprofits?

Only your organization can determine if this online giving event is right for you. To make the most of Mohawk Valley Gives, you’ll need to make sure your organization has someone who can dedicate their time to this effort, donors and staff who are comfortable working in an online environment, and that timing does not conflict with other organization initiatives.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 (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 platform.

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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

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