There are two sections to these FAQs: General information and information specific to nonprofits who wish to participate.
GENERAL INFORMATION
What is SC Give?
SC Give is a 24-hour online giving event organized by the Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation (SCAF) to foster and promote philanthropy in the Stanwood-Camano community.
How Does SC Give Work?
It's pretty simple. For 24 hours on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, you can review the profiles of a variety of different projects serving the Stanwood Camano area and donate to as many of them as you would like in a single transaction.
Why should I give on Giving Tuesday through www.scgive.org?
Your gift made through the SC Give website during the 24 hour event will help participating nonprofits qualify for prizes that will be offered throughout the event. The prizes are listed on our prize page (subject to change).
Is there a minimum or maximum donation?
The minimum donation amount is $10. There is no maximum donation. All gifts made on www.scgive.org are non-refundable.
Can I give to more than one project?
YES! You can make donations to as many participating projects as you'd like in a "shopping cart" type of experience and "check out" with a single transaction.
How much of my donation goes to the nonprofit?
100% of your donation goes to your chosen project(s). The credit card processing fees are being covered by the Donna J. & Charles T. Cole Charitable Foundation, which means nothing is deducted from your donation. SCAF charges NO FEES to participants.
Your online donation will also make the project(s) you select eligible to receive various prizes throughout the day, potentially increasing the value of your donation significantly.
Does the Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation receive any portion of the donations?
No. The Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation does not charge any fees to organizations to participate, nor does it take any percentage of the donations. All funds to cover the expense of hosting this event are donated by sponsors or come out of the SCAF community impact budget.
What will this website do?
This site will provide a profile of each participating project with links to the sponsoring nonprofit organization. It will also provide a progress bar that shows the progress toward our overall event goal in real time. In addition, there will be a leaderboard that gives an at-a-glance update in real time of activity taking place on each project on the day of the Event. Individual project listings will also have a goal bar on their project page that shows their fundraising goal for the Event and the real time progress toward their goal.
The site also provides a secure platform for online donations, and gives donors the ability to immediately download and print their donation receipt for tax purposes.
When will SC Give take place?
SC Give is a 24-hour #GivingTuesday event that takes place each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. For 2023, it will take place on November 28, from midnight to midnight. All event-related donations must be made online at www.scgive.org during that 24-hour period to be eligible for prizes and matching funds.
Who created SC Give?
SC Give is a #GivingTuesday event for the local Stanwood Camano community. #GivingTuesday is a movement that was started in 2012 to create an international day of giving at the beginning of the holiday season. The Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation, with the help of several local nonprofit organizations, introduced the event locally with a pilot program in 2015. SCAF created the online giving platform at www.scgive.org for the event. SCAF’s mission is to foster and promote a culture of philanthropy in the Stanwood-Camano area by connecting people who care with causes that matter. SCAF works with local nonprofits, donors, and corporations to secure prize funds. For more information about the Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation, visit www.s-caf.org.
Is SC Give also a national day of giving?
Yes, it is. A national effort called #GivingTuesday was introduced 2012, which, among other things, encourages community foundations around the country to host giving days on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It's actually a global event now! www.givingtuesday.org
Who can make a donation during SC Give?
Anyone with a credit or debit card can make a donation to a community project profiled on www.scgive.org on Giving Tuesday. Some participating nonprofits will also host open houses on that day. These organizations along with their location will be announced each year on the website. Donations by cash or check can be made for any project at any organization hosting an open house.
How can I make a donation?
On November 28, starting at midnight and for the next 24 hours, go to www.scgive.org and use your credit or debit card to donate to as many projects listed on the website as you'd like. Participating projects will have a donation page on www.scgive.org where you can choose the amount you want to donate from $10 on up.
Will you accept any "offline" donations?
"Offline" donations can be made by check, either directly to the participating nonprofit organization or to SCAF (Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation). If made to SCAF, be sure to include a clear indication of which project(s) the donation is for. Donations will be directed to the nonprofit of your choice. Offline donations will not be eligible for prizes.
Is my gift tax deductible?
Donations made through SC Give are 100% tax deductible. You will be able to immediately download and print your donation receipt after your transaction is completed. Please save this receipt for your records, as no other donation receipt will be provided. You will also receive an e-mail confirmation of your donation along with login information so you can print your receipt at a later time if you are making a mobile donation or do not have access to a printer at the time of the donation.
Is my gift eligible for employer matching?
Yes! When submitting your donation information to your employer, be sure to list the Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation as the recipient of your donation since SCAF is the fiscal sponsor for this event. SCAF will be notified by your employer and asked to verify the donation date and amount. When SCAF receives the funds (which can take up to six months) they will be distributed on a pro-rated basis to whatever projects you originally supported. For example, if you donated $100 to Project 1 and $100 to Project 2, and your employer matched 50% of the total donation amount and sends us $100, we will distribute 50% to Project 1 and 50% to Project 2.
What if I can’t find my favorite nonprofit on SC Give site?
If your favorite nonprofit does not have a profile on the SC Give site, then you cannot use www.scgive.org to donate to them. Please encourage them to participate in the future!
Can I make a donation using my phone or tablet?
Yes. Our technology is optimized for mobile devices that will make it easy to make a gift on www.scgive.org using your smart phone or tablet.
Is my gift safe and secure?
Yes. The www.scgive.org website is completely secure. Your checkout data is fully encrypted when entered on the scgive.org site. In addition, the site interfaces directly with PayPal merchant services, which is also secure, for the actual credit card processing (no PayPal account is required). No credit card records are stored on the site or retained by SCAF in any way.
Do you sell my personal information?
No. We only share your contact information with the nonprofit you have donated to.
Beyond a donation, how can I support my favorite nonprofit on this day?
Spread the word among your own friends and networks about SC Give and the good work nonprofits do in our community. Share Facebook posts and encourage your network to donate. Your favorite nonprofit may also have an online media campaign or other ideas to promote the day.
How will I be recognized as a donor?
Your donation receipt, which you can download and print immediately after your transaction, will indicate which nonprofit(s) your donation will be directed toward. You will also receive an immediate e-mail acknowledgement from SCAF of your donation, along with login information to view and print your receipt at a later date if you so desire. Your chosen nonprofits will be given your contact information after the event so they can personally thank you and let you know how your donation will make a difference.
Does it cost anything to give on www.scgive.org?
NO! 100% of your donation will go to the project(s) you identify. All credit card processing fees that would normally be deducted prior to the distribution of funds are being donated by the Donna J. and Charles T. Cole Charitable Foundation.
How will my donation be used?
Funds raised through SC Give will be used for programs and projects that directly benefit the Stanwood-Camano community. Funds are restricted use and cannot be used as general operating funds by the receiving organization. They will be used specifically for the projects identified.
INFORMATION FOR NONPROFITS
What organizations are eligible to participate in SC Give?
All participants will be either public agencies (such as schools) or 501(c)(3) public charities that are in compliance with IRS 990 requirements, and all will have registered and received training on how to participate in SC Give. Charitable status of participants is confirmed by the Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation so you can rest assured your donation is going to a reputable local organization. 501(c)(8) and 501(c)(19) organizations may also apply, but must adhere to IRS mandated expenditure responsibility requirements for non 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Applicants should download and review these additional participation requirements before submitting an application.
Why should my organization participate?
A better question is "why wouldn't a nonprofit organization participate?" Participation in SC Give is free. It's a tool, and like any tool, it is as effective as you want to make it. A nonprofit can invest as little or as much time, energy, and resources in promoting the event to its supporters and potential supports as it wants. The more the group invests, the more return it will see through SC Give. But even if a nonprofit invests very little, it will probably still receive some funding through SC Give.
Additionally, SC Give is your opportunity to:
- raise awareness about your organization
- reach new donors
- build your online fundraising skills
Your organization is also eligible to receive prize funds during the event. There is really no reason not to participate.
What is required for organizations to participate? Is there a fee?
There is no fee for your organization to participate. There is a minimal number of volunteer hours expected by participants to help make the overall event successful.
How much of the donations go to my organization?
100% of the donations made to your project go to your organization. Credit card processing fees are being covered by the Donna J. and Charles T. Cole Charitable Foundation. The Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation does not deduct any portion of your donations to cover event costs. Those costs are covered by the generosity of sponsors and through the SCAF community impact budget.
Can we win more than one incentive prize?
Yes! See our prize page for more information.
How can I help make the day a success for my organization and our community?
Once you have been approved to participate there will be two workshops to attend that will help you make this event a success for your organization. You will also receive a planning guide to help you plan your promotional strategy.
If you are not currently on social media, set up accounts for your organization now, as this will be a major promotional source.
Can my organization host a special event?
Yes! The more you do to promote your participation in SC Give, the more your organization will benefit.
Can we encourage donations by giving away prizes or free gifts?
All donations made during SC Give must be 100% tax deductible. You cannot offer donors something of value in exchange for making their donation. The fair market value of all benefits received in connection with a donation may not be more than 2% of the donation, or $50, whichever is less. That means if someone gives a $100 donation, they cannot receive anything valued over $2.00 in return.
If the donation is $25 or more you can give out token items such as bookmarks, calendars, key chains, mugs, posters, tee shirts, etc. that bear your organization’s name or logo. In other words, you must follow the IRS rules for Quid Pro Quo contributions, which can be found here:
When will my organization receive its SC Give donations?
You will receive all donations, matching funds, and prize money in a single disbursement by December 31st (assuming all post-event requirements have been fulfilled). All disbursements will be made by check.
What if the amount my nonprofit expected based on the initial SC Give results does not match the final disbursement?
Although each nonprofit will be able to see the donations received in real time, please be aware that reconciliation must be completed and, even though gifts are considered nonrefundable, a donation can be revoked for a variety of reasons from the time of receipt to the time of disbursement. For example, someone makes a donation but there is a glitch in the website and it appears the donation did not go through, so they make it again. If we see a duplicate donation we will contact the donor to be sure it was intentional and not an accident. If it was accidental, we will refund the the extra donation. Be aware that donations showing on the leaderboard cannot be considered final until you receive the actual disbursement and donor report from the Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation.
Does my organization need to send donation receipts for online donations?
No. In fact, it is illegal for participating organizations to send a donation receipt. The Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of this event and all donation receipts for online donations come from us. The donor will be able to download their receipt directly from the website immediately after making their donation. They will also receive an email acknowledging the donation and giving them login information to download the receipt at a later date if needed. Note that all donations must be 100% tax deductible (no additional benefits).
Does my organization need to send donation receipts for donations made by cash or check?
Organizations who host open houses on Giving Tuesday may receive direct donations by cash or check. In those cases, your organization will be responsible for issuing the donation receipt. However, if a donor attending an open house wants to give to more than one organization, the donor check should be made out to SCAF, and SCAF will issue the donation receipt.
Does my organization need to send anything to donors after their donation?
Yes. You are required to follow-up with donors with some type of personal thank-you for their donation prior to funds being distributed. This thank-you should not be in the form of a donation receipt unless it is for a check made out specifically to your organization and the distribution did not come through SCAF. Please note that it is illegal for organizations to issue a donation receipt directly to the donor for funds that were donated on the scgive.org website or for any donations that were receipted by SCAF.
Will my organization receive donor information for acknowledgments?
Yes. You will receive a report that gives complete donor information including name, address, e-mail address, and the amount of donation.
What if I still have questions about SC Give?
Contact Natalie Hagglund, Director of Operations of the Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation by phone at (360) 474-7086 or email natalie@s-caf.org