Rules and Frequently Asked Questions

 

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

How do I know if my organization is eligible to participate?

All organizations that are recognized as a 501(c)3 Public Charity and who file an IRS form 990 or 990 postcard (except private foundations who file a 990-PF) and serve the populations of Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison and Rappahannock counties are eligible to participate in the Give Local Piedmont campaign. Organizations must be in good standing with the IRS and with the general public.

All participating organizations must complete registration by March 3, 2017 to be eligible.

Is there a cost for my nonprofit to participate?

There is no charge to register your organization. However, credit card fees and transaction fees will be deducted from the donations received by each nonprofit. Organizations receiving $1,000 or more in total donations will also be charged a 2% administrative fee. Participation in Give Local Piedmont training sessions is free. Attendance is not mandatory but highly recommended this year because there is a new platform and we will review all the expanded capabilities at our training sessions.  If you cannot attend consider sending someone from your organization.

Are donations restricted to a certain purpose?

No, all monies raised during Give Local Piedmont are unrestricted funds.

Is there a size limit on gifts?

The minimum gift is $10. There is no maximum amount.

How will a donor receive acknowledgement of their gift?

A tax receipt will be automatically emailed to a donor using the email address provided when the transaction was submitted. Upon completion of Give Local Piedmont, your organization will receive the contact information for each of your donors, unless the donor requested that the contribution remain anonymous.

How much of the donation will go to my nonprofit?

All donations will be paid directly to you minus a credit card processing fee of 2.5% and a 3% Civicore processing fee plus 30 cents for each transaction. Organizations receiving $1,000 or more in total donations will also have a 2% administrative fee deducted by NPCF. The 2% admin fee will support marketing and advertising materials for Give Local Piedmont and will remain in the Give Local Piedmont budget.

Will I receive the contact information for donors to my organization?

Yes. All donor contact information received during Give Local Piedmont will be sent to the respective organizations unless the donor has requested anonymity.

Is this a fundraiser for the Community Foundation?

No. The information collected will not be used to create a solicitation listfor the Community Foundation. We will maintain the information to invite all participants to complete an event survey. Donors will be given the opportunity to opt-in to receive further communications from the Community Foundation should they so choose.

How can I make sure this is a success for my organization?

The more you put into your efforts, the more successful your campaign will be. There will be a resources tab with materials to assist you in your efforts as well as free training sessions that will help you maximize how much you raise on May 2. If your organization is small and you lack people power, the Resource Center with PATH may be able to help with volunteers.  Additionally, some of the larger nonprofits will work with you to help your organization succeed in Give Local Piedmont.  Call us early and we will help.

Who should attend the training sessions?

The training will focus primarily on how to market your campaign, particularly through social media as well as general fundraising training. Therefore, whoever will be in charge of your Give Local Piedmont campaign, and/or oversees the marketing and/or communications in your office should attend. You may also wish for your development officer and/or Board members to attend.

When and where will the training sessions be located?

Information regarding the training sessions will be available through your organization profile portal or also by emailing assistant@npfc.org.

When will I receive the money donated?

Each nonprofit will receive the money they raised during Give Local Piedmont within approximately 60 days after the event (late June or early July). This includes any applicable prize grants and any bonus monies, minus the credit card processing fees and transaction fees.

 

DONATIONS

What organizations are participating in Give Local Piedmont?

All participating organizations are recognized as a 501(c)3 Public Charity and are required to file an IRS form 990 (or 990 postcard for smaller organizations) and serve the populations of Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison and Rappahannock counties. Private foundations who file a 990-PF are not eligible. All organizations must be in good standing with the IRS and with the general public.

Who can donate?

Anyone with a credit or debit card and access to the Internet.

Are checks and cash accepted?

While the purpose of the online giving day is to encourage the use of secure and easy online philanthropy, we understand that some will prefer to donate via check. Checks will be counted towards an organization’s final donation total, however only online donations are eligible to compete for prizes.

Checks must be made out to the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation, with the designated charity written in the memo line. Checks will be accepted only at designated locations in the four counties between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.:  Union Bank and Trust Lobby on Main Street in Culpeper, the Northern Piedmont office in the basement of the BB&T bank, Main Street in Warrenton,  Skyline Cap, Inc. on Main St. in Madison and Cheri Woodard Realty on Main Street in Sperryville, Rappahannock County.  The cut-off time for checks is 5:00 p.m. in the four counties. Checks not made out to NPCF or delivered after 5:00 p.m. will not count in the Give Local Piedmont total.   If a donor is giving to more than one nonprofit, each donation should be a separate check.

We are unable accept cash.

How do I make a donation?

On Tuesday, May 2, 2017, go to www.givelocalpiedmont.org and type in the name of the nonprofit(s) to which you want to give. If you are looking for a charity to support, you can search by category. Your chosen nonprofit will have a donation page on www.givelocalpiedmont.org where you can choose the amount you want to donate from $10 on up. New this year: donors can schedule their donations up to one week ahead of the event, beginning April 25th.

What forms of payment are accepted?

All donations must be made via debit card or credit card through www.givelocalpiedmont.org.  MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express will be accepted.

While the purpose of the online giving day is to encourage the use of secure and easy online philanthropy, we understand that some will prefer to donate via check. Checks will be counted towards an organization’s final donation total, but only online donations are eligible to compete for prizes.

Checks must be made out to the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation, with the designated charity written in the memo line. Checks will be accepted only at designated locations in the four counties between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.:  Union Bank and Trust Lobby on Main Street in Culpeper, the Northern Piedmont office in the basement of the BB&T bank, Main Street in Warrenton,  Skyline Cap, Inc. on Main St. in Madison and Cheri Woodard Realty on Main Street in Sperryville, Rappahannock County.  The cut-off time for checks is 5:00 p.m. in the four counties. Checks not made out to NPCF or delivered after 5:00 p.m. will not count in the Give Local Piedmont total.   If a donor is giving to more than one nonprofit, each donation should be a separate check.

We are unable accept cash.

Are donations tax-deductible?

All donations are tax deductible and irrevocable and will be for the unrestricted use of your chosen charity.  See additional information on tax receipts. Your receipt will say “Give Local Piedmont” on it and funds will go through the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation. Funds are then disbursed to your chosen charities.

Is my donation safe and secure?

Yes.  The Give Local Piedmont website is powered by Civicore, and is a secure PCI Level 1 compliant site for donating to your favorite charities. You can be sure your personal information is protected when you donate through www.givelocalpiedmont.org

How will my email address and personal information be used?

Email addresses will only be used to transmit electronic tax receipt(s) for donations made through Give Local Piedmont, as well as a post-event survey.

Unless you choose to give anonymously, your name, email address and billing address will be shared with the organization(s) to which your donations will be credited.  The Community Foundation does not retain credit card information and your personal data will not be shared with or sold to any outside vendors or third parties.

Can I authorize a third party to submit a donation on my behalf?

Each donor who enters their own credit card information directly on www.givelocalpiedmont.org is entering his/her data into a secure web portal.  Sponsors of Give Local Piedmont assume no liability for credit/debit card information provided by the donor to a third party (e.g. organization staff member or volunteer).

Is there a minimum donation amount?

The minimum gift is $10.  There is no maximum dollar amount per gift or maximum dollar amount per charity.

What is a "unique donation"?

Certain prizes will be awarded to organizations based on the number of unique gifts of $10 or more.  A unique donation is defined as one gift of $10 or more to one organization from one donor.  Multiple donations made by the same donor to different organizations will count as a unique gift to each organization. Donations from different people in the same household will count as unique gifts.

What forms of payment are NOT accepted?

Donations via cash, stock, or grants from donor advised funds will not be accepted.  Gifts received directly by the charity during the giving event do not count towards Give Local Piedmont.

In order for gifts to count in Give Local Piedmont contest, they must be made through the Give Local Piedmont portal and ONLY on May 2, 2017.

Can I make my donation over the phone?

No.  The Community Foundation will not enter gifts on behalf of a donor and therefore will not accept donations by phone.  If you choose to use your smart phone, go to www.givelocalpiedmont.org to enter your own credit or debit card donation.  Local library staff in each county will be able to assist donors who do not have access to a computer at home or at work.

May I designate how a nonprofit uses my donation?

All donations will be granted for unrestricted use by the chosen nonprofits.

Can I make a gift in memory or honor of someone?

Yes. This information will be provided to your designated charity, unless you choose to make your gift anonymously.

Does the Community Foundation accept employer-matching gifts for Give Local Piedmont?

Gifts made during Give Local Piedmont are not eligible for corporate employee matching.

How will I be recognized as a donor?

Unless you indicated that you prefer to remain anonymous, your name will be provided to the nonprofit and may appear in print and electronic donor listings.

Does it cost anything to give on www.givelocalpiedmont.org?

There is no fee to you as a donor nor is there a fee for a nonprofit to participate in the giving event. Credit card fees and transaction and administrative fees are deducted from the donations received. Donors will receive an immediate thank you and tax receipt for 100% of their donation. As detailed below, there are standard credit card and service fees associated with Give Local Piedmont, which will be withheld from the final disbursement to nonprofit organizations.

What are the fees on donations made through www.givelocalpiedmont.org during Give Local Piedmont?

All donations will be paid directly to you minus a credit card processing fee of 2.5% and a 3% Civicore processing fee plus 30 cents for each transaction. Organizations receiving $1,000 or more in total donations will also have a 2% administrative fee deducted by NPCF. The 2% admin fee will support marketing and advertising materials for Give Local Piedmont and will remain in the Give Local Piedmont budget.

How will the donation(s) appear on my credit card statement?

Your credit card statement will read: GIVE LOCAL PIEDMONT

Will I receive a tax receipt for my donation(s)?

Yes. All donors will receive an immediate acknowledgement and tax receipt via the email address that was provided at the time of the donation(s) from The Northern Piedmont Community Foundation, which you should print out for your records.

How do I record this tax-deductible donation on my tax return?

For tax reporting purposes, your donation, which you designated to a specific nonprofit, was made to The Northern Piedmont Community Foundation as noted on your receipt.  When entering your donation(s) on an itemized tax return, please enter the following as the charitable recipient:

Northern Piedmont Community Foundation, PO Box 5, Culpeper, VA 22701

How can I request another copy of my tax receipt?

Following the event, you may request another copy of your tax receipt by going to www.givelocalpiedmont.org and clicking on ‘Request a Copy of Your Tax Receipt’. You will then enter the email address that was provided at the time of the donation.

REFUNDS

If you have discovered an error with your donation during the event, it is important to notify Donor Services at the Community Foundation as soon as possible.  They may be contacted at 540-349-0631 or donorservices@npcf.org. Please see details below regarding refund requests.

What happens when an individual makes a donation to the wrong organization?

During the event: Upon notification by the donor, the Community Foundation will consider issuing a refund when the donation was inadvertently directed to the wrong organization.

After the event: The Community Foundation releases all Give Local Piedmont gifts to the participating nonprofits on or about July 1st. Refund requests after this date are at the Foundation’s sole discretion.

What happens if an individual donates the wrong amount?

During the event: If the donor informs us of the error the same day, we are able to void the transaction and the donor will have the opportunity to resubmit their donation.

After the event: If we are informed after the event has ended, we will consider issuing a refund up to 60 days following the date of the gift.

Who do I contact if I still have questions?

Jane Bowling-Wilson, Executive Director, jbwilson@npcf.org

Tanya Paull, Project Manager, tpaull@npcf.org

Brittany Dwyer, Donor Services Administrator, assistant@npcf.org

540.349.0631