FAQs
Got questions about Abilene Gives? We've got the answers. Check out our list of frequently asked questions below.
For immediate assistance, please use the blue chat bubble located in the right-hand corner of your screen to connect with a GiveGab representative. All other inquiries can be sent to info@cfabilene.org.
General FAQs
Q. What is Abilene Gives?
Abilene Gives is a 12-hour online giving event from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 7, 2024, to raise money and awareness for nonprofits serving Abilene and surrounding areas. Abilene Gives is an initiative powered by the Community Foundation of Abilene and its donors.
Q. When is Abilene Gives?
Abilene Gives is May 7, 2024 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Q. How does it work?
On May 7, anyone can go to abilenegives.org and donate to any of the participating nonprofit organizations listed on the website. All nonprofits featured on the site serve and operate in Abilene and/or the surrounding communities. The goal is to inspire a culture of local philanthropy in the Abilene region by connecting people to causes that matter to them.
FAQs for Donors
Q. What is Early Giving?
Early Giving is from April 29 to May 7 at 8 a.m., giving donors the option of making their donations at abilenegives.org in advance of the giving day. These gifts will not be reflected in the nonprofit totals until the actual giving day on May 7 at 8 a.m.
Q. What are the minimum and maximum donation amounts?
The minimum donation is $10. There is no maximum. However, individual donations greater than $10,000 will only be eligible for the amplification up to the first $10,000. You can give to as many of the participating nonprofits as you would like.
Q. Are donations tax-deductible?
Yes! Donations made during Abilene Gives are 100% eligible for a tax deduction. Online donors will immediately receive an email receipting the donation from GiveGab on behalf of the nonprofit. Nonprofit organizations will be responsible for acknowledging offline gifts they receive through their standard procedures.
GiveGab is the vendor chosen by the Community Foundation of Abilene to process this day's activities.
Q. Are there transaction fees?
Every donation is assessed a 5.5% + $0.30 fee by GiveGab. This includes:
- A 3% GiveGab platform fee
- A 2.5% + $0.30 credit card processing fee
Donors always have the option to cover these fees on behalf of the organization they are donating to. Around 80% of Abilene Gives donors did so in 2023.
The Community Foundation of Abilene does not retain any portion of the fees assessed by GiveGab. The entirety of a donor's gift goes directly to their chosen nonprofit organization, less any uncovered processing fees.
★ If you make a donation of at least $100, you can save on fees by choosing to pay directly via your bank account. Donors who choose this option will pay a 3% GiveGab fee rate and a flat rate fee of $3. ★
Q. What forms of payment are accepted?
We strongly encourage you to make donations online at abilenegives.org using a credit card, debit card, or bank draft. Please note that your financial institution may have additional verification steps (potentially creating processing delays) if you are making multiple online donations on the giving day. If cash or check is your preferred option, arrangements must be made to deliver your offline gift to the nonprofit on or before the giving day.
Note: These offline gifts are not eligible for prizes, but are included in amplification. Only online gifts made at abilenegives.org will qualify for prize contests, which are opportunities throughout the day for nonprofits to win bonus money.
Q: How do I prepare my gift if made by check?
Checks should be made payable to the nonprofit organization with "Abilene Gives" on the memo line. Gifts by check, including cash, must be delivered to the nonprofit on or before the giving day.
Q. Are donations safe and secure?
Absolutely. Abilene Gives utilizes a technology partner called GiveGab. GiveGab takes the highest security measures to ensure your information is protected. We've partnered with Stripe as our payment processor and underwriter for nonprofit verification, which is a PCI Service Provider Level 1 – the most stringent level of certification possible. In addition, GiveGab forces HTTPS to ensure a secure connection whenever you are on a GiveGab site. GiveGab takes the security of its admins, donors, and volunteers very seriously. The contact information you provide to the Abilene Gives website will remain private and secure.
Q. How do online donations appear on my bank statements?
The minimum donation is $10, and you can give to as many of the participating nonprofits as you like. Charges will appear as "BonterraTech." Bonterra (or "GiveGab") is the vendor chosen by Community Foundation of Abilene to process this day's activities.
Q. Will my donation to a nonprofit during Abilene Gives be designated for a specific purpose?
When you donate to a specific organization during Abilene Gives, the gift will be restricted to that nonprofit and will not be given to any other organization. Nonprofit profiles will describe the organization's mission and may also indicate how the organization intends to use the donations it receives during Abilene Gives. Still, it is difficult to specify an exact designation for a donation during the giving day.
Q. Can I donate before May 7?
Yes! Early Giving is from April 29 to May 7 at 8 a.m., giving donors the option of making their donations at abilenegives.org in advance of the giving day. These gifts will not be reflected in the nonprofit totals until the actual giving day on May 7 at 8 a.m.
Q. Does the Foundation endorse each participating nonprofit organization?
The Community Foundation of Abilene does verify the charitable status of every organization that participates in Abilene Gives but does not screen or select organizations on the basis of their charitable purposes or their missions. Eligibility is based on providing services in our area and an organization's status as a recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity. Therefore, approval of an organization’s participation does not constitute an endorsement of the organization or its mission by the Community Foundation of Abilene or any of its supporters.
Each organization's page provides the organization's mission, not detailed information on all of its programs. For additional research, each organization's page also includes a link to its website to provide you with more detailed information. We encourage donors to do their own research to determine if an organization is in ethical and missional alignment with his or her values.
FAQs for Nonprofits
Q. Why should a nonprofit participate in Abilene Gives?
Abilene Gives is a fundraising and awareness tool that is as effective as you are willing to make it. Nonprofits have an opportunity to raise money, increase their donor bases, and learn how to use online and social media tools to enhance public outreach. Participating nonprofits also have opportunities during the giving day to win bonus money from prize contests, and all eligible donations are amplified with a percentage of money from an amplification pool provided by sponsors.
Q. Which organizations are eligible to participate?
Eligible nonprofits include verified 501(c)(3) public charities that are either headquartered in Abilene, Texas and the surrounding area and/or provide substantial services to Abilene and immediate surrounding areas. For nonprofit organizations that do not have a mailing address in the Abilene area, the Community Foundation of Abilene will make a case-by-case determination regarding whether or not the nonprofit provides "substantial services" and qualifies for Abilene Gives.
The Community Foundation of Abilene reserves the right to pull or withdraw any participating agency (at any stage of participation in the campaign) for any reason deemed necessary by the Foundation Board of Trustees. Any/all decisions to withdraw a participating nonprofit organization will be communicated with the organization as timely as possible.
Q. How do nonprofits get involved in Abilene Gives?
Nonprofits can register to participate from January 31 through April 9. Just go to abilenegives.org during the open dates to register. Registration fees have structured increases leading up to the giving day.
Q. What are the open dates for registration?
Nonprofit early bird registration is from January 31-February 29, 2024. Regular registration is from March 1-31, 2024. Late registration is available after April 1 through April 9, 2024, with an added late fee.
Q. What is the cost to participate in Abilene Gives?
Q: How much of the donation goes to the nonprofit?
Every donation is assessed a 5.5% + $0.30 fee by GiveGab. This includes:
- A 3% GiveGab platform fee
- A 2.5% + $0.30 credit card processing fee
Donors always have the option to cover these fees on behalf of your organization, and around 80% of Abilene Gives donors did so in 2023.
The Community Foundation of Abilene does not retain any portion of the fees assessed by GiveGab. The entirety of a donor's gift goes directly to their chosen nonprofit organization, less any uncovered processing fees.
Q. What giving day details are confirmed this year?
- Abilene Gives Day is a 12-hour live event, taking place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST.
- The giving day will be held on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.
(Note: Early giving is from April 29 to May 7 at 8 a.m., giving donors the option of making their donations at abilenegives.org in advance of the giving day. These gifts will not be reflected in the nonprofit totals until the actual giving day on May 7 at 8 a.m.)
- Nonprofit organizations will need to register through Stripe to accept online donations and later receive them directly to the organization's bank account.
- Nonprofit organizations will need to enter their own offline donations of checks and cash through the GiveGab portal and will be required to submit verification to the Foundation. The form will be emailed to plewis@cfabilene.org.
Q: Why do you require date of birth and the last four digits of the nonprofit administrator's Social Security number for a nonprofit's donation payouts?
As an online platform that collects, processes, and distributes money in the form of donations from supporters to organizations, GiveGab must abide by the rules, regulations, and compliance laws of the United States. In particular, they are required to verify that the individual registering an organization to collect donations is authorized to do so and is who they say they are. Additionally, GiveGab needs to verify that the organization is a legitimately registered corporation.
Collecting this information helps GiveGab streamline donation processing and payouts with their underlying processor (Stripe) and the financial institutions that Stripe works with.
More importantly, there is a duty to GiveGab users. When donors choose to support a cause with a monetary gift, it is essential that they trust that their donation is going where they expect it to go. You can read a full explanation here, including how this information is stored.
Q. How will online donations made directly through the Abilene Gives site go to our organization?
Participants are strongly encouraged to make their donation online at abilenegives.org by credit card, debit card, or bank draft. This is the preferred method of giving during Abilene Gives. Organizations will receive proceeds from online donations within five to seven business days via direct deposit as long as bank routing and account information have been verified by GiveGab. GiveGab uses a PCI Service Provider Level I compliant payment service to ensure that all financial data is secure.
Deposits will appear as "BonterraTech." Bonterra (or "GiveGab") is the vendor chosen by Community Foundation of Abilene to process this day's activities.
Q: How will offline donations via check or cash go to our organization?
If cash or check is a donor's preferred option, it must be delivered directly to the nonprofit organization. The organization receiving the offline gift of cash or check will be responsible for (1) entering the gift in the GiveGab portal and (2) acknowledging the tax-deductible gift.
To be included in a nonprofit's giving day total and eligible for amplification funds, the following procedures must be followed:
- The check must be dated between April 1 and May 7, 2024.
- The check must be entered by the organization in the GiveGab portal on or before 8 p.m. May 7, 2024.
- The check must have "Abilene Gives" on the memo line.
- All offline checks must be deposited by May 15, 2024.
- Organizations will manually enter the information for each offline check into the admin portal on the GiveGab site. Once entered, those gifts will be reflected on the site.
Q: How are offline donations via check or cash verified?
Offline gifts will be subject to verification by the Foundation. Each nonprofit will be required to submit a verification form provided by the Foundation with copies of checks by May 15, 2024, to receive amplification dollars. During this verification process, the Foundation may request additional information as deemed necessary. Prizes, amplification funds, and the ability for your organization to participate in Abilene Gives in future years may be revoked if discrepancies are encountered during the verification process.
Email your completed verification form to Patrick Lewis at plewis@cfabilene.org.
Q: Are there situations where the Foundation may accept offline gifts for our organization?
There may be instances when offline gifts via check or cash are processed by the Community Foundation of Abilene. The Foundation may process gifts for your organization in these select circumstances:
- Donor-advised funds held at the Community Foundation of Abilene.
- A donor providing one check that will be split between multiple organizations.
Any funds received by the Foundation will be issued a tax acknowledgement by the Foundation.
Q: How and when will my nonprofit organization receive my prize earnings and amplification funds?
With Stripe registration you will receive the proceeds from online donations within five business days. Earnings from (1) donor-advised funds, (2) earned bonus prizes, and/or (3) amplification funds, are dispersed from the Foundation by check within 60 days.
Q. Do nonprofits need to issue acknowledgment letters and tax receipts to their Giving Day donors?
An automatic confirmation and tax receipt will be emailed to the donor from GiveGab if the donation was made online. If your organization received and entered a donor’s offline gift of cash or check, you will be required to send a tax receipt. In the select circumstances that the Foundation received and entered a donor’s gift on your giving page, the Foundation will send a tax receipt.
Regardless of how the funds were received, your organization is highly encouraged to send a prompt and thoughtful "thank you" to each donor. Each donor that supports your organization should be treated as an individual to thank and steward into the future.
Q. How does an organization know who has donated and how much they gave?
Participating nonprofits can access their donor report through their GiveGab administrator dashboard. All donor contact info will be available through the nonprofit’s dashboard unless the donor requested to remain anonymous.
Q. What is a "unique donor"?
For the purposes of awarding prizes, a unique donor is one individual or corporation/business. Multiple donations from one donor to the same nonprofit will count as one donor. Organizations cannot donate to themselves.
Q. How will a donor be recognized?
Online donors will receive an immediate confirmation and tax receipt from GiveGab via email. Donors will also appear on abilenegives.org when they make an online gift unless they choose to be anonymous. Gifts made in-person or offline will receive a tax receipt from the nonprofit organization if they received the gift and from the Foundation in the select circumstances that the Foundation received the gift. It is a good idea for nonprofits to thank donors in their own personalized way for every gift received.
Q. Is there a limit to the amount that a nonprofit can receive during Abilene Gives?
No limits!
Although, individual donations greater than $10,000 will only be eligible for the amplification up to the first $10,000.
Q: Are offline donations via check or cash eligible for prizes?
Offline gifts are not eligible for prizes; however, offline gifts are eligible for amplification funds. For an explanation of bonus prizes and amplification funds, please see the questions below.
Q: How do nonprofit organizations earn bonus prizes?
Proceeds toward the bonus prizes allocated during the giving day are generously donated by community partners and sponsors. These bonus prizes are awarded to registered nonprofits either by random selection or meeting the specific contest criteria for that prize. Organizations cannot donate to themselves to generate prizes, match/challenge dollars, or amplification fund earnings. See the prize page for details. Information on the social media contests can be found here: https://bit.ly/443qztZ.
Q: Can nonprofits offer prizes or entry into a drawing for their Abilene Gives donors?
While this is a good idea to incentivize giving, it's not allowed. When donors give to a nonprofit through Abilene Gives, they get an immediate tax deduction of their full gift amount. However, if they win something of cash value as a result of their giving, they've then just received what the IRS considers a "benefit," which is not allowed. Nonprofits have a great opportunity to be creative in thanking and acknowledging their Abilene Gives donors, but offering prizes (or even chances to win a prize) violates IRS guidelines.
Q. What are amplification funds?
Amplification funds are gifts that have been raised by the Community Foundation of Abilene and are intended to “amplify” the totals of participating nonprofits. They are not a dollar-for-dollar match but do increase the total each nonprofit receives. A nonprofit’s online and offline gifts are eligible for amplification earnings (but only if entered through the GiveGab portal). After the completion of Abilene Gives at 8 p.m. CT, the Community Foundation of Abilene will determine each nonprofit’s proportionate share of the amplification funds. This is based on the percentage each nonprofit raises divided by the overall giving day’s total. For example, if a nonprofit raises $25,000 and the collective giving day total is $500,000, the nonprofit would be eligible for 5% of the amplification funds ($25,000 / $500,000 = 5%). If the overall amplification funds raised were $100,000, the nonprofit would receive 5% (or $5,000) of the total amplification funds.
For additional help about Abilene Gives or the Community Foundation of Abilene, please reach out to one of these Community Foundation of Abilene staff members:
Questions about nonprofit participation: Kassidy Nygaard, knygaard@cfabilene.org
Questions about sponsorship or donor involvement: Stephanie DeLaGarza, sdelagarza@cfabilene.org
Questions about media inquiries or marketing: Emerald Cassidy, ecassidy@cfabilene.org