Frequently Asked Questions
For your convenience we've collected some of the most popular questions and relevant answers. You also invited to contact us on any issue.
General
- Q:What is a GiveStream Center?
- A:A GiveStream Center is your nonprofit organization's free online fundraising and community-building base that generates donations at no cost to you or your supporters. Read more at the How Does it Work page.
- Q:How do our supporters find our GiveStream Center?
- A:Each organization has its own unique web address for its GiveStream Center, which ensures that your supporters will not easily wander to other organizations' sites. You can provide your supporters with a link to your GiveStream Center using your own existing email and print newsletters, and place a link on your organization's website that will bring your supporters directly to the site.
- Q:What will our supporters need to do to start using the GiveStream Center?
- A:Just give them the link, and all they need is a web browser. There is no need to enroll or search for your organization from a long list of other organizations.
- Q:Are GiveStream Center product prices identical to those in the merchants' website?
- A:Yes. The price is exactly the same, but when you purchase through GiveStream, the merchants will donate a percentage of each sale to your organization.
- Q:Who is responsible for selling and/or shipping the purchased products?
- A:The merchants are responsible for all aspects of selling including the shipping and warranty. They get the hassle, and you get the check!
Enrollment
- Q:How much does it cost to set up our GiveStream Center?
- A:All of GiveStream's tools and services are completely free of charge to you and your supporters.
- Q:What organizations can register to join GiveStream?
- A:Any legitimate registered nonprofit organization - including schools, religious institutions and sports teams - can get its own GiveStream Center.
- Q:How can our organization start up our GiveStream Center website?
- A:If you are an authorized organization representative you can use the Join Now form to enroll. If not, tell your organization's leadership about the advantages of having a GiveStream Center. You will need to provide proof of your nonprofit status by faxing or emailing a copy of your 501 letter or other verification.
- Q:How long will it take for us to be approved for a GiveStream Center?
- A:It usually only takes a few days to verify the organization's nonprofit status. We will let you know as soon as your center is approved.
Fundraising
- Q:How much money can our organization raise with GiveStream?
- A:That depends on the number of participating supporters and how much they shop and search online. The more supporters you have using the service, the more quickly it can add up. You can get an estimate using our Donation Calculator.
- Q:How can this be a no-cost fundraising program? There's no such thing as a free lunch!
- A:When your supporters shop and search online through your GiveStream Center, the merchants and Google (for searches) pay a commission to GiveStream. We provide 100% of the listed donated percentage to your organization, with the balance of the commission covering our administrative and operating expenses. Lunch isn't free, but it's our treat!
- Q:How do we receive the donated funds?
- A:There are three options to receive funds donated to your organization: a PayPal account, check or direct bank transfer.
- Q:When will we receive the donations generated by our supporters?
- A:We pay on a quarterly basis. There is a threshold of $50 if you choose to receive your funds through check or bank transfer. If you raise less then $50 in a quarter, the amount will be added to the next quarter's total. There is no transfer minimum through PayPal.
- Q:Will our supporters receive a tax deduction when donating through the GiveStream Center?
- A:No. The IRS limits tax deductibility for donations to the amount paid over and above the fair market price for an item. Since the prices a purchaser pays when buying from our retail partners through our site are the same as if purchased directly from the merchant, no tax-deductible event occurs.
- Q:How can our GiveStream Center fundraising performance be tracked and evaluated?
- A:In the management area of the GiveStream Center, you can track the traffic on your site and view the current balance of donations generated.
