FAQs

Q. What is 860Gives?

860Gives is a day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. 860Gives is an initiative of GiveGab.

Q. When is 860Gives?

860Gives goes from 12 p.m. on March 29 - 12 p.m. on March 31, 2027.

Q. Which organizations can participate?

Organizations that are verified 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofits that are headquartered or provide services in your community.

Q. Who can donate?

Anyone may donate. Donations through the 860Gives online portal to charitable nonprofit organizations are tax-deductible and cannot be refunded. Contributions may be made via credit and debit card only. Donations will be processed and receipted by GiveGab/Bonterra.

Q. What is GiveGab/Bonterra?

GiveGab, which is becoming Bonterra, is a nonprofit giving platform that helps nonprofits to raise money, engage donors and manage volunteers quickly and efficiently. GiveGab/Bonterra offers a full portfolio of simple and easy to use products that allows organizations to function in a more streamlined manner.

Q. How will donations be distributed?

Each donation made to a participating nonprofit will be disbursed directly from GiveGab/Bonterra via direct deposit within 5-7 business days.

Q. Can I give through my donor-advised fund (DAF)?

Yes, you can support your favorite nonprofit through your DAF. For gifts of $100 or more, select the DAF option when you donate on 860gives.org. Because the funds come from your DAF rather than through online checkout, your gift is processed as an offline donation, and the nonprofit will record it once they receive the distribution.

For DAF gifts under $100, you'll need to send the distribution directly to the nonprofit by cash or check. Let the nonprofit know your gift is on the way, and they’ll add it to their 860Gives total.

Q. How much of my donation goes to the nonprofit?

GiveGab/Bonterra retains a 3.5% campaign management fee from all donations. Credit Card processing fees are an additional 2.5% + $0.30 for all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover). You are given the option to cover the fees and if you choose this option, 100% of your online charitable gift will go to the receiving organization. All donations are final and cannot be refunded. Any donations processed outside of the 860Gives donation period through GiveGab.com, or subsequent recurring donations, are also subject to the transaction fees outlined above.

Q. Who will receive my contact information?

The organization(s) you choose to support will have access to your name and email address. This information is used solely to send thank you messages, provide the option to receive future notifications, and to notify you of future activities.

Q. Do I need to create an account to make a donation?

No. You do not need to create an account to make a donation. The benefits of creating an account include having your tax receipts collected in one location, being able to track your donations, follow the charities you support, and engage in future volunteering and donations. Your tax receipt is emailed immediately upon processing your donation. To claim a donation as a deduction on U.S. taxes, you should retain the donation receipt as an official record.

Q. Can I make donations via a mobile device?

Yes! Simply visit 860Gives.org on your mobile device.

Q. Can I pre-schedule a donation for 860Gives?

You cannot pre-schedule your 860Gives gift, but you may make a donation to a participating nonprofit before or after the 860Gives. In order for your donation to be counted towards prize incentives awarded on 860Gives it must be made between 12 p.m. on March 29 and 12 p.m. on March 31, 2026.

Q. What if my preferred organization is not listed?

Please send an email to info@givegab.com to request that we contact your organization of choice.

For Participating Nonprofits

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.

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.

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.

Q. When I check the box on my organization account 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/Bonterra platform.

Q. Why is it asking me for my Social Security number for my Organization Representative?

Social Security numbers are required because Bonterra/GiveGab must verify the identity of the Organization Representative (the person authorized to manage your organization's donation setup) to stay compliant with federal financial regulations, including Know Your Customer (KYC) and the Customer Due Diligence Rule.

This helps confirm the representative is who they say they are and is authorized to act on behalf of a legitimately registered organization, which supports secure donation processing and payouts through our payment processor (Stripe).

Your SSN is entered via a secure portal and is encrypted and tokenized immediately, so the full SSN does not pass through our servers.

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:

Q. What if my organization is deemed ineligible to participate after I've registered?

Since the registration fee is charged at the time of registration (not when an organization is approved), United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut will handle all applicable refunds. Refunds can be issued by check or ACH transfer. Just send an email to info@860gives.org, and we'll provide the forms you'll need. Please allow up to 30 business days for refunds to be processed.

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

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

Q. How do I process DAF gifts during 860Gives?

All DAF distributions are treated as offline gifts and should be managed by your organization’s 860Gives admin. How they reach your dashboard depends on the gift amount.

DAF gifts of $100 or more: When a donor selects the DAF option on 860gives.org, the gift automatically appears as an offline donation in your dashboard.

DAF gifts under $100, and other cash or check gifts: These need to be added manually. To upload them, go to Donations → Donation Report → Actions → Upload Offline Donations and submit a CSV file. For DAF gifts, include the fields that identify the gift as a DAF, along with the fund name and fund number.

Verifying and releasing gifts: All offline donations, including DAF gifts, start with a Pending status. Pending distributions are visible in your dashboard but aren’t displayed publicly or counted toward 860Gives totals. Once you’ve confirmed a gift has been received, mark it as Released so the dollar and donor count for both 860Gives and your fundraising profile will update accordingly.

Here's a helpful resource for more information: https://bonterra.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/41128128366999-How-do-I-manage-Donor-Advised-Funds-DAF-distributions-on-GiveGab

Q. Who can request a refund?

All refund requests must be submitted by an administrator of the organization on GiveGab or Giving Day partner (if applicable). Refund requests coming directly from the donor will not be considered.

Q. Can Giving Day donations be refunded?

Yes. We can refund Giving Day donations if the request meets the following criteria:

  • A refund request is submitted by the Giving Day partner.
  • The request is for the full donation amount (partial refunds are not allowed).
  • The request is made within 4 business days of the donation.

Refund requests made outside of the 4 business day window will not be approved and must be handled outside of GiveGab’s platform between the partner and the organization.