FAQ

General FAQ

Q. What is Give Local?

For 36 hours on April 24, 2024, Connecticut Community Foundation will host Give Local for the 12th consecutive year. It’s an online occasion! Thousands of donors will contribute to hundreds of participating local nonprofit organizations at www.GiveLocalCCF.org. Since its creation in 2013, Give Local has raised more than $15 million thanks to generous donors, area businesses and organizations united in giving to make our communities in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills stronger. We extend a special thank you to presenting sponsor Ion Bank Foundation for its amazing generosity!

Q. Who is participating?

Organizations based in Connecticut Community Foundation’s 21 town service area are welcome to join the extravaganza. The Foundation verifies that all organizations are 501(c)(3) nonprofits in good standing with the IRS and are licensed to conduct fundraising in the state of Connecticut.

Q. How does Give Local complement the Foundation's mission to support nonprofits?

One of the Foundation’s guiding strategies is to help nonprofits to secure the knowledge, skills, leadership and resources they need to serve the community. Nonprofit sustainability is closely linked with the ability to raise funds to keep the doors open and plan for the future. It is with this in mind that the Foundation is allocating $100,000 for bonus funds and prizes during Give Local 2024! These funds not only boost partnering nonprofit donations during Give Local, but also provide the incentive for other donors to give. We believe that this investment, combined with offering training to participating nonprofits on marketing and long-term donor stewardship, helps build a stronger local nonprofit sector.

Q. How does Give Local work?

Beginning at 7 a.m. April 24 and ending at 7 p.m. April 25, donors are able to make secure contributions at www.GiveLocalCCF.org to their favorite participating local nonprofit organizations. The minimum donation is $10 and there is no maximum. Bonus funds from the Foundation and Give Local sponsors are available and will be added to each participating nonprofit based on the number of donors the organization secures during the campaign. Nonprofit organizations will also compete for cash prizes, adding to the excitement and fun!

Q. Who can donate?

Anyone can donate. Donations through the Give Local online platform to charitable nonprofit organizations are tax-deductible. Contributions of $10 or more may be made via credit or debit card. Gifts of $100 or more can be given from bank accounts via ACH transfer.

Q. Who is GiveGab/Bonterra?

GiveGab (recently acquired by Bonterra) is our web platform provider. GiveGab offers a full portfolio of simple and easy-to-use products that allow organizations to function in a more streamlined manner, and helps nonprofits raise money, engage donors and manage volunteers efficiently.

FAQ for Nonprofits

Q. Why should my organization participate?

Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills is your opportunity to:

Raise awareness about your organization;
Engage existing donors and reach new ones;
Enhance every dollar donated with bonus funds;
Expand your online and social media presence and fundraising success; and
There is no fee to participate!

Q. What organizations are eligible to participate?

You may participate in Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills if you are:

A 501(c)(3) public charity in good standing with the IRS;
Currently registered with the State of Connecticut to conduct charitable fundraising as verified by this database; and
Located in or provide services in one or more of the 21 towns served by Connecticut Community Foundation.

Q. What if my organization is located outside the Foundation's service area?

Organizations that do not have a physical address within Connecticut Community Foundation’s service area but provide services in our region may apply to participate. If your organization is not headquartered in Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Cheshire, Goshen, Litchfield, Middlebury, Morris, Naugatuck, New Milford, Oxford, Prospect, Roxbury, Southbury, Thomaston, Warren, Washington, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott or Woodbury and you are participating in Give Local for the first time, please complete the online Application for Eligibility by April 1, 2024. Foundation staff will review your proposal and notify you of your eligibility as soon as possible.

Q. Are religious organizations eligible to participate?

Organizations and programs operated with religious intent, mission and purpose are eligible to participate in Give Local only if:

100% of the funds generated through Give Local are used for non-religious programs, services, and activities (for example, a food pantry open to the public). Programs to be funded with Give Local donations must be specified in your organization’s online profile.
Your organization allows individuals to benefit from the specified program, service or activity without discrimination on the basis of religion, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, veteran, or disability status.

All organizations that are religious in nature must complete the religious organization application to let us know how your Give Local funding will benefit the wider community. Staff will review your request and notify you of your eligibility as soon as possible.

Q. What is state charitable solicitation registration?

The Connecticut Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act requires all organizations that solicit money for charitable purposes to register with the Department of Consumer Protection. Visit the State of Connecticut License Lookup portal to verify your status (in license type, choose “Charity”). We are looking for a status that says “Active”. If your organization is not listed or your license has lapsed, visit the Department of Consumer Protection’s Charitable Solicitation Registration Information for related paperwork.

Q. How does my nonprofit sign up?

Organizations that have participated in a recent Give Local campaign (since 2019) will need to “Find” their organization and complete the 2024 registration questions. From there you may choose to edit your existing profile, which is visible to the public.

If your organization has not participated in a recent Give Local campaign, please follow the prompts to “Add my organization” to complete the 2024 registration questions and then create your organization’s new online profile.

Foundation staff will review all applications (new and returning) and ensure that all eligibility requirements are met prior to approving participation.

Q. Is it possible to make changes to my organization's profile?

Yes, you will be able to edit your profile at any point, even during the live event, if necessary. However, we strongly encourage you to finalize your profile prior to April 12, 2024, when our GiveGab tech team will be conducting important testing to prepare for our giving days.

Q. Who should I contact if I have questions or need help completing my organization's online profile?

There is a live chat option on www.GiveLocalCCF.org! Please use the blue chat bubble on the bottom right hand corner of the website for any technical questions relating to your organization’s profile or donor reporting. For non-technical concerns, please contact the Connecticut Community Foundation team at givelocal@conncf.org or 203.753.1315.

Q. How much of each gift will my organization receive?

Connecticut Community Foundation hosts the web platform and provides supports for Give Local without charging you or your donors a participation fee. Your organization will receive the full amount of your donors’ gifts less the following transaction fees:

Platform fee: GiveGab, the web platform service provider, assesses a per transaction service charge of 2.0%.
The credit card processor charges 2.5% plus $0.30 per transaction
If your donor gives through a bank transfer ($100 minimum donation), a 2% platform fee and $3.00 per ACH transaction will be assessed.
Any donations processed outside of April 24-25, through GiveGab.com, or subsequent recurring donations are subject to transaction fees outlined on the GiveGab.com pricing page: info.givegab.com/pricing.

Donors will have the option to pay the fees on their gifts so that the organizations they support will receive the full amount of the gift.

Q. How do bonus funds work?

All organizations that raise money during Give Local will receive bonus funds, contributed by Connecticut Community Foundation and our generous Give Local sponsors! Bonus funds are distributed based on the number of individual donors that contribute to an organization during the event i.e. the more donors secured, the more bonus funds you will receive! Individual donors are distinguished in the GiveGab system based on email address. Donor counts will be verified by Foundation staff prior to awarding bonus funds and prizes.

Foundation staff will assign participating organizations to one of the following bonus categories: organizations based in Naugatuck, organizations based in Waterbury, organizations working exclusively in Southbury, and organizations that primarily work with the older adult population. All other organizations fall into the general category. In 2023, nonprofits received between $12-20 in bonus funds per donor depending on the assigned bonus category!

Q. How do prizes work?

Throughout Give Local, your organization can compete for cash prizes donated by the Foundation and Give Local sponsors. Some prizes are competitive, while others are awarded randomly. The complete list of prizes will be posted in mid-March, and your organization is encouraged to use creative communication strategies to maximize your chances to win!

Organizations are eligible to win a maximum of two prizes: one grand prize awarded at the conclusion of the campaign and one standard, non-grand prize. If your organization wins a standard prize, you can continue to compete for additional prizes. And, if your organization wins subsequent prizes, you will receive the highest valued award. Therefore, prize reassignment may occur throughout and at the conclusion of the 36-hour campaign if necessary.

Q. Can we coordinate additional bonus funds for our organization?

Yes, we encourage you to do so! Your own donors may pledge funds to be paid during or after the live event to match some or all of your Give Local donations. We encourage you to recruit donors to match a portion of your gifts—this may encourage others to give more freely during Give Local if they know that their contribution will be matched. Please also be sure to complete the Match/Challenge Form prior to April 17. Learn more about setting up matches or challenges here.

Q. Can we encourage donations by giving away prizes or free gifts?

Unfortunately not. All donations made during Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills must be 100% tax deductible. You may not offer memberships or gifts as a benefit in exchange for donations made during the event.

Q. I have a donor that does not want to make an online gift. Can they contribute with a check?

Give Local is designed to be an online campaign. However, we recognize that some donors wish to make their Give Local contribution in other ways. Checks valued at $5,000 or more will be accepted, payable to Connecticut Community Foundation and received at the Foundation office by Friday, April 19. Checks that arrive after the live event concludes will be returned to the donor or endorsed over to the benefitting nonprofit. Donors who wish to make smaller donations by check should direct their gift directly to your organization.

Q. How can I help make the online giving challenge a success for my organization and our community?

Here are a few tips to make the most of the event:

Take advantage of trainings and toolkit resources!
Use of social media is a natural fit for this campaign. Consider creating new accounts and/or beefing up your social media feeds leading into Give Local.
Map out a Give Local outreach plan and start including it in your communications between early so your supporters are primed to help.
Directly reach out to a few of your biggest supporters. Encourage them to give during the campaign. Consider them also for match or challenge gifts!
Pay close attention to available prizes and choose one or two for which you will compete.
Have fun! On April 24-25, your creativity and energy will contribute to your success!

Q. When will my organization receive its Give Local funds?

Connecticut Community Foundation will issue a check in May that includes donations to your organization (less credit card processing and online giving platform fees), bonus funds, and any prizes secured. Organizations have the option to receive their earnings via check or ACH deposit as indicated at the time of registration.

How should we interact with our Give Local donors?

Gift and donor information is at your fingertips by logging into the GiveGab portal and navigating to the "reports" tab. Individuals making gifts to your organization through Give Local are your donors, we encourage you to manage your relationships with them as you would with donors who come to you through any of your other channels. Please respect the privacy of donors who have requested anonymity.

Q. Should my organization send acknowledgment letters to our Give Local donors?

We encourage you to acknowledge donations by following-up with donors and letting them know the impact of their gifts and how grateful you are for their support. However, your communications can not include the charitable deduction statement – the donor will have already received an email receipt from Connecticut Community Foundation immediately after making their gift; a second receipt could cause confusion and tax errors for donors.

FAQ for Donors

Q. Why give through Give Local?

Nonprofits play critical roles in supporting and strengthening Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills – in health, arts, environment, education, social services and many other areas. Unrestricted donations like those raised during Give Local provide critical support for their ongoing work.

While we hope you will support local groups and causes all year, Give Local inspires community-wide giving during one targeted 36-hour period. It’s an extraordinary occasion to celebrate the spirit of generosity and support the work of nonprofits in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills.

Connecticut Community Foundation and local sponsors add bonus dollars based on the number of donors an organization secures! And your gift could tee-up your favorite nonprofit for special cash prizes!

Q. Who can give?

You, and anyone with a bank account, credit or debit card can give to participating nonprofits during Give Local at www.GiveLocalCCF.org. Donors do not have to live in one of the 21 towns served by Connecticut Community Foundation. Since 2013, thousands of donors from our region and across the country have chosen to give where their heart is and support Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills nonprofits.

Q. How do I donate through Give Local?

It's easy! Simply visit www.GiveLocalCCF.org anytime between 7 a.m. Wednesday, April 24 and 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25. Search for organizations you would like to support, and use your credit or debit card (Mastercard, Discover, Visa or American Express) to make a gift of $10 or more. You may also use your bank account to make a gift of $100 or more. Give to your favorite group or fill your “shopping cart” with all the groups you love. With Give Local—the sky’s the limit!

Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills is a program of Connecticut Community Foundation. The Foundation collects and distributes the donations. Therefore, your credit or debit card statement will reflect a charge to Connecticut Community Foundation. The Foundation forwards your gifts (after subtracting transaction fees and adding a bonus amount) to the nonprofits you have chosen. Your gifts do not support the Foundation and the Foundation receives no financial benefit from the Give Local program.

Q. Which nonprofit organizations are participating? How do I know they are legitimate?

Hundreds of 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serve our 21 town service area and are eligible to participate in Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills. To find out who is participating, browse profiles at www.GiveLocalCCF.org. Nonprofit profiles are searchable by name, program area (such as arts or environment), and town. During the 36-hour live event on April 24-25, follow the leaderboard to see who inspires the most donors.

Please be assured that Connecticut Community Foundation verifies eligibility of all participating organizations. They must be valid 501(c)(3) public charities in good standing with the IRS and currently be licensed to conduct charitable fundraising within the state of Connecticut.

Q. Can I give to more than one organization?

Yes, and we hope you will! The Give Local site includes a convenient shopping cart to facilitate donations to as many organizations as you choose. Simply visit www.GiveLocalCCF.org to get started!

Q. Beyond a donation, what else can I do to support my favorite nonprofit during the event?

Please spread the word among your friends, family and network about Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills and the good work nonprofits do in our area. One of the best ways to help will be to use email and social media such as Facebook and Twitter to let people know you are giving and encourage others to do the same.

You might also consider becoming an official "Fundraising Champion" for an organization you care about! Fundraising Champions are peer-to-peer fundraisers who rally others around a favorite nonprofit's cause to fundraise on the organization's behalf. Learn more!

Q. How will my gift be recognized?

You will receive an immediate thank you and tax receipt via email from Connecticut Community Foundation. The nonprofits you support through Give Local are also encouraged to thank you and to share with you how your donations are making a difference through their work.

Q. Is my donation tax deductible?

Donations are fully tax deductible. Once you make a donation, you will immediately receive an email from Connecticut Community Foundation confirming your tax-deductible gift. Please save it for your tax purposes. If you need another copy of your receipt, feel free to use the little blue chat bubble on the bottom right hand corner or email givelocal@conncf.org.

Q. Is my donation safe and secure?

Our technology partner has conducted many giving days for community foundations nation-wide and is the recognized technology leader for fundraising initiatives of this type. Credit card transactions are secure, backed by a PCI Level 1 secure service provider certification.

Q. Who will receive my personal information?

Give Local host Connecticut Community Foundation and each of the organizations you support will receive your name, contact information (address, telephone, email), and the amount of your gift. Credit card information is not shared with either the Community Foundation or the organizations you choose to support. Name and contact information will not be shared with either Connecticut Community Foundation or supporting organizations if a donor chooses to give with full anonymity.

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

Please note that Connecticut Community Foundation does not assess any fees for offering Give Local and does not keep any portion of donors’ Give Local gifts. However, as with other fundraising methods, there are costs associated with Give Local.

Your designated organization(s) will receive your donation less the following transaction fees:

Platform fee: 2.0% service charge from our platform provider, GiveGab/Bonterra.
Credit card fee: 2.5% credit card processing fee plus $0.30 per transaction.
ACH fee ($100 minimum donation): a 2% platform fee and $3.00 per transaction fee will be assessed for donors who give via bank transfer from a checking account.

You will be invited to cover these fees when checking out. If you choose to do so, you will be charged for the additional amount and the organizations to which you are making donations will receive the full intended amount.

Q. Can I make donations via a mobile device?

Yes! Simply visit www.GiveLocalCCF.org on your mobile device.

Q. Who may I contact if I have other questions?

Please contact Gabriela Sousa at (203) 753-1315 x 104 or givelocal@conncf.org or click on the little blue chat bubble in the bottom right-hand corner for live chat assistance!

FAQ