GiveNOLA Day To Begin At Midnight

NEW ORLEANS – Starting a midnight and running through Tuesday, May 2, GiveNOLA Day is a 24-hour event hosted by the Greater New Orleans Foundation to inspire people to give generously to nonprofit organizations that are making the Greater New Orleans region stronger, creating a thriving community for all.

         GiveNOLA Day raises money for the community, brings new donors to local nonprofits and shows that anyone can be a philanthropist.

         The first inaugural GiveNOLA Fest will take place Tuesday, May 2, at the Greater New Orleans Foundation's Center for Philanthropy, 919 St. Charles Ave, from 4:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

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         Entrance to the fest will be from St. Charles Avenue near Lee Circle, and a portion of proceeds from food and drink will benefit the Lagniappe Fund, which is distributed proportionally to all 717 participating nonprofits based on total amount raised.

         The Fest will feature live performances by Rebirth Brass Band, Big Sam’s Funky Nation and Irma Thomas.

         The Greater New Orleans Foundation explains:

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What is a Giving Day?

         GiveNOLA Day is a 24-hour, online giving event organized by the Greater New Orleans Foundation to ignite the giving community in Southeast Louisiana. The goal is to inspire the community to come together for 24 hours to contribute as many charitable dollars as possible to support the work of local nonprofit organizations. Last year’s event raised $4 million from 28,000+ donations across the nation. GiveNOLA Day is based on other successful giving days hosted by community foundations across the country.

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When will GiveNOLA Day take place? 

         It will be from 12:00:01 a.m. to 11:59:59 p.m. on May 2. All event-related donations must be made online during the 24-hour period.

 

Why give on May 2 through GiveNOLA.org?

         While we encourage you to support your local nonprofits with year-round giving, we are creating a special event on May 2 – a charitable holiday. It’s our day to celebrate the Greater New Orleans region's spirit of generosity and support the work of our nonprofits. Plus, your dollars during the 24-hour period will be amplified by proportional “lagniappe funds,” as well as possible awards and hourly prizes.

 

Is there an option for early giving?

         Yes. New this year, donors have the ability to make an online donation starting on April 25. To schedule a donation, a donor needs to create an account on GiveNOLA.org. The donor will receive a confirmation email upon submitting the form. The payment will be processed on May 2, at which time the donor will receive an email receipt. Please note that scheduled gifts will not be eligible for Rock Around the Clock nor Throw Me Something Mister Hour prizes.

 

What is the Lagniappe Fund? 

         At the end of the event, every agency will receive a proportional share of this fund based upon its percentage of the total dollars raised. The equation to calculate lagniappe dollars is:

Amount you raise ÷ Amount raised by ALL on May 2 = Your lagniappe fund percentage

 

What is a Community Foundation?

         Community foundations are tax-exempt public charities with a common goal: improving the quality of life in the geographic areas they serve. Community foundations are funded by individuals, families, corporations, and nonprofit organizations that create permanent charitable funds to help meet critical needs within a given region. Overseen by a volunteer board of leading citizens, community foundations invest and administer these funds. There are now over 700 community foundations in the United States.

 

About the Greater New Orleans Foundation:

         At the Greater New Orleans Foundation, we look to create a resilient, sustainable, vibrant community in which individuals and families flourish and the special character of our region is preserved, celebrated and supported. Our mission is to create a thriving community for all. Since our founding by forward-looking community leaders in 1983, the Foundation has grown from $4 million in assets to more than $300 million in assets under management today. The foundation has played a key role in the region’s recovery, coordinating donor efforts and rallying support following the disasters that have affected our area, including Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Coast oil spill. Today, GNOF manages more than 700 funds devoted to charitable, environmental, cultural, and economic development purposes. As one of the oldest and largest philanthropic organizations in the region, we’re proud of our investments in creating a thriving community for all. View our work.

 

Who can make a donation on GiveNOLA Day?

         Anyone can make a donation to a nonprofit that has created a profile on GiveNOLA.org. The minimum donation is $10.

 

How can I make a donation on GiveNOLA Day? 

         On May 2, starting at 12:00 a.m. and for the next 24 hours, go to the home page and use your credit or debit card to donate to any nonprofit that has registered to participate. You can search for a nonprofit by name, service area, or parish. Participating nonprofits will have a donation page where you can enter the amount you want to donate. Donations begin at $10 and there is no limit to the maximum size or number of donations you would like to make. You may give to as many different nonprofits as you like.

 

What will the charge look like on my credit card statement? 

         Since all transactions are processed by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, your credit card statement will reflect this. Depending on your bank, this charge may appear as “Greater New Orleans Foundation,” “GNOF,” or a similar abbreviation. The charge will not be posted as GiveNOLA or GiveNOLA.org. The donation is 100 percent tax deductible, and you will receive an immediate email from the Greater New Orleans Foundation confirming your donation, which you should save for your records. Any adjustments made to a donation must be done by June 20.

 

Is my gift safe and secure?

         CiviCore’s primary payment processing provider is Stripe. Stripe has been audited by a PCI-certified auditor and is certified to PCI Service Provider Level 1. This is the most stringent level of certification available in the payments industry. To accomplish this, Stripe makes use of best-in-class security tools and practices to maintain a high level of security at Stripe.

 

I have a donor advised fund at the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Can I use it to make grants for GiveNOLA Day?

         Yes, but donations using a GNOF account must be submitted by April 17. Donations made via the Greater New Orleans Foundation will not be subject to credit card or CiviCore processing fees. If you wish to transfer funds from your current fund at the Foundation, please contact Development Officer, Allie Betts at 504.598.4663 or allie@gnof.org.

 

Does the Greater New Orleans Foundation receive any portion of the donations?

         No, the Greater New Orleans Foundation does not receive any of the processing fees or the credit card processing fees. However, the Greater New Orleans Foundation is a 501(c)(3) in Orleans Parish and therefore can and will accept donations through its profile on GiveNOLA.org. The Greater New Orleans Foundation will not receive any portion of lagniappe dollars.

 

Who is CiviCore? 

         CiviCore is GiveNOLA Day's technology partner. For almost a decade, CiviCore's platform has helped raised more than $200 million for some of the largest giving days in the country, including the successful Colorado Gives in December 2016 that raised $35 million for nonprofits. CiviCore has also celebrated successful giving days in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Austin, Texas; and Omaha, Nebraska.

 

Nonprofit Information

Eligibility Requirements

         Registration for GiveNOLA Day is a two-step process. The deadline to complete step one of registration was February 14, at 5:00 p.m. CT deadline. All registered nonprofits must participate in a mandatory mechanics webinar. To register for a webinar, please contact the Foundation at givenola@gnof.org.

 

Eligibility requirements include:

• 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are in good standing with the IRS and/or nonprofit entities that have a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) organization in good standing with the IRS

• The organization's service area and mailing address are in the Greater New Orleans Foundation 13-parish region, including: Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, and Washington.

• Organizations categorized by the IRS as a 509(a)(3). Supporting organizations must provide additional documentation, if not already on file with the Greater New Orleans Foundation, before their profile is approved.

• Participating organizations are required to attend one mandatory mechanics webinar offered by the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Profiles will not be published to GiveNOLA.org until both steps have been completed.

 

         Private foundations (operating and non-operating), governmental units, foreign organizations, individuals, 509(a)(4), and disqualified supporting organizations are not eligible to participate in GiveNOLA Day.

         Funds raised on GiveNOLA Day are to be used for services within our region only. While your organization description can include all of the programs and services you offer, donors cannot designate or restrict their donations to a particular program. Because gifts cannot be restricted, any named fund held at the Greater New Orleans Foundation is not eligible to receive donations on GiveNOLA Day.

 

Why should my organization participate? 

         GiveNOLA Day can help your nonprofit organization grow your donations, reach new donors, and raise awareness about your work. Additionally, participating organizations are eligible to receive proportional lagniappe funds, prizes, and hourly giveaways.

 

Is there a fee to participate? 

         No. However, your organization should be prepared to promote your participation in GiveNOLA Day to your donors and broader networks.

 

How much of the donations will go to my organization?

         Your organization will receive at least 93 percent of the donations received on GiveNOLA Day. There is a 2.6 percent processing fee, plus 30 cents per donation, from our technology partner CiviCore, as well as credit card processing fees that vary depending on the type of card used that amounts to ~2.5 percent. Your organization will receive 100 percent of any lagniappe funds, prizes or hourly giveaways earned.

         The Greater New Orleans Foundation has worked diligently to minimize fees incurred by participating nonprofit organizations, and it does not receive any fees from GiveNOLA Day.

 

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

         It is an organization's responsibility to ensure that they are compliant with state and IRS regulations for gaming and charitable deduction. The Greater New Orleans Foundation is issuing a gift acknowledgement form saying that the donor's gift is 100 percent tax-deductible. If this is not the case, the onus is then on the organization to inform their donors of this fact and the foundation cannot be responsible if a donor is misinformed about the percentage of their deductible gift. Raffle or activity where gaming is involved – Any business interested in hosting a charitable raffle must first complete the Application to Conduct Charitable Gambling, then mail the form to the Louisiana Office of Charitable Gambling. The application can be obtained at ocg.louisiana.gov Read more here.

         When there is a value associated with a "gift" that the donor receives because they made a donation. If your nonprofit provided any goods or services in exchange for a donation – for example, a tote bag in return for a donation, a meal at your anniversary gala, or a fruit basket in return for the donor's winning bid at your silent auction – only a portion of the donor's contribution is tax deductible. The donor should not claim a tax deduction for the portion of the donation that paid for the fair value of the goods and services. The technical way of saying this is, "The tax deduction is limited to the excess of the contribution over the fair market value of any items received in exchange for the donation." To help donors estimate the deductible portion of a donation, you can include one of the following statements in a receipt or thank you letter, depending on the circumstances: No goods or services of any value were provided to you in exchange for your donation. Or: The estimated value of goods or services provided in return for your donation is $_____. Read more here.

 

When will my organization receive its donations?

         Your organization will receive all donations, prize money and lagniappe fund money in a single disbursement check by June 30. All disbursements will be made by check from the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

         Although each nonprofit will be able to see its gifts in real time, please be aware that reconciliation must be completed and, even though gifts are considered nonrefundable, a donation can be revoked for a variety of reasons from the time of receipt to the time of disbursement. Adjustments to donations cannot be made after June 20. Therefore, donation "reports" cannot be considered final until the nonprofit receives a disbursement from the Greater New Orleans by June 30.

 

Does my organization need to send letters to donors for their tax deduction? 

         No. After making a gift online, the donor will immediately receive an email confirming the gift from the Greater New Orleans Foundation during the event. Note that all donations must be 100 percent tax deductible (no additional benefits). However, this tax deduction form is not a "thank you." We encourage you to acknowledge donations by following up with donors and letting them know what you will do with their donation.

 

Will my organization receive donor information for acknowledgements? 

         Yes. You will have access to donor information during the event and after via an Excel spreadsheet available from the nonprofit login portal. We also encourage you to reach out to your donors after the event and thank them for supporting your organization.

 

Questions for the GiveNOLA Day Team?

         Please call 504.598.4663 to speak with a Greater New Orleans Foundation staff member or email givenola@gnof.org.

 

 

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