FAQ
What's NEW and NOTABLE for GLY 2024
- We’ve made small changes to our registration fee schedule to encourage early and on-time registration, and to discourage late registration. Registration fee up to the end of 2023 is $200. The fee from Jan. 1 to Feb. 16 is $250. From Feb. 16 through March 29 it is $275. Post-deadline registrations may be accommodated on a case-by-case basis at a registration fee of $300.
- This year, registration in Give Local York comes with free participation in our new year-round giving platform, GLY365! Participation in GLY365 will be required in order to participate in Give Local York Big Give Day. For more information, visit www.gly365.org.
- As a reminder: gifts/prizes cannot be given to donors to encourage donations. All donations made during Give Local York must be 100% tax deductible. For more information, read about Quid Pro Quo contributions.
- We have acquired the URL www.givelocalhanover.org, which will forward to givelocalyork.org, for our Western friends’ marketing purposes. The logo on the homepage has also been updated to reflect the entire County’s involvement.
- The $20 fee cap for online gifts has been removed this year by GiveGab. If you’re worried about fees on a large gift, consider doing an offline gift or giving through ACH.
While we strongly encourage nonprofits to read through all of our FAQs, here are some of the new and notable changes for Give Local York 2024.
GENERAL INFO
Q. What is Give Local York?
Making giving history in York County! From 9pm on May 2 to 9pm on May 3, 2024, the The White Rose Leadership Institute is hosting Give Local York, a 24-hour online giving extravaganza. With the generous support of our Event Sponsors, and thousands of individual donors, we will make history in 2024!
Q. Who is the host of Give Local York and how did it come to be?
Give Local York is hosted by the White Rose Leadership Institute, which is the evolution of the York Federal Fellows Program in Nonprofit Leadership. In 2017, the advisory committee of the York Federal Fellows Alumni, made the decision to spearhead a community Giving Day in York County, Following the success of the inaugural Give Day and the feedback from nonprofits as to the value of an organization that would support them in their marketing, fundraising and capacity-building efforts, the York Federal Fellows Alumni made the decision to incorporate as a not-for-profit corporation on July 31, 2018 with a mission to strengthen the York County nonprofit sector with empowered and exceptional leaders prepared to transform our community.
The White Rose Leadership Institute's Core Values:
- ADVOCACY: We work together with a shared voice to champion innovative and effective solutions to York County’s most pressing social problems and the important role the nonprofit sector plays in those solutions.
- BEING A CATALYST: We believe in forecasting and responding to demographic, political and social shifts by acting in creative ways that generate new solutions.
- COLLABORATION: We believe in the strength of the collective and empower each other to spark ideas, align strategies, and shape initiatives that unlock the potential of social innovation.
- FELLOWSHIP: We convene and engage a diverse community of innovative leaders from across sectors to forge connections for mutual support on our shared journey, side by side.
- INCLUSION: We believe leadership is exceptional when it reflects our diverse communities. We listen, learn and work across differences to build the common good.
- INTEGRITY: We take our roles as community stewards and trusted advisers seriously.
Q. How does it work?
For 24 hours--from 9pm on May 2 to 9pm on May 3, 2023, donors may visit https://www.givelocalyork.org to make secure donations to their favorite local nonprofit organizations. The minimum donation is $5 and there is no maximum. Every donation to participating nonprofits will be enhanced with bonus funds provided by Give Local York sponsors—making your giving go further! Nonprofits will also be eligible for cash prizes!
Q. When will Give Local York take place?
Give Local York will take place from 9pm on May 2 to 9pm on May 3, 2023. All event-related donations are made through https://www.givelocalyork.org during that 24-hour period.
Q. What organizations can I support during Give Local York?
Hundreds of nonprofit organizations serving York County are represented on https://www.givelocalyork.org. Each organization must provide proof of 501c3 status. As always, we encourage you to do your own due diligence as you consider your charitable giving.
Q. Does approval to participate in Give Local York mean that The White Rose Leadership Institute endorses each participating nonprofit’s mission and programs?
The White Rose Leadership Institute and Give Local York are proud to support thousands of donors as they come together on one day to give to their favorite nonprofits or to new causes near to their hearts. We encourage you to find organizations that align with your passions and values.
While Give Local York does verify the charitable status of every nonprofit that participates in Give Day, Give Local York does not screen or select organizations on the basis of their charitable purposes or their missions. Because one of the core values of the White Rose Leadership Institute is Inclusion, all nonprofits who participate in Give Local York are required to submit a Non-Discrimination Policy and Statement in order to be a part of the Give Day. WRLI is committed to upholding best practices for nonprofit organizations, and transparency is a fundraising best practice that benefits donors. Having access to nondiscrimination policies is one way donors can ensure they understand more fully about the organizations they are supporting.
Eligibility is based on providing services in our area and an organization’s current status as a recognized Section 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 Give Local York or any of our partners.
Each nonprofit page provides the organization’s mission, but not necessarily detailed information on all of its programs. For your additional research, each nonprofit’s page also includes a link to its website to provide you with more detailed information on the organization’s mission and use of its funds.
Q. Can I become a fundraiser for my favorite nonprofit?
Of course! We’re excited to offer you that opportunity. Individuals and businesses can be fundraisers. You pick your own fundraising goal for a chosen nonprofit and accept donations on your fundraising page on https://www.givelocalyork.org. All fundraisers must register and complete an online fundraising page. You can get started on our GET INVOLVED page.
Q. Can my business become a business fundraiser?
Of course! Companies can support Give Local York by encouraging their employees to give generously to the causes they care about. Your colleagues will identify themselves when they make their donation. These companies compete on Give Day for the title of most generous business in York! Learn more about Business Fundraisers here.
REGISTRATION
Q. Why is the The White Rose Leadership Institute hosting Give Local York for local community benefit organizations (nonprofits)?
We are invested in bringing awareness to the community benefit organizations that make our community a vibrant place for us to live, work, and play. Community benefit organizations play a huge role in all our lives and we are deeply dedicated to supporting the good work that they do.
The aim of Give Local York is to:
- Raise the level of knowledge about community benefit organizations in our county and highlight their positive impact on our well-being.
- Support the operating needs of community benefit organizations that serve York County.
- Grow the base of engaged donors in York – bringing new donors to our community benefit organizations.
- Spotlight the charitable trends in our community. Where are we giving? What are our community benefit organizations saying is vital and needed right now?
Q. Can any nonprofit organization participate in Give Local York?
If you are a 501(c)(3) public charity that is sub classified as 509a1, 509a2, or 509a3 (Type 1, Type 2, or Type 3 Functionally Integrated supporting organization), you are eligible to apply for participation. Your organization’s status will be verified by our team.
There are no restrictions based on organization size or location; however, you must serve residents of York County, Pennsylvania.
Beginning with Give Local York 2021, all nonprofits who participate in Give Local York must verify that they have a Non-Discrimination Policy and Statement in place.
Q. Why should my organization participate?
Give Local York is your opportunity to:
- Raise awareness about your organization
- Engage existing donors and reach new ones
- Enhance every donation with bonus funds
- Expand your online and social media presence and fundraising success
- Learn and deploy new marketing strategies
- Support your immediate operating needs
- Engage your staff, board and supporters in new ways
- Plug into a community of doers & givers
- Stay connected in a now isolated world
Q. How does my nonprofit sign up?
Complete your online nonprofit profile at https://www.givelocalyork.org no later than 5pm on Friday, March 24, 2023, including submitting your registration fee Registration fee up to the end of 2023 is $200. The fee from Jan. 1 to Feb. 16 is $250. From Feb. 16 through March 29 it is $275. Upon receipt of your payment and review of your registration, you will receive communication as to your acceptance into the Give Local York event.
Q. When is the deadline to sign up for Give Local York?
Because we are legally required to check the validity of 501(c)(3) status, review supporting documents, and provide time to set up your personalized donation page, the deadline for application to participate in Give Local York is March 29, 2024. No exceptions.
Q. How do you vet the organization initially and yearly to determine that the participating organization is actually and effectively providing charitable services to the York population?
Information provided by organizations during the application process will be verified using Guidestar. GiveGab, our technology partner, will also vet organizations to verify nonprofit status. Give Local York will not be extensively vetting organizations beyond meeting the basic participation requirements.
Q. Why is there a fee to participate?
Unlike Give Days in other communities, Give Local York is a grassroots event, held for nonprofits by nonprofits. This fee helps to support the efforts required to conduct a community-wide event of this scale, including: the superior user experience provided on the GiveGab platform; the toolkit and training opportunities; securing sponsorships that fund our stretch pool and prizes; providing extensive media exposure and promotion; and supporting the Big Give Party. Funds raised by registration fees go directly into event production and support to make Give Local York possible.
If this registration fee is prohibitive for your organization, contact kate@givelocalyork.org to discuss scholarship options, thanks to our generous Scholarship Sponsor, White Rose Credit Union.
We are proud to call this the Stephanie Seaton Scholarship, in honor of our board member and community advocate.
Q. Why do I have to provide personally identifying information when registering my organization?
Our platform provider, GiveGab, adheres to the highest security measures to ensure your information is protected. They have partnered with Stripe as our payment processor and underwriter for nonprofit verification. Stripe is a PCI Service Provider Level 1- the most stringent level of security certification possible. We encourage you to read through their security documentation on their website: https://stripe.com/help/security.
The following resource explains why GiveGab asks for this identifying information, and how it is handled once it is entered: https://support.givegab.com/en/articles/348530-why-do-you-require-personal-information-to-enable-donations.
Any information submitted via GiveGab’s secure forms, including driver's license information, is deleted as soon as the information is verified. GiveGab requires a driver’s license only to ensure the administrator is who s/he says they are. A driver’s license is also required if you wish to update your organization’s bank account information on GiveGab, much like opening a bank account. This is part of their standard process to verify identity.
Finally, GiveGab forces HTTPS to ensure a secure connection whenever your organization’s administrator is on the GiveGab site, a donor is making a donation, or someone is just volunteering
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Q. Why do I have to submit a Non-Discrimination Policy with my registration?
One of the Core Values of the White Rose Leadership Institute is Inclusion: We believe leadership is exceptional when it reflects our diverse communities. We listen, learn and work across differences to build the common good.
As such, all organizations intending to participate in Give Local York must provide and upload their organizational Non-Discrimination Policy that meets federal guidelines as is consistent with your organization’s legal requirements. There are no requirements regarding the specific content of each organization’s nondiscrimination policy, but it does need to be available to donors. All organizations are welcome to apply by sharing their nondiscrimination policy as it applies to their organization.
Another of our core values is Advocacy: We work together with a shared voice to champion innovative and effective solutions to York County’s most pressing social problems and the important role the nonprofit sector plays in those solutions. It is a best practice for an organization in the social impact sector to have an organizational nondiscrimination policy in its hiring and promotion.
This document helps demonstrate the organization’s commitment to not allow discrimination based on any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law or regulation.
Donors will have the freedom to choose to view your document if they are interested. This approach creates transparency for our community. The White Rose Leadership Institute does not require specific verbiage and is not conducting any legal analysis of organizational approaches.
If your organization does not currently have a policy in place, we are happy to provide resources as a starting point: Example Non-Discrimination Policy.
Q. Do small organizations with few employees need a nondiscrimination policy?
Yes. We require that organizations of every size certify that they have a nondiscrimination policy. Federal and state mandates vary based on number of employees. We believe nondiscrimination is important for our entire community regardless of the size of your organization, so we require every participating organization to submit a policy.
Q. Do religious-based organizations need a nondiscrimination policy?
Yes. As has always been true, faith-based organizations are welcome to apply to participate in Give Local York. We recognize and accept that some organizations may be exempt from certain legal requirements related to nondiscrimination under a "ministerial exception” or as a religious organization or religious educational institution as outlined by law. We further recognize and accept that some institutions may hold the position that they are exempt from certain legal requirements under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act or comparable state law. However, we do require all organizations to share their nondiscrimination policy as is consistent with their legal requirements.
TRAININGS AND PROMOTION
Q. What will my organization's personalized web page look like on https://www.givelocalyork.org?
In addition to a giving "array" of donation levels, personalized giving pages will show your logo, pictures and video of your choosing, your mission statement, and brief description of services. YOU provide the content of the page during the application process. Your page will not be able to accept donations until May 3rd. However, you will be able to see and modify your organization’s profile information prior to the event and have access to your link (URL) to distribute in advance.
Q. Is it possible to make changes to my organization’s profile?
Yes, you will be able to edit your Give Local York profile.
Q. What support will the Institute be giving participant organizations?
Continued this year will be Give Local Giving Groundworks Sessions! This year, these sessions are in the form of a series of webinars hosted by our technology partner, GiveGab, that are designed to build capacity for your organization for Give Local York and beyond. Additionally, the Institute will be marketing Give Local York to a wide audience by utilizing advertising and media partners to heavily promote the event. There will also be social media kits available to participating community benefit organizations and a customized donation page.
Q. How can I help make the online giving challenge a success for my organization and our community?
Give Local York is committed to helping all organizations succeed during the Give Local campaign. Here are a few tips to make the most of the event:
- Refer to the Toolkit page for information on information sessions and trainings, a media kit, examples of Give Local communications, event logos, and more!
- If you are not actively using social media, consider setting up accounts and start building up your list of supporters now.
- Map out a Give Local outreach plan and include Give Local in your communications between now and May 3rd so your supporters know about this opportunity and can plan ahead.
- Pay close attention to available prizes and choose one or two for which you will compete.
- Be sure to have fun on May 3rd – your creativity and energy will contribute to your success!
Q. What are the expectations for organizations on the day of the event?
Participating organizations will be given tools to make the most of Give Day - from digital assets to training to partnerships to have custom marketing collateral created, etc. Participating organizations are expected to follow the guidelines as stated. Ultimately Give Day will be what you make of it!
Q. When can my organization promote the event?
We encourage heavy promotion through your Facebook, Twitter, email newsletters, and mail campaigns to start about 4-6 weeks out from May 3rd. Promotional vehicles used by participating organizations will be at the organization’s own expense. Promotions conducted by the Institute will be heavy during the 30 days leading up to the event with extensive media coverage in the week leading up to May 3rd.
Q. Can I add a donate button on Facebook for my Give Local York Fundraiser?
While we recommend promoting your Give Local York fundraiser across your social channels, we do not recommend “adding a donate button” or “creating a fundraiser” with Facebook for Give Local York unless you are able to closely track your Facebook donations and enter them as offline gifts on May 3rd. Using the "donate" button through Facebook does NOT link to your fundraiser page on https://www.givelocalyork.org and does not count towards your chosen nonprofit’s Give Local York total or event total, unless you enter it as an offline gift. We cannot track donations made through Facebook and they do not count towards the Give Local York campaign for prizes, incentives and matches.
Q. Can my organization host a special event?
YES! Please do. And make sure that you add it to our calendar so everyone can know about it.
DONATIONS, FUNDS AND PRIZES
Q. Will donors receive a receipt at the time they make the online contribution?
Yes, a formal email tax acknowledgment from the event will be sent automatically as soon as the donation is made. The credit card statement will show a charge for each organization that the donor supported. It will show the name of the organization that was donated to. For added convenience, donors who give to multiple organizations at the same time will be able to get a consolidated receipt if they wish! Receipts will not be sent from Give Local York for offline gifts; organizations are responsible for receipting and acknowledging offline gifts.
Q. Should my organization also send a tax acknowledgment letter?
No. GiveGab must issue all donor acknowledgments for tax purposes and they will be issued to the donor via email immediately after the donation. The participating organization may issue a separate informal “thank you” but must not issue the formal tax acknowledgment that references the donation amount.
Q. Are my donors' transactions secure?
Our technology partner has conducted many giving days for community foundations nationwide and is the recognized technology leader for match fundraising initiatives of this type. Credit card transactions are secure, backed by a PCI Level 1 secure service provider certification. For more info: http://info.givegab.com/givegab-legal-documentation
Q. Is there a cap on the number of donations my organization can receive?
No. The sky’s the limit! However, it is prohibited for participant organizations to donate from their own organization to their own organization.
Q. What is the minimum and maximum donation amounts per donor?
The minimum donation amount is now $5 for a credit card donation and $100 for an ACH (automated clearing house) transfer. There is no maximum.
Q. How much of each gift will my organization receive?
As with any credit card transaction, there are the typical transaction fees assessed by the credit card companies as well as technology and processing costs to execute the event. GiveGab retains a 3% campaign management fee from all credit card donations on the giving day. As of 2024 this is no longer capped at $20 per donation. Stripe Credit Card processing fees are an additional 2.5% + $0.30 for (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express).
Beginning in 2022, the White Rose Leadership Institute will be collecting a 1% Host Fee on all offline donations that are made on Give Day. The funds raised by this fee will go directly into event production and support to make Give Local York possible. This 1% will be deducted from the organization’s Stretch Pool payout.
Donors can also donate on Give Day via an ACH transfer. The minimum amount for an ACH gift is $100 and there is a 3% GiveGab campaign management fee plus flat $3 fee per transaction, no matter the donation size.
Donors will be able to opt to cover the entire transaction fee if they wish--which means more dollars back to your cause! Donors will receive a tax deduction on the full donation amount, including any covered fees. All online donations will be officially receipted for tax purposes automatically through GiveGab under the name of the nonprofit receiving the funds. The total gifts to your organization before fees will be used as the basis for determining the stretch amount.
Q. Can I pre-schedule a donation for Give Local York?
You cannot pre-schedule your Give Local York gift through https://www.givelocalyork.org, but you may make an offline (check or cash) donation directly to a participating nonprofit before or after Give Local York, with the indication that you would like it to benefit their Give Local York campaign. In order for your donation to be counted toward prize incentives awarded on Give Local York, it must be made between 9 pm May 2 and 8:59 pm on May 3rd, 2024.
Q. Is the White Rose Leadership Institute keeping any revenue from the project?
Beginning in 2022, the White Rose Leadership Institute began collecting a 1% Host Fee on all donations, online and offline, that are made on Give Day. The funds raised by this fee will go directly into event production and support to make Give Local York possible. This will not increase in 2023.
Q. How will Stretch Pool funds and prizes be awarded?
Stretch Pool Funds: The Give Local York staff and committee are actively raising money for the stretch pool fund and prize pool. Stretch Pool funds will be shared by all participating nonprofits receiving donations during Give Local York. The Stretch Pool will be distributed based on the number of unique donors to each organization. If your organization’s unique donor count is 1% of all unique donors across the organizations participating in the Give Local York, then your organization will receive 1% of the stretch pool.
A unique donor is intended to be defined as one individual. The primary method of determining a unique donor is the email address used when donating; however, we do utilize other data analysis techniques to ensure fair play. Give Local York reserves the right to address discrepancies and makes the final determination regarding the number of unique donors to an organization.
Previously, Give Local York awarded the stretch pool based on dollars raised (the more an organization raised, the more bonus funds they would receive). We hope this new approach will continue to encourage organizations to invite and welcome new donors into our community of generosity.
Prizes: Throughout Give Local, prizes will be awarded according to criteria to be announced on the Give Local website. Some prizes are competitive, while others are awarded randomly. The list of prizes will be posted in April.
Q. How is a donor counted if that donor gives to multiple organizations?
If a donor gives to your organization and 4 others, that donor will be counted as a unique donor to each of those 5 organizations. If a donor gives 4 times to your organization, that donor will be counted as 1 unique donor for your organization.
Q. Can an organization win more than one prize?
An organization can only win one competitive hourly prize but can be eligible for additional "random" and match prizes. Should an organization win an early competitive prize and then win a later prize of higher value, the higher-value prize will be assigned and the earlier, lesser-value prize rewarded to the runner-up.
Q. Can we encourage donations by giving away prizes or free gifts?
Unfortunately not. All donations made during Give Local York must be 100% tax deductible.
Q. Are gifts that offer fair market value benefits eligible? If so, how is that fair market value communicated to the donor?
On Give Day, through the online giving platform, we’d like to keep the focus on dollars donated to make giving as streamlined and easy as possible. That being said, organizations are welcome to coordinate their own partnerships in an offline fashion that takes place outside of Give Day and outside the stretch pool.
Q. What about offline gifts?
Offline gifts will be accepted on May 3rd, and are to be entered directly by the nonprofit via your dashboard.
Offline gifts (checks, cash, or gifts made to your organization via methods outside of https://www.givelocalyork.org, for example, directly through your website, PayPal, Facebook, etc.) will be eligible to count toward your Give Day total, so long as they are 1) received between April 1 and Give Day and 2) the donor has indicated that it is their intent for this gift to support your Give Day efforts (i.e. as indicated by a check memo line or a remittance slip).
To reflect an offline gift in your Give Day total, the gift must be entered as an offline gift directly by the nonprofit via your dashboard on Give Day. The offline gift entry form is not available prior to Give Day.
When it comes to offline gifts, we say to use donor intent as your guide, i.e. be sure your donor means for their gift to count towards your Give Day campaign. If an offline gift comes to you in advance of May 3rd, that gift will be eligible as long as 1) it is received between April 1 and Give Day and 2) it is the donor's intent to support your Give Day efforts (i.e. as indicated by a check memo line or a remittance slip).
OKAY: Sending an appeal letter in the month of April to solicit online and offline gifts specifically to support your Give Local York campaign.
NOT OKAY: Receiving a regular check from a donor in April and hanging on to that check to submit as an offline gift on May 3rd.
Donor intent is key!
The White Rose Leadership Institute reserves the right to audit any submitted offline gift.
All offline gifts will be assessed a 1% Host Fee. This 1% will be deducted from the organization’s Stretch Pool payout.
Q. How does the Business Match work?
Business Match allows your organization to partner for extra dollars with a local business and is an optional feature for participating organizations.
We encourage you to recruit donors to match a portion of your gifts—it may encourage others to give more freely during Give Local if they know that their contribution will be matched. Publicize the availability of matching funds in communications with donors and in your Give Local profile.
Q. Can my match details that were provided when I registered for Give Local York be updated?
Yes! Please write in to the little blue chat bubble or email CustomerSuccess@GiveGab.com to update those match details. Match details can be updated up to and through May 3rd.
Q. When will my organization receive its Give Local York funds?
Organizations will receive all online donations, less any uncovered processing fees, within 5 business days via direct deposit as long as the organization’s bank routing and account information have been verified. GiveGab uses a PCI Level I compliant payment service to ensure that all financial data is secure. Offline gifts made directly to your organization remain in your possession.
Stretch pool, prize and designated donation earnings will be sent to you via ACH transfer from Give Local York within 45 days of the event end. Due to fee changes with our Quickbooks account, organizations that require a paper check for final payouts will be assessed a $1.50 fee. Give Local York does not have access to the secure ACH information that you provide to GiveGab, so organizations will need to also provide that information to Give Local York via this form.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Q. How do you anticipate this will affect nonprofit development throughout the 2024 year?
Research exists from other Give Day communities that show Give Days increase philanthropy throughout the year, so we don’t anticipate that this will be a case where donors give on May 3rd and never again. Additionally, the new donors you receive on Give Day are yours for cultivation and continuing that relationship. It’s also entirely up to your organization if Give Day will just be another tool in your fundraising belt, or if you choose to put all of your eggs in the Give Local basket. This event will really be what your organization makes of it.
Q. Can participating community benefit organizations be disqualified?
The Institute reserves the right to disqualify any community benefit organization from participating in the event and/or receiving stretch pool dollars at any time before, during, or after the event, if, in its sole discretion, it believes that there has been a breach of these rules and/ or deception on the part of the organization.
GIVE LOCAL YORK MAKES NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS AS TO THE SUCCESS OF THE GIVE LOCAL YORK PROGRAM OR OF ANY INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPANT AND IN NO WAY, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, GUARANTEES ANY RESULTS OR THE AMOUNT OF DONATIONS.
Q. I have more questions! Where can I go for help?
We are here to answer your questions. There is a live chat option on https://www.givelocalyork.org! Feel free to use the little blue chat bubble on the bottom right-hand corner for any questions you may have or to get help completing your organizational profile. You may also email CustomerSuccess@GiveGab.com.