Nonprofit FAQ

To see Donor FAQs, please click here.


Q. What is Great Community Give and when will it take place?

The Great Community Give, an initiative of Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, is a sunrise to sunset giving day event that promotes charitable giving to support nonprofit organizations in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.  The Great Community Give will take place on April 17, 2024 from 6:00am to 8:00pm.


Q. Why should donors give through the Great Community Give?

It is as easy as Point, Click, Give! This event enables people who love their community to easily give back. This is an opportunity to invest in communities and increase capacity of nonprofits. The sponsored prize money that will be available could amplify their impact. 


Q. What role do sponsors play in Great Community Give?

Sponsors contribute at different levels towards a combined prize pool. Event organizers allocate the funds into the various challenge prizes awarded to nonprofit organizations on the day of and following Great Community Give. When we say sponsors contribute directly to participating nonprofits, we really mean it! Their generous support means creating more awareness and connecting more donors with local causes. Thank you to all sponsors of Great Community Give 2024. See all of our Great Community Give 2024 Sponsors


Q. When is the deadline to register for Great Community Give?

The registration deadline was Thursday, February 15th, and the deadline to complete your giving day profile is Friday, March 15th. If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Bomfim at amanda@tcfhr.org. 


Q. When and what is Early Registration?

Early Registration is the time period between November 15th, 2023 and December 15th, 2023. Nonprofit organizations who register between November 15th and December 15th will be eligible to receive opportunities such as:

  • PSA opportunity
  • Radio Interview opportunity
  • Featured in GCG 2024 summary report
  • Power Hour featured on GCG website 
  • Eligible to receive 'Early Bird' prize 

Nonprofits who miss Early Registration period, meaning they register December 16th through last day of registration on February 15th, will not be eligible for such opportunities. 


Q. How does it work?

On April 17, 2024, The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County will host the Great Community Give, a sunrise to sunset giving event encouraging charitable donations through our online giving platform, hosted by GiveGab. Each participating organization will have an individualized web page to promote their cause. Individuals will be able to donate money to the nonprofit organizations of their choice on April 17, 2024, with early giving beginning on April 3, 2024. All donations are tax deductible. The GiveGab customer support team is able to issue refunds for 4 days after the donation was made. Once it is 5 days after the donation was made, GiveGab is no longer able to make that refund, but they can connect the donor with the organization to let them handle it outside of the platform. Donors will receive a receipt for their gift. The nonprofit will receive contact information for each donor, unless the donor elects to remain anonymous. 

Donors may also give back via cash and checks sent DIRECTLY to your favorite nonprofit organizations. Make checks payable to the nonprofit of your choice and write 'Great Community Give' in the memo line. Nonprofits are responsible for receipting these type of gifts.  


Q. What is 'Early Giving'?

Early Giving is defined as the time range where donors can make their gifts to their favorite local charities before the Great Community Give event on April 17, 2024. Donors can make a gift to a participating nonprofit organization starting April 3, 2024 through April 17, 2024. Donors' gifts will not be displayed on the website until 6:00am on April 17, 2024. Donors' 'early gifts' will be counted towards nonprofits' overall online fundraising totals and will count towards determination of Leaderboard prizes. Early gifts will NOT count towards the determination of Power Hour prizes or Golden Tickets on the day of Great Community Give. 

Donors' payment methods, whether they be credit cards, e-checks, ($100 or more), or Mobile Wallet, will be immediately charged once their donation has been made. 

Donors may also give via cash and checks sent DIRECTLY to their favorite nonprofit organizations. Make checks payable to the nonprofit and write 'Great Community Give' in the memo line. 


Q. What are Offline Gifts?

Organizations have the option of accepting donations using methods other than credit cards on April 17, 2024. This can be accomplished via a regular check or cash gift sent DIRECTLY to the participating nonprofit organization. Gifts made from IRAs and Donor Advised Funds are also accepted. The offline gift MUST be received by the participating nonprofit organization no later than April 17, 2024 at 8:00pm. Giving by credit card online on the day of the event is always preferred! Nonprofit organizations may use the form as a guide for their record keeping of offline gifts. This form is not required. All other donations MUST be made by credit card through the www.greatcommunitygive.org website and designated to the participating organization between April 3, 2024 and April 17, 2024.


Q. The profile setup includes creating donation levels with dollar amounts. What does this mean?

Some organizations may outline what a specific donation amount (i.e., $25) means to their organization's impact for their organization. Others might use this area to simply suggest a donation amount. Please note that unless specifically stated by your organization, donation levels illustrate examples of what donors' gifts means to your nonprofit. We encourage you to use language in your donation levels such as "This could provide...XYZ". This clears up confusion and demonstrates to donors that it is an example of the types of services and programs your organization provides. If these suggested donation amounts do not align with their capacity, they may use the Donate button on your profile to make a gift in the amount of their choosing of the $7 gift minimum or more. 


Q. What are Matches & Challenges?

This year, match and challenge gifts will be an option for participating nonprofit organizations. Matches and Challenges are offline gifts that allow your organization to partner for extra dollars with a local business and/or individual(s) and is an optional feature for participating organizations.


What is a match?

What are matches and challenges?

YOU approach an individual donor, sponsor or businesses directly for a donation and those businesses give a cash gift and/or write checks directly to your organization. You may only enter match and challenge gifts starting April 3rd and should have them entered by 6:00am on April 17th.

Your organization takes their match/challenge gift and sends the tax acknowledgement.

You complete the “Business Match” section on your application profile page and include business logos or sponsor pictures if you would like. See tutorial here:

How do I add a matching opportunity to my Giving Day profile?

Multiple match and challenge gifts are okay. Matches and Challenges are subject to audit by The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.


Q. Why is Great Community Give accepting offline gifts?

We see a need to include offline gifts of cash or checks because at the heart of this event, is community. In order for this to truly be a community wide giving day event, we must do our best to include everyone. Everyone including those who prefer to give via cash or checks. What we hope to gain by doing this is to give more members of our community an opportunity to participate in Great Community Give and provide participating nonprofit organizations an opportunity to raise more funds for their programs and services.


Q. What is the goal?

The Great Community Give has several goals:

  • Highlight the nonprofits in our area that make valuable contributions to our community
  • Actively engage with community and nonprofit organizations to advance their social media presence 
  • Attract a new generation of donors for nonprofit organizations
  • Connect with unique donors throughout the course of the Great Community Give 
  • And have fun! 


Q. Why should my organization participate?

The Great Community Give is a fantastic way to boost your organization’s fundraising efforts. The sunrise to sunset giving event provides eligible nonprofits the opportunity to reach new donors and provides the visibility that only this type of community-wide initiative can generate. To make the most of these efforts your organization should ensure that its profile is up-to-date on the site and is custom-branded to tell its unique story. The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County will help your organization make the most of the day. This year, in partnership with GiveGab, the Great Community Give will include a checkout basket for easier donations for donors, easier registration for peer to peer fundraisers, real-time customer support for all participants and donors, expanded training opportunities and an improved online experience for donors and nonprofits alike.


Q. Who is able to participate?

Participating nonprofit organizations need to be recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 public charities located in and serving Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Nonprofits must abide by the Great Community Give Rules set forth in this document (link here). Failure to do so will result in a possible removal from the Great Community Give event. Nonprofits who commit to the event by actively utilizing and participating in the webinars, training, resources, etc. will be more successful during the event. 


Q. What does my nonprofit have to do?

  • Register your Nonprofit on GiveGab
  • Create a profile page for your organization using the GiveGab platform.
  • Broadcast your campaign's message using existing communication networks.
  • Utilize the Great Community Give logo and other provided images and messages consistent with the branding guidelines.
  • Secure matching grants and prizes to entice donors to your group.
  • Recruit individuals to be peer to peer fundraisers for your organization.
  • Consider organizing an outreach event or community stunt to help further increase exposure for your organization.
  • Think outside the box, be engaged and have fun!!


Q. If my organization has participated in Great Community Give before, can I copy my existing profile?

Create as many as you like to represent the different areas of fundraising during the giving day. These totals roll up into your profile stats, just like Peer to Peer Fundraiser pages. Donors can designate their gift to one of your support areas right in their donation form!


Q. What are Support Areas?

Create designated campaigns for donors to support during Great Community Give, allowing your profile more flexibility, and your donors to contribute to a specific area or need.


Q. How can my organization use Support Areas?

Create as many as you like to represent the different areas of fundraising during the giving day. These totals roll up into your profile stats, just like Peer to Peer Fundraiser pages. Donors can designate their gift to one of your support areas right in their donation form!


Q. How do I create Support Areas?

You may refer to this support article on How to Create a Support Area for your organization. 


Q. Is there a fee to participate?

There is no Community Foundation fee for nonprofits to participate in the Great Community Give, however, donations made to your organization will incur a 3% platform fee plus a 2.5% + $.30 credit card processing fee or a $3.00 flat processing fee for e-check donations made through ACH (e-check donations must be over $100 to use ACH). 

Donors will always have the option to cover these fees on your behalf.


Q. What does ACH (e-check) mean?

In banking, ACH stands for Automated Clearing House, which is a network that coordinates electronic payments and automated money transfers. ACH is a way to move money between banks without using paper checks, wire transfers, credit card networks, or cash. ACH payments must be $100 or more.


Q. What is Plaid?

Plaid makes accepting ACH easier and more profitable with a better way to connect and authenticate accounts. Easier than entering account and routing numbers High conversions: 85% No more micro-deposits Set up users in seconds. Check user's balances in real-time Prevent NSFs and user churn.


Q. Which local banks are serviced by Plaid?

Yes there are local banks in the Harrisonburg-Rockingham area that are serviced by Plaid. Please see list below. 

  • Atlantic Union Bank 
  • BB&T 
  • Blue Ridge Bank
  • Carrollton Bank 
  • CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union 
  • DuPont Community Credit Union 
  • First Bank & Trust Co. 
  • First Citizens Bank 
  • F&M Bank
  • Pioneer Bank 
  • PNC Bank 
  • Sonabank 
  • Woodforest National Bank 


    Q. Are there local banks that are NOT serviced by Plaid?

    Yes there are local banks in the Harrisonburg-Rockingham area that are not serviced by Plaid, and therefore, do not provide ACH as an option. Donors interested in giving through ACH may ask their bank if they can donate via ACH.


    Q. What is Mobile Pay?

    GiveGab has successfully made mobile pay available across all of their Giving Day, Philanthropy Hub, and Community Giving sites. By accepting donations via Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Microsoft Pay, donors will have a more modern and streamlined giving experience, which also means greater potential for elevated giving!


    Q. Is there a minimum or maximum donation donors can make through the Great Community Give?

    In celebration of it being the 7th annual Great Community Give, the minimum donation has been lowered from $10 to $7! The minimum donation amount for the April 17, 2024 event is $7. There is no maximum donation amount. The minimum to donate via ACH (e-check) is $100 or more.


    Q. What do the receipts that individuals receive for donations made during the Great Community Give show?

    The receipt reflects the full amount the donor paid including the fees if they decided to cover fees. Fees do show on the receipt and GiveGab does consider them as tax deductible as well since they are considered as part of the donation. If a donor is unsure if they should claim the fees as tax deductible GiveGab would recommend consulting a tax lawyer.


    Q. How long will it take for our donations to be transferred to our bank account?

    It takes 5-7 business days for the Stripe payment processor to transfer your funds into your bank account.


    Q. Can donors be anonymous?

    The public will not see their name on the Great Community Give website, but the nonprofit organization will receive anonymous donors’ names and addresses. We ask all nonprofit organizations to respect their desire for anonymity (by requesting that anonymous donors not be added to nonprofit email or mailing databases).


    Q. Can donors give to more than one organization?

    Yes! Donors are encouraged to give to as many organizations as they would like. Donors have the ability to browse and choose multiple nonprofits and donate at once using the gift basket option.


    Q. What if the donor’s credit card declines?

    Credit cards can be declined by your bank for many reasons. If their credit card is declined, they should contact the bank who issued their credit card for details.


    Q. How does the donor set up a recurring gift?

    When entering a donation, they can select the recurring gift option of monthly or quarterly. Only donations actually received during the “early-giving” stage or the Great Community Give day itself will count towards that day’s total and eligible for the prize money.

    Please note that recurring gifts charged after the Great Community Give event will be subjected to GiveGab fees and not the same fees incurred during the giving day itself. Please contact GiveGab to inquire on their standard fees on gifts.


    Q. Which nonprofits are participating in the Great Community Give?

    Everyone will be able to search for participating organizations in the search bar located in the top right corner of the website page. Participating nonprofit organizations need to be recognized by the IRS as 501(c)3 public charities located in and serving Harrisonburg/Rockingham County.


    Q. What is GiveGab?

    GiveGab, now Bonterra, is an online giving platform that helps nonprofits raise money, engage donors, and manage volunteers quickly and efficiently. GiveGab, now Bonterra, offers a full portfolio of simple and easy-to-use products that allow organizations to function in a more streamlined manner.


    Q. Who can donate during Great Community Give?

    Any individual, business, foundation, or organization with a credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa) or ACH e-check payment, a computer or other mobile-enabled device (i.e., a computer, iPad, or smartphone), and access to the Internet may donate via www.greatcommunitygive.org. Donations through the Great Community Give online portal to charitable nonprofit organizations are tax-deductible and GiveGab is able to issue refunds for 4 days after the donation was made. Once it is 5 days after the donation was made, GiveGab is no longer able to make that transaction, but they could connect the donor with the organization to let them handle it outside of the platform.


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

    GiveGab retains a 3% 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). ACH donations are also subject to the 3% campaign management fee plus a $3 flat fee per gift to each organization being donated to. Donors are given the option to cover the fees and if they choose this option, 100% of the online charitable gift will go to the receiving organization. All donations are final and cannot be refunded. Any donations processed outside of Great Community Give donation period, through GiveGab.com, or subsequent recurring donations are subject to transaction fees outlined on the GiveGab.com pricing page: http://info.givegab.com/pricing.


    Q. What organizations are eligible to receive donations and Great Community Give prizes?

    Nonprofit organizations listed on the Great Community Give leaderboard are eligible to receive grants and prizes. Funds raised and prizes won must be directed towards Harrisonburg and Rockingham County programs and services. Please note that private non-operating foundations cannot receive donations on www.greatcommunitygive.org or GiveGab.com and are not eligible to win prizes.


    Q. What are sponsor matches and challenges? How can I add them to my organization's profile?

    Sponsor matches and challenges are great ways to help incentivize donors to make a greater impact by supporting your organization. You can use sponsor matches and challenges to excite your donors and help their donations go even further thanks to the support of a sponsor. You can add matches and challenges to your profile by adding their description in the main body of your profile page.


    Q. Which donations qualify for prizes? 

    All donations made to nonprofits from April 3 through 8:00pm on April 17 qualify for prizes given to participating nonprofits. HOWEVER, there are certain rules with each kind of prize. Please see the prize comparison chart below: 



    Q. If I have a fiscal sponsor, can I participate in Great Community Give?

    Absolutely! GiveGab accommodates fiscal sponsorship as an option to receive tax-deductible donations if your organization is not currently eligible to receive tax-deductible gifts. You can learn more about fiscal sponsorship on GiveGab here

    1. What is a fiscal sponsorship?
    2. How does a fiscal sponsorship work on GiveGab?


    Q. How will an organization know who has donated to them?

    All organizations that participate in the Great Community Give will be able to download a .CSV file of their donations via their administrative dashboard on GiveGab. The report is updated in real-time and will include the donation payout date for bank account reconciliation, donation information (including a breakdown of the fees), and the donor's name and contact information.


    Q. Does anyone else have access to my donor information?

    No. Each organization only has access to its own donor information.  No information can be shared or given unless done so by the organization.


    Q. When will my organization receive the funds contributed?

    Organizations will directly receive all online donations, less any uncovered processing fees, within 5-7 business days after the first donation is made via direct deposit as long as bank routing and account information has been verified. After the first donation is successfully deposited, all donations will be deposited on a 1-2 business day rolling basis. GiveGab uses a PCI Level I compliant payment service to ensure that all financial data is secure.


    Q. Do I need to issue a tax receipt to my donors?

    No, donors will automatically receive an emailed receipt after making their donation through GiveGab. The receipt will include the date of the gift, amount, and the specific organization's name and EIN for donors to use for tax purposes. The receipt will be branded from the organization and include a "thank you" message. We recommend each nonprofit to personalize their "thank you" through their Giving Day Dashboard. Click here to find out how you can customize your message.


    Q. Why do you require a date of birth and last four digits of the nonprofit administrator's social security number for nonprofits' donation payouts?

    As an online platform that collects, processes, and distributes money in the form of donations from supporters to organizations, GiveGab must abide by the rules, regulations, and compliance laws of the United States. In particular, they are required to verify that the individual registering an organization to collect donations is authorized to do so and is who they say they are. Additionally, GiveGab needs to verify that the organization is a legitimately registered corporation.

    Collecting this information helps us streamline donation processing and payouts with our underlying payment processor (Stripe) and the financial institutions that Stripe works with.

    More importantly, we have a duty to our users. When donors choose to support a cause with a monetary gift, it is essential that they trust that their donation is going where they expect it to go! You can read a full explanation here, including how this information is stored.


    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.


    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. What are Virginia's requirements for charitable solicitation registration?

    Virginia requires that before soliciting donations, a charitable organization must file a registration statement with the state. Churches, educational and health care institutions and certain other organizations are exempt from registration as well as solicitations limited in scope. More information is available on the website for the Virginia Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs.


    Q. When I check the box on GiveGab 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 platform.


    Q. Do you have any additional resources to reference about state charitable solicitation registration?

    Yes! Here are a few more resources from Harbor Compliance to help you:


    Q. How can I find out more about Great Community Give?

    Stay tuned to this website for more information and detail as the event draws close. You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter @greatcommunitygive and "like" us on Facebook to stay updated. The Great Community Give will be hosting training sessions for nonprofits to share tools, highlight matching grants and strategize together to make this day another one for the history books!

    We also encourage all participants and their giving day team members to join the Community Foundation’s mailing list to receive up-to-date the Great Community Give information. Visit www.greatcommunitygive.org


    Q. What is the process for verifying my nonprofit to collect donations?

    Every nonprofit on GiveGab goes through 4 verification steps. These steps include a check against the IRS Database, the Office of Foreign Assets Control Database, the State Fundraising Database (varies across states), and Guidestar Database.

    GiveGab checks organizations against the IRS database to ensure they are P78 verified. This is an automated check once the organization has entered their verification and bank account details.

    Once an organization enters their bank account details, Stripe completes an auto-verification to confirm that the nonprofit has not been listed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as a Specifically Designated National (SDN) engaged in or supporting terrorism and are in compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Federal Regulations including US PATRIOT, BSA, and OFAC.

    Every nonprofit who wishes to fundraise on GiveGab must attest that their “organization is compliant with applicable fundraising requirements in the states in which they solicit donors using the GiveGab platform. [They] understand that GiveGab does not solicit donations”.

    GiveGab pulls in the organization's Guidestar Profile for information retrieval, if necessary.


    Q. How can I get additional help if I need it?

    You can always receive real-time assistance by clicking on the blue chat bubble. You can also contact Amanda Bomfim at The Community Foundation at amanda@tcfhr.org or call the office at (540)432-3863.


    Q. What else? Any fine print?

    The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County can modify any restrictions or conditions if, in the judgment of the Board of Directors, such restriction or condition becomes unnecessary, incapable of fulfillment or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the community.As such, The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County reserves the right to deny or condition the distribution of prize grants if, in the judgment of its Board of Directors, such restriction or condition becomes necessary.



    *Any donations processed outside of the Giving Day Period, through GiveGab.com, or subsequent recurring donations are subject to transaction fees outlined on the GiveGab.com pricing page: info.givegab.com/pricing.