|
Questions
about HelpingMaryland.Org
What
is helpingmaryland.org?
Founded as a project of Association of Fundraising Professionals
Maryland Chapter, HelpingMaryland.Org is a web_based initiative
to boost philanthropy and volunteerism in the state of Maryland
as a service to both charities and donors. Charitable organizations
receive exposure through the site and are provided a means of
receiving on_line contributions without the expense and administrative
burden of a self_standing e_commerce site. This service is FREE
of charge to both the nonprofit organization and the donor.
Donors
get access to philanthropy news powered by SunSpot.Net and a fully
searchable database of close to 14,000 Maryland charities managed
by Guidestar.Org, through which they can get information about
their own areas of interests and favorite non_profit organizations.
If they choose to make a contribution to the charity of their
choice, they can do so online without any administrative or overhead
charges except the normal credit card processing fees.
Those
interested in volunteering can find opportunities right in their
local community through a fully searchable database maintained
and powered by VolunteerMatch.Org, as well as links to local Volunteer
Centers.
Key
links are also made with other philanthropy initiatives and related
organizations throughout the state, broadening the spirit of partnership
in raising the level philanthropy in Maryland.
back
to top
What
is online philanthropy?
Online philanthropy allows donors to make charitable contributions
over the Internet from the convenience of their home or office.
All donations are completed through a secure server and the donor's
information is used only to complete the transaction.
back
to top
How
do I find an organization that interests me?
HelpingMaryland.org provides access databases of charities, one
for donations and links to several for volunteering. If you're
interested in possibly making a contribution use the comprehensive
GuideStar database to find organizations based on your interests,
location or other preferences. To find volunteer opportunities,
click on Volunteer Here and search thousands of volunteer opportunities.
back
to top
What
is VolunteerMatch?
VolunteerMatch, offered by Impact Online, is an online matching
servic available for volunteers and nonprofit and public sector
organizations. In addition to links to local volunteer centers,
this provides a very complete guide to volunteer opportunities
in Maryland. These services provide an easy and innovative way
for individuals to get involved in the community, and also provides
organizations a new way to recruit volunteers. The service is
free for all volunteers and agencies.
back
to top
How
does volunteer matching work?
Registered charities enter their volunteer needs, one_time or
recurring, into the various databases. Interested individuals
can easily search for volunteer opportunities by ZIP code, category
and date, find an opportunity that fits their interests and schedule,
then express their interest to that organization through e_mail.
The organization will contact the individual directly to provide
details about the volunteer opportunity.
back
to top
What
is GuideStar?
GuideStar is an initiative of Philanthropic Research, Inc., a
501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1994. GuideStar's mission
is to help improve the effectiveness of the nonprofit sector through
the collection and presentation of exhaustive information about
nonprofit organizations. GuideStar provides Helping.org's exhaustive
database of 620,000 public charities, making it easy for individuals
to find comprehensive information about charities that match their
interests. Charities are encouraged to supplement the information
provided in basic GuideStar listing by adding additional information
about their mission, programs, beneficiaries, etc.
back
to top
How
do I make a donation online?
Once you locate an organization that you'd like to give to, click
the "Donate" button. Simply enter the information requested, including
your name, address, and credit card information. Your donation
will be sent to the nonprofit organization.
back
to top
Is
my donation tax deductible?
Yes. Donations made through HelpingMaryland.org are 100% tax deductible
because every charity in our database qualifies under the IRS
rules for tax deductions. When you make a donation, be sure to
save and/or print the confirmation e_mail you receive from Helping.org
(a project of the AOL Time Warner Foundation) for your tax records.
If you have any questions, however, as always, please consult
a tax professional.
back
to top
How
does the money get to the organization of my choice?
Your contribution will be distributed by UniTEQ, a nonprofit,
tax exempt organization. UniTEQ is working in collaboration with
the AOL Time Warner Foundation to process donations made through
the company. Once the payment has been approved, they will notify
the charity that a donation has been designated for them. If that
charity has provided its electronic funds transfer (EFT) information
to Helping.org, your donation will be electronically transmitted
through our secure servers. If not, they will mail a check directly
to the charity.
We
will notify you by email when your payment is approved by the
credit card company and again when the funds have been transferred,
generally within two weeks of your contribution.
back
to top
Who
is UniTEQ?
UniTEQ is a nonprofit, tax exempt organization based in San Francisco,
and with a history of managing payroll deduction contributions.
They are currently working in collaboration with the AOL Time
Warner Foundation to process donations made through the Helping.org
Giving System.
back
to top
Is
the transaction secure?
Helping.org uses industry-leading Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology
to keep your personal information as secure as possible. Helping.org
helps to protect your information by working with partners that
provide a secure and safe environment for credit card donations.
Click here to read more about privacy and security.
back
to top
How do you protect my
privacy?
We understand that you may be concerned about privacy issues that
surround the use of the Internet. And, we believe that you should
have control over who receives your personal information, whether
it concerns where you live, what your interests are, or how you
choose to conduct transactions. We do not use the personal information
that you provide, except to complete the transaction. In fact,
we only disclose personal information to the charities if you
give us your permission. You may also choose to make your donation
anonymously. We will never sell, trade, or rent your personal
information to other individuals or companies. Click here to read
more about privacy and security.
back
to top
Will
the charity I contribute to protect my privacy?
Each charity has its own policies regarding privacy of donor information.
Please contact the charity you contribute to directly to learn
about their privacy policies. We will only pass on the information
you provide us if you authorize us to do so.
back
to top
Can
I make an anonymous donation?
Yes. We will only pass on the information you provide us if you
authorize us to do so.
back
to top
Does
HelpingMaryland.org or Helping.org take a cut, commission or service
fee for processing my contribution?
Except for the credit card fee charged by VISA or Mastercard (in
this case, 2% of the transaction or less), every penny of your
contribution will go to the charity you specified. And that organization
will owe no fees, charges or commissions on the contribution.
The AOL Time Warner Foundation is covering all of the transaction
costs associated with collecting and distributing your contribution.
back
to top
How
will I know that my gift has reached the nonprofit organization?
You will receive email from Helping.org once the gift has been
sent to the nonprofit organization.
back
to top
I
found a charity without a "Donate Now" button. Why?
If the organization you want to donate to does not have a "Donate
Now" button, it has asked to be removed from the Helping.org Online
Giving System. If you would still like to make a donation to any
organization that is not part of the Helping.org Online Giving
System, you can mail a check to the organization's address listed
in the description.
back
to top
Does
your database include nonprofit organizations worldwide or only
those in the United States?
Only nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, as determined
by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, are included in Helping.org.
Although all of these organizations are registered in the United
States, some of them conduct charitable operations around the
world. Other Web sites that we link to (like Idealist.org) include
more international organizations in their databases.
back
to top
Can
consumers worldwide use Helping.org?
Yes, Helping.org is accessible worldwide so anyone with a credit
card can donate to one of the charities found in our database.
back
to top
How
does Helping.org differ from other online giving systems?
Helping.org differs from other tools in three ways. First, it's
a nonprofit organization with a mission solely of making service
and giving easier for users. Second, since the AOL Time Warner
Foundation pays for the transaction costs, there are no fees,
charges or commissions taken out of the gifts. And third, Helping.org
is the only contribution vehicle that enables users to contribute
to any of the more than 620,000 recognized U.S. charities.
back
to top
How
do I contact HelpingMaryland.org or Helping.org?
For questions related to the Helping.org web site and its services,
please send email to feedback@Helping.org.
For questions about the GuideStar database of charities, please
contact customerservice@guidestar.org.
For questions about individual online donations, please contact
Helping.org@uniteq.net.
For questions regarding HelpingMaryland.Org please contact info@afpmaryland.org.
back
to top
|
