FAQ
Q. What is India Giving Day?
India Giving Day is a day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. India Giving Day is an initiative of India Philanthropy Alliance.
Q. When is India Giving Day?
India Giving Day is on March 14, 2025.
Q. Which organizations can participate?
Organizations that are verified 501( c )(3) charitable nonprofits and are registered on the India Giving Day online portal can participate. Registrations for India Giving Day 2025 closed on October 31, 2024.
Q. Who can donate?
Anyone may donate. Donations through the India Giving Day online portal to charitable nonprofit organizations are tax-deductible and cannot be refunded. Contributions may be made via credit and debit card only. Donations will be processed and receipted by GiveGab/Bonterra.
Q. Who is managing the technology, such as the India giving Day website and donation portal?
The India Philanthropy Alliance has contracted with GiveGab/Bonterra, the market leader in giving day technology, to manage the website and giving portal. GiveGab/Bonterra, is a nonprofit giving platform that helps nonprofits to raise money, engage donors and manage volunteers quickly and efficiently.
Q. How will donations be distributed?
Each donation made to a participating nonprofit will be disbursed directly from GiveGab/Bonterra via direct deposit within 5-7 business days.
Q. How much of my donation goes to the nonprofit?
GiveGab charges a 3.5% campaign management fee on all donations. Credit Card processing fees are an additional 2.5% + $0.30 for all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover). Donors are given the option to cover the fees, and based on the experience of other giving days, most agree to do so. All donations are final and cannot be refunded. Any donations processed outside of India Giving Day donation period, through GiveGab.com, or subsequent recurring donations are subject to transaction fees outlined above. Matching funds that the campaign and participating organizations make available can increase the value of donations significantly. Already, the campaign has secured a commitment of $115,000 that will match selected donations to participating organizations through a transparent process.
Q. Who will receive my contact information?
The organization(s) you choose to support will have access to your name and email address. This information is used solely to send thank you messages, provide the option to receive future notifications, and to notify you of future activities.
Q. Do I need to create an account to make a donation?
No. You do not need to create an account to make a donation. The benefits of creating an account include having your tax receipts collected in one location, being able to track your donations, follow the charities you support, and engage in future volunteering and donations. Your tax receipt is emailed immediately upon processing your donation. To claim a donation as a deduction on U.S. taxes, you should retain the donation receipt as an official record.
Q. Can I make donations via a mobile device?
Yes! Simply visit indiagivingday.org on your mobile device.
Q. Can I pre-schedule a donation for India Giving Day?
You cannot pre-schedule your India Giving Day gift, but you may make a donation to a participating nonprofit before or after the India Giving Day.
FOR NONPROFITS
Q. How will my nonprofit raise money via IGD giving portal?
All listed nonprofits will have their own landing page for donations. A webinar will be conducted by GiveGab/Bonterra to instruct nonprofits how to set up their landing page to be most attractive to donors, how to manage peer-to-peer giving, and how to make their IGD campaign successful and attract new donors.
Q. How can I ensure my organization receives its donations?
In order to receive your donations via ACH transfer, GiveGab/Bonterra requires a checking account eligible to receive ACH transfers and withdrawals. Your donations will be deposited within 5-7 business days on a daily rolling basis.
If your organization supplies the wrong type of bank account (such as a savings account), or the wrong account numbers, GiveGab/Bonterra will be in touch! After 30 days, if GiveGab/Bonterra hasn't heard from your organization, they will refund your gifts back to your donors.
Q. Who makes decisions about IGD policies?
The ultimate decision-making body is the IPA Board of Directors, made up of the Founders, Executive Directors, or equivalent, of all of IPA's core network organizations. A fair amount of that authority has been delegated to the IGD Steering Committee, which is co-chaired by Manisha Bharti, the CEO of Pratham USA, Sejal Desai, the Executive Director of Akanksha Education Fund, and Jay Sehgal, the Executive Vice-President of Sehgal Foundation, US. IPA welcomes input, feedback, and suggestions about IGD policies.
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. The saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” could not be more true in this context.
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. When I check the box on my organization account 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 additional resources to reference about state charitable solicitation registration?
Yes! Here are a few more resources from Harbor Compliance to help you:
- Guide and Overview of Many Nonprofit State by State Compliance Requirements
- Guide and Overview Specific to Fundraising Compliance
- National Council of Nonprofits and Harbor Compliance have partnered to create a white paper explaining the state charitable solicitation registration requirements.
- A Quick Summary of Charitable Solicitation in Graphic Form
- Executive Brief: Charitable Solicitation Registration (great for driving awareness and support with leadership and the board)
- State by State Links to the State Organizations that Regulate Charities, Solicitation, and Registrations