FAQ
Q. What is The Big Give?
Big Give is the biggest day of giving in South Central Texas, raising in excess of $40 million dollars for the local community over the past decade. During a single 24-hour period, from 6:00 PM on September 20 to 6:00 PM on September 21, 2023 residents from across a 15-county region and beyond will come together to support more than 400 nonprofits by making a donation through the platform, theBigGive.org.Q. When is The Big Give?
Big Give 2023 is on September 20 at 6 pm – September 21 at 6 pm.
Early giving opens on September 13, 2023.
Q. What is theBigGive.org?
theBigGive.org is an easy-to-use and secure online platform that allows users to search and discover local giving opportunities. You can find the causes you love, learn about the impact they make, and start giving back.
The Big Give is a program of The Nonprofit Council, a San Antonio-based nonprofit.
Q. Who is The Nonprofit Council?
Our mission is to SUPPORT, CONNECT and STRENGTHEN the leadership of nonprofit organizations.
The Nonprofit Council was founded in 2003 to carry out our mission through local advocacy, training, resource sharing and the strength and extensive knowledge of our combined membership.
To learn more, visit tncouncil.org.
Q. Why give during the Big Give?
We encourage year-round giving to sustain the local nonprofits that serve our community, but we make a special ask during the Big Give. This is the day that becomes a movement of generosity to celebrate and support the local nonprofits that make San Antonio and South Central Texas a great place to live, work and play.
Gifts made during Big Give have the potential to be matched by generous sponsors to make your donation go even further. Additionally, your gift may help your favorite nonprofit win a prize!
Q. Who can donate?
Anyone and everyone is encouraged to donate to the nonprofit(s) of their choice through the Big Give! Gifts are not limited to your location. Contributions can be made via credit and debit card, ACH deposit, mobile wallet as well as via Donor Advised Funds. Donations will be processed and receipted by Bonterra.
Q. How can I share the news about the Big Give?
Follow us on Social Media
Follow the Big Give on Instagram and Facebook,to stay up to date with the latest news and share our posts with your followers. Participate in our social media campaign by sharing how you give back locally and posting a photo or video with #BigGive2023 to inspire your friends to join the giving day with you. Your post may just be shared on our accounts!Q. What are the organizations participating in Big Give?
More than 400 nonprofit organizations serving South Central Texas are represented on theBigGive.org. Each organization must comply with the following requirements to qualify for participation or participate under the umbrella of a fiscal sponsor: provide proof of 501c3 status; supply proof of active Franchise Tax Account status with the Texas Comptroller; have filed and provided most recent IRS 990 form or e-Postcard as required by law.
Q. Does receiving approval to participate in the Big Give endorse each participating nonprofit's mission and programs?
The Nonprofit Council via the Big Give is proud to support tens of thousands of donors as they come together on one day to give to their favorite nonprofits or causes. We encourage you to find organizations that align with your passions and values. While The Nonprofit Council does verify the charitable status of every nonprofit that participates in the Big Give, TNC does not screen or select organizations on the basis of their charitable purposes or their missions. 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 The Nonprofit Council or any of our partners.
Each nonprofit page provides the organization's mission, not detailed information on all of its programs. For your additional research, please visit the organizations website outside of the Big Give platform to provide you with more detailed information on the organization's mission and use of its funds.
Q. What prizes and matching dollars are nonprofits eligible to win during the Big Give?
Learn more about what prizes are available on our Prizes page. Also note that individual nonprofit agencies may have their own matches to promote!
Q. Is there a minimum donation amount?
The minimum donation on theBigGive.org is $10. We believe everyone should have access to supporting their community.
Q. Can I give to more than one organization?
Yes! You can choose up to 10 nonprofits to support with each transaction. Only organizations that have registered to participate may receive gifts through theBigGive.org
Q. Can I make a donation using my phone?
Yes! Our technology provider has a "mobile-optimized platform” that will make it easy to give with the available payment methods on any device. Apple Pay, Google Pay and Microsoft Pay are also available options for a faster checkout when using a device with these features enabled.
Q. Can I make a gift with cash or check?
Absolutely! Please coordinate any cash or check donations with the nonprofit organization directly. They can account for your gift on their dashboard as an Offline Gift, and your donation will be added to their total. Please note that offline gifts, however, will not be eligible for prizes or matches sponsored by the Big Give.
Q. Can I make a gift with my Donor Advised Fund (DAF)?
Absolutely! The Big Give team will be monitoring DAF gifts throughout the day, and will reach out to you to verify the gift and provide further instructions on how to get the funds to the organization you are donating to. Once verified, the gift will show up on in the organization’s totals. Please note that offline gifts, however, will not be eligible for prizes or matches sponsored by the Big Give. No fees are incurred with this gift, and the minimum gift is $500.
Q. Is my donation safe and secure?
Yes! Bonterra is the hosting platform for theBigGive.org and uses a PCI Level I compliant payment service to ensure that all financial data is secure. You can learn about Stripe’s security precautions and more about PCI compliance.
Q. Is my donation 100% tax-deductible?
Yes!
Q. How will I get a tax receipt for my donations?
You will receive an immediate thank you and receipt for your charitable contribution(s), which you should print out for your tax purposes. Your donation will be in the hands of your nonprofits within 10 business days.
Q. How will I be recognized as a donor?
You will receive an immediate thank you email. If you select to have your name displayed, it will appear in a scrolling feature on your chosen organization's profile on theBigGive.org. You can choose to make an anonymous donation if you prefer.
Q. Is there a service charge on Big Give donations?
There is a total processing fee of 7%, made up of combined service charges from Bonterra, The Nonprofit Council and the standard online credit card processing fee. The complete breakdown is as follows:
- 2.5% Bonterra service charge for building and maintaining a highly secure hosting site. This covers the building and maintenance of the website, live event customer service, and other resources.
- 2.5% + $0.30 credit card charges on all gifts made with Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. These are standard charges from each credit card company for donations made online. If you give to multiple organizations in one transaction, this fee will be charged to each separate gift within that transaction.
- 2% service charge to the Nonprofit Council to cover the management costs, year-round event planning, free nonprofit trainings, nonprofit support services securing business/corporate and foundation sponsorships/support, and financial services (auditing prize winners & processing prize checks).
- Users also have the ability to make a gift using their ACH checking account. Donations of $100 or more are eligible for ACH transfer and will incur a $3 flat fee in addition to the 2.5% Bonterra and 2% Nonprofit Council fees listed above.
In 2022, 94% of donors chose to cover all of the processing fees. By donors choosing to cover the fees, your nonprofit will receive 100% of your intended gift.
Q. Can I get a refund?
Please reach out to the organization where the donation was made to start the refund process.
Q. What is a Fundraising Champion?
A Fundraising Champion is a peer-to-peer fundraiser who rallies around a nonprofit's cause to fundraise on its behalf. Individuals and businesses can set up a Fundraising Champion profile for the causes important to them. You can choose one nonprofit to support or many. You pick your own fundraising goal for a chosen nonprofit and accept donations on your fundraising page. All fundraisers must register and complete an online fundraising page. You can get started on our GET INVOLVED page.
Q. Can I add a donate button on Facebook for my Big Give Fundraiser?
While we recommend promoting Big Give across your social channels, we do not recommend “adding a donate button” or “creating a fundraiser” with Facebook for the Big Give. Using the ‘donate’ button through Facebook does NOT link to your fundraiser page on theBigGive.org and does not count toward your chosen nonprofit’s Big Give total or goals. We cannot track donations made through Facebook and they do not count toward Big Give campaign for prizes, incentives, and matches.
Q. My company is listed as a Business Fundraiser. What does that mean?
Your company is encouraging you to give local during the Big Give! Many of our Business Fundraisers also have corporate matches for Big Give so be sure to select them as your employer when you check out.
Q. Can my business become a Business Fundraiser?
Yes! Companies can support the Big Give by encouraging their employees to give generously to the causes they care about. Your colleagues will identify themselves when they make their donation. More Information on Business Fundraisers can be found here.
Q. Who will receive my contact information?
The organization(s) you choose to support will have access to your contact information. It is up to you to tell the nonprofit if you would like to remain anonymous to the public, should the nonprofit choose to publicly thank you. Your information will also be used to email your donation receipt for tax purposes and to send a thank you messages.
Additionally, the Nonprofit Council (Big Give) will never misuse your information by selling, distributing or utilizing it for any purpose OTHER THAN to notify you of our future giving days.
Q. Who do I contact if I have more questions?
For technical support, please use the blue chat bubble on the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. Someone from the Bonterra Customer Service Team will be there to answer questions weekdays from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM CST.