Nonprofit FAQ

Q. What is NEPA Gives?

NEPA Gives is a 24 hour online giving extravaganza that's all about giving back to the community. Scranton Area Community Foundation, Carbon County Community Foundation, The Luzerne Foundation, Greater Pike Community Foundation, and Wayne County Community Foundation and other community sponsors have joined together to host NEPA Gives 2024.

Q. When is NEPA Gives?

NEPA Gives takes place on Thursday and Friday, June 6-7, 2024. For 24 hours—from Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. to Friday, June 7, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.— donors may make secure donations to their favorite local nonprofit organizations through the NEPA Gives online platform. 

Q. Will there be an in-person event for NEPA Gives 2024?

There will be in-person events on Thursday, June 6, 2024 and on Friday, June 7, 2024 to support NEPA Gives. All organizations are encouraged to attend our events, or hold their own. More information to come...

Q. How do I register an organization?

You can register your organization by following the link below

https://www.nepagives.org/register

Q. Can we still register with NEPA Gives if my organization uses a national or umbrella organization's tax id number? 

Yes, you can. you would just need to send a chapter letter to become GiveGab verified.  You will also need to enter the name associated with the EIN on the submitted bank account information.

Q. How much does it cost to participate in NEPA Gives 2024?

Tiered registration:

Early bird date: 2/14/24 - 3/24/24 - $50

      *Must register and be donatable before the cutoff date to qualify for $1,000 Incentive - you will also be entered into the $500 midway incentive if you do not win the $1,000 early bird incentive.  You must raise $1,000 on the giving day to win this prize.

Midway date: 3/25/24 - 4/28/24 - $100

     *Must register and be donatable before the cutoff date to qualify for $500 Incentive. You must raise $500 on the giving day to win this prize.

Final registration date: 4/29/24 - 5/19/24 - $200

     *No incentive


Q. Who can donate?

Anyone can donate! We’ve made it simple and easy to give online. 

Q. What is GiveGab/Bonterra?

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

Q. What is a "unique donor"?

For the purposes of awarding prizes, a unique donor is one individual or corporation/business. Multiple donations from one donor to the same nonprofit will count as one gift. Organizations cannot donate to themselves.

Q. What forms of donations are accepted?

MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express donations received through the website on the giving day will be matched from the bonus pool on a prorated basis. 

Q. What if I have cash or check donations?

Cash and check donations are considered "offline donations," which count towards your total, but they are not eligible to count towards prizes and incentives. If you have cash or check donation that you would like to contribute to your organizations' totals for NEPA Gives, you will be able to add them via your Nonprofit Dashboard on June 6 at 7PM until June 7 at 7PM.

Q. Is my donation tax-deductible?

When donations are received through the website, a receipt is automatically generated for the gross amount of your gift and emailed to the address you provide. Your tax professional can advise you on the tax deductibility of the donation.

Q. Will I receive a receipt for tax purposes?

Yes. You will automatically receive an emailed receipt acknowledging your gift. 

Q. Is there a minimum gift?

There is a $10 minimum donation.

Q. May I pay a pledge with my gift?

Since NEPA Gives is designed to generate new support, we are unable to accept gifts to pay off existing pledges.

Q. May I designate how a nonprofit uses my gift?

All donations made during the Giving Day are considered unrestricted gifts to the nonprofit, other than they must be used for the benefit of the NEPA community. However, you may express your desire that your gift be used for a specific program or project (in the notes field of the giving form)

Q. How much of the donation will go to the nonprofit?

GiveGab/Bonterra 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). You are given the option to cover the fees and if you choose this option, 100% of your online charitable gift will go to the receiving organization. All donations are final and cannot be refunded. Any donations processed outside of NEPA Gives 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. May I use my donation to buy event tickets, museum memberships, or other things that provide me a benefit?

No, donations may not be used to pay for anything that might be perceived as a material benefit to the donor, advisor or other disqualified person - including dinner tickets, membership fees, golf fees, admission tickets or other gifts.

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 GiveGab/Bonterra 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/Bonterra 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: