VFPServ on GlobalGiving - General Information and FAQs

GlobalGiving is an online marketplace that connects individual and institutional donors directly to social, economic development, and environmental projects around the world. Through our general website, www.globalgiving.com as well as the Volunteers for Prosperity website, www.volunteersforprosperity.gov, anyone can browse projects in thematic or geographic areas.

GlobalGiving has a public site, www.globalgiving.com, where anyone can browse projects in thematic or geographic areas. We also provide the following customized services:

• Development of customized giving websites.
• Project sourcing and vetting services.
• Co-marketing and retail-based giving programs that enable companies to promote their support of projects and engage their customers in giving programs.

GlobalGiving was founded by two former World Bank executives who are using the Internet to create a new way for more funding to reach projects throughout the globe and, at the same time, provides a more transparent, engaging way for donors to give.

GlobalGiving differs from other giving facilitators in the following ways:

• GlobalGiving connects donors directly to specific projects, versus to organizations, which may run projects but determine themselves how contributions are allocated or spent.
• By enabling donors to give directly to projects, GlobalGiving offers more choice -- donors can browse through a broad range of geographies and themes such as health, education, environment, among others -- and they know exactly how their money will be used. In addition, donors can connect and communicate directly with project leaders, see how their contributions are being put to work and the results that have been achieved, and provide feedback directly to the projects.
• By working through trusted partners, we are able to identify, vet, and promote projects that might not otherwise receive support because of distance, technology limitations, or language barriers.

GlobalGiving is supported by leaders in philanthropy, official aid, and the private sector, including HP, USAID, The Skoll Foundation, Omidyar Network, The Sall Family Foundation, The Hewlett Foundation, The Packard Foundation, The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, among others.

GlobalGiving is a collaboration between two entities - the GlobalGiving Foundation and a socially-oriented enterprise called ManyFutures, Inc. The Foundation handles all due diligence on projects, along with disbursement of funds to projects and tax receipts to donors. The Foundation also provides a variety of services to project leaders in the field, including networking and training. ManyFutures is responsible for the development and operation of the web site, along with marketing to donors, corporations, and other organizations.

GlobalGiving's mission is to build an efficient, open, thriving marketplace that connects people who have community and world-changing ideas with people who can support them.

Click here to see our GuideStar profile.

We work with a network of project sponsors to post projects on VFPServ on GlobalGiving. These project sponsors -- all established, reputable organizations such as Ashoka, IDEX, and the United Nations Foundation -- work with local "project leaders" to vet projects to ensure they are legitimate, well-run, and satisfy IRS guidelines for international grantmaking as well as the new voluntary guidelines for anti-terrorism set for the in the Patriot Act.

Once projects are submitted, GlobalGiving does a secondary review, prior to posting.

As part of the posting process, the project sponsor or project leader must provide detailed background information on the project leader, the project's objectives, and expected outcomes once the project receives funding.

Each month, GlobalGiving pools contributions from donors, and if the project has received $250 or more in funding, transfers the money either to the project sponsor (see 2.1 above) or the implementing organization. If the project has not yet reached $250, funds are disbursed once it has reached that amount.

GlobalGiving works with a wide range of established, respected international organizations such as Ashoka, IDEX, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank as project sponsors, who authenticate the projects of their partner organizations working in the field, and ensure the legitimacy of each social entrepreneur. These relationships enable a unique portfolio of credible projects not found on any other site.

All projects on VFPServ on GlobalGiving are vetted for eligibility -- by GlobalGiving or its partner organizations -- to receive international grants. This means that these projects have satisfied the IRS guidelines for international grant making as well as the new voluntary guidelines for anti-terrorism set forth in the Patriot Act.

When you make a contribution to a project through VFPServ on GlobalGiving, your name, billing address, email address, and credit card information are collected by one of our third-party credit card vendors (VeriSign or PayPal).

When you give to a project through VFPServ on GlobalGiving, your name and email address is added to a list so we can notify you when a project posts updates or progress reports; while you can opt out of receiving these updates, most donors find them helpful and informative. You will also have the opportunity to opt in to GlobalGiving's newsletter. Finally, while we encourage donors to share their name and address with the project leader in order to foster long-term relationships, donors may elect to remain anonymous, in which case GlobalGiving promises to maintain your complete privacy.

To learn more, read our privacy policy.

Yes. All of the projects on VFPServ have been pre-qualified for 501(c)3 equivalency status. Further, all donations go through the GlobalGiving Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, making them tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers to the full extent permitted by law.

The GlobalGiving Foundation's tax-exempt ID number is 30-010-8263.

For VFPServ on GlobalGiving, donations can be made by credit/debit cards and PayPal. Donations must be made online through via www.globalgiving.com/vfpserv to be eligible for matching.

To make a donation, click "Give Now" and enter your information accordingly through our secure server.

All credit card donations are collected through VeriSign, a secure third party whom we hire for this purpose, or PayPal, also a highly secure third-party payment system. Because all transactions go through third parties, GlobalGiving does not receive or retain credit card numbers.

All donations made through PayPal, a leader in online payments, are kept private over their secure network. Learn more about PayPal.

GlobalGiving takes a 15% fee to cover the costs of aggregating and vetting credible funding opportunities and presenting them on VFPServ on GlobalGiving. There is also a nominal fee that covers the cost of transferring funds overseas. Between 80-85% of your money goes directly to the project you choose to support. Our fee is one of the lowest fees available in international philanthropy, and because funds go directly to the project level, your contribution goes much further than most other international giving options.

Every donation can make a difference. The minimum donation is $10.

Donation options illustrate the impact specific dollar amounts will have on a particular project. Many donors find that donation options help them get a tangible sense of how their contributions will be used. Keep in mind that you are not required to select a donation option -- we welcome any amount (minimum $10); just enter your desired contribution in the box labeled "Other Amount."

Typically, project leaders use a variety of funding channels to raise funds for their projects. When you donate to a project through VFPServ on GlobalGiving, your donation will always be directed to that fundraiser and its defined activities.

When you make a donation through VFPServ on GlobalGiving, you have the option of creating an account by providing a minimal amount of information. Through your account, you can keep track of your giving history. In addition, all contributions made to projects through VFPServ on GlobalGiving will be acknowledged with a receipt that is emailed immediately after completing the transaction.

At the bottom of your fundraiser page, you will see a record of the screen names of the people who have donated and the amounts they have given (or "anonymous," if donors have elected not to share their names).

No, unfortunately donations made through VFPServ on GlobalGiving cannot be made as gifts in honor of someone else (you can, however, do this through GlobalGiving's general website, www.globalgiving.org).

No, you cannot redeem a gift certificate or gift card on VFPServ on GlobalGiving.

New projects are not being added to VFPServ on GlobalGiving. For GlobalGiving's general website, projects are sourced through a system of project sponsors, primarily U.S.-based 501(c)3 organizations that vet the potential project, certify that the project's methodology is sound and that the project leader has a strong track record.

If you work with a nonprofit that would like to post a project on the GlobalGiving website, contact us.

Project leaders typically are the "on the ground" managers of local projects. They run the projects and ensure that the funds collected through GlobalGiving are properly used. They also provide the project information that appears on the GlobalGiving. While GlobalGiving reviews and must approve of all project descriptions before they appear on the website, we do not make content changes. It is the responsibility of the project leader to work with project sponsors to ensure their projects are accurately represented on the site.