Q. When can I make a gift through #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday?

In 2024, our Advanced Giving phase begins at 12:00 AM on Monday, November 18 and continues right into #GivingTuesday on December 3, ending at 11:59 PM.

Q. How do I find the ministry that I want to donate to?

For more information on how to search for and find the school, parish, or ministry that you would like to donate to -  check out this support article. 

Q. What is #iGiveCatholic?

#iGiveCatholic is a bishop-led initiative in partnership with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and dozens of individual dioceses to bring the Catholic community together to inspire and support generosity.

An independent 501c3 non-profit organization, #iGiveCatholic runs the annual U.S. Catholic Church’s giving day, #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday, providing our Catholic parishes, schools, and nonprofit ministries the opportunity to engage with their current donors, reconnect with past supporters, and establish relationships with new donors. It is also an opportunity for Catholics to affirm our faith as disciples of Jesus Christ by sharing our gifts out of love for God and one another.

The goal of #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday is to inspire the Catholic community to come together as faithful stewards and to "Give Back and Give Catholic" on GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to inspiring generosity. 

You can learn more about #iGiveCatholic on our About page in the Menu of this website. You can learn more about the GivingTuesday movement by clicking HERE.

Q. How can my organization participate in #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday?

All 501(c)3 parishes, schools, and non-profit ministries listed in the Official Catholic Directory are eligible to participate in #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday. To inquire about registering your organization, contact the person listed for your diocese on the bottom of this page under the header "Diocesan Partner Contacts".  

If your diocese does not appear on that list, email info@igivecatholic.org to inquire about participating under our National Ministries or Catholic Education page. Unfortunately, parishes currently cannot participate if their diocese is not an #iGiveCatholic partner.  

Q. How does it work?

#iGiveCatholic provides an online giving day platform with built-in fundraising features to participating parishes, schools, and nonprofit ministries to help them tell their stories, show their progress towards a goal, as well as motivate, accept, and celebrate online or offline donations. All online donations are processed through and receipted immediately by #iGiveCatholic. Offline gifts of cash or check can be mailed or delivered directly to the organization the donor chooses to support during the giving period. 

Q. Why host a Catholic Giving Day on GivingTuesday?

Immediately after Thanksgiving, we have three days that ask us to purchase gifts for loved ones: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Starting in 2012, GivingTuesday has given us an opportunity to shift our focus towards generously sharing our resources with the organizations, causes, and communities that matter to us. GivingTuesday is now an independent nonprofit and a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

For Catholics, generosity and giving have a profound meaning. As we reflect with grateful hearts on how blessed we are, we naturally want to give back to God from our deep sense of gratitude. Compelled to action by our grateful compassion, we unite through #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, and preserve our Catholic heritage for future generations.

Q. How can I stay up to date on what's happening?

You can see our live total numbers of donations and dollars raised grow on December 3 by clicking here. News and updates will be posted regularly and year-round to #iGiveCatholic’s social media sites:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iGiveCatholic
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/igivecatholic/
• X/Twitter: https://X.com/iGiveCatholic
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@igivecatholic
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@igivecatholic
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/igivecatholic/

Q. Are there sponsorship opportunities?

Yes! You can see all national Sponsorship Levels and Benefits on the Sponsorship Opportunities page. If your organization would like to join us as a global #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday sponsor, contact lisa@igivecatholic.org.

If you would like to sponsor a diocesan effort, please contact the person listed for your diocese on the bottom of this page under the header "Diocesan Partner Contacts".  

Q. Which organizations are eligible to participate in #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday?

All 501(c)3 parishes, schools, and non-profit ministries listed in the Official Catholic Directory are eligible to participate in #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday. To inquire about registering your organization, contact the person listed for your diocese on the bottom of this page under the header "Diocesan Partner Contacts".  

If your diocese does not appear on that list, email info@igivecatholic.org to inquire about participating under our National Ministries or Catholic Education page. Unfortunately, parishes currently cannot participate if their diocese is not an #iGiveCatholic partner.  

Q. Do participating organizations have to pay a participation or set-up fee?

If an organization participates through a partner diocese, they do not have to pay a participation fee. This resource is a gift to member organizations from your diocese or local Catholic foundation. 

Organizations who participate independent of their diocese through the National Ministries or Catholic Education pages are asked to pay an annual fee of $250 for use of the platform as well as all of the resources provided by #iGiveCatholic.

Q. How do I register my organization to participate?

Eligible organizations in partner dioceses should contact their diocesan #iGiveCatholic leader (listed on the bottom of this page under the header "Diocesan Partner Contacts") to request an invitation to register, which will be emailed on August 19.  Once you receive the email, click "Apply Now", then "Add My Ministry" if you are new or enter your organization's name in the search field of "Find Your Ministry" if your organization has participated before. You will need to answer a few registration questions, and then your application will be pending until approved by your diocesan #iGiveCatholic leader, typically within a few working days.

All organizations MUST be approved before registration closes at 11:59 PM on November 1, 2024, so please apply well in advance of this deadline to allow time for your local leader to approve your application.

Organizations will not be permitted to register after November 1.

Once registered, the organization can begin customizing their #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday profile page, and, if required, enter their bank account information to be verified for gift acceptance.

How-to articles on registering and completing your profile are located on the Resources page in the Menu of this website. We also recommend asking questions by clicking on the blue chat bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of the web page, entering your email address, and typing your question! You may also email your question to our tech support team at questions@igivecatholic.org.

Q. Do organizations receive training?

Yes! Live training webinars will be presented on August 28 and November 13. You can register for these sessions on the Trainings page of this website where presentation slides and recordings of these sessions will be available following each webinar. You can also find recording and reference document for the 2024 Top Ten Roundtable held in April as well as a series of pre-recorded training webinars on the Trainings page.

We strongly recommend that you participate in or view these recorded webinars to help guide you and your organization prepare a successful giving day. 

Additional trainings might be offered by your diocese or local Catholic foundation. Please contact your diocesan #iGiveCatholic leader (listed on the bottom of this page under the header "Diocesan Partner Contacts") for more information.

Q. When will my organization receive its donations?

If you enter your organization's banking information in your #iGiveCatholic Admin Dashboard and your bank account is verified, your organization will receive funds via ACH transfer into your bank account within five (5) business days of donation activity. If your organization is being fiscally sponsored by your diocese or local Catholic foundation, you will receive your donation funds from your local #iGiveCatholic leader within 60 days following GivingTuesday.

Q. Does my organization need to send letters to online donors for their tax deduction?

No. Online donors receive an immediate email receipt from #iGiveCatholic with tax deduction language. However, this tax receipt is not a "thank you." By registering to participate in #iGiveCatholic, organizations agree to thank donors within seven working days, and may extend their gratitude through any medium they like, including thank you letters, phone calls, or social media “shout outs.” You can find Thank You Tips and Templates on the bottom of the Resources page. 

Your organization must, however, send tax receipts for all offline donations of cash or check; #iGiveCatholic can only email receipts for donations processed online. 

Q. Will my organization receive donor information for acknowledgements?

Yes. You will have access to view donor information during the giving period and afterward through your #iGiveCatholic admin dashboard. From there, you can request a .CSV file of donor information that will be emailed to the email address on file for organization, for security purposes. For more detailed step-by-step directions, click to read the support article here.

To log in to your dashboard, go to iGiveCatholic.org and click “Menu” in the top right hand corner of the page. A drop down menu will appear. Click “Log In” to enter your email and password. 

Organizations should thank donors within seven business days following GivingTuesday.

Q. How can I stay up to date on what's happening?

News and updates will be posted regularly and year-round to #iGiveCatholic’s social media sites:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iGiveCatholic
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/igivecatholic/
• X/Twitter: https://X.com/iGiveCatholic
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@igivecatholic
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@igivecatholic
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/igivecatholic/

Q. I have questions - who can answer them?

For technical support questions on the iGiveCatholic.org website or Admin Dashboard, click on the blue chat bubble at the bottom right-hand corner of any page and enter your email address and question for the GiveGab/Bonterra tech support team. You can also email questions@igivecatholic.org.

Q. What forms of donations are accepted?

MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express are accepted through the #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday website (or through Mobile Wallet if donating from a mobile device). Donors giving $100 or more will have the option to pay by bank account debit (ACH). Some, but not all, #iGiveCatholic diocesan partners have also enabled Donor Advised Funds as a payment method for online donations. To inquire about using your DAF as an online donation payment method, contact the person listed for your diocese on the bottom of this page under the header "Diocesan Partner Contacts". 

Donors are also welcome to bring offline gifts of cash or check to their chosen parish, school, or nonprofit ministry. Ministry administrators are responsible for adding offline donations to their organization's admin dashboard as they are received so that these donations are included in progress bar towards the campaign goal, leaderboard totals, and are counted toward any available prize, match, or challenge opportunities. 

Donor-Advised Fund holders are encouraged to recommend grants from their funds as #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday donations to their favorite Catholic parish, school or ministry, perhaps as a match or challenge opportunity! IRA holders aged 70 1/2 or better are also invited to request a Qualified Charitable Distribution for the same purpose!

Q. I will not have access to the internet on GivingTuesday. Is there another time I can give?

Yes. For the convenience of donors, gifts through #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday may be made in advance starting on November 18 at 12:00 AM and continuing through December 3 at 11:59 PM at iGiveCatholic.org. Advanced gifts will be charged at the time of donation and credited to the participating organization's total immediately, though some giving day features do not appear until the giving day, GivingTuesday.

Q. How can I find an organization on the #iGiveCatholic GivingTuesday website?

You can search for your organization during the giving period (November 18 - December 3, 2023) using the Search feature. For other ways to find an organization, click here. If you can't find them on the iGiveCatholic.org website, they may not be participating in #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday this year; we suggest that you contact them directly.

Q. Can a donor give to multiple organizations?

Yes! #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday donors have the option of donating to up to ten separate organizations all in one transaction through the Gift Basket option.

Q. Is there a minimum gift?

The minimum online donation for #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday is $10. However, participating organizations will gladly accept gifts of any amount by check or cash! Please contact the organization directly to find out where to mail or drop off your #iGiveCatholic gift of check or cash. 

Q. Are gifts tax-deductible?

Yes. All donations are tax-deductible and irrevocable and will be for the designated use of your chosen charity.

Q. Do online donors receive a tax receipt from the school, parish, ministry, or not-for-profit?

Online donors immediately receive an emailed tax receipt from #iGiveCatholic confirming their gift amount and organization designation. If you do not receive an emailed tax receipt, check your email “spam” folder. You can also go back into your account and resend a receipt, or ask the organization you supported to resend you a receipt.

Q. May I pay a pledge with my gift?

No, the #iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday giving day is designed to generate new, one-time gifts.

Q. May I use my #iGiveCatholic 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 including dinner tickets, membership fees, golf fees, admission tickets, raffle tickets, event sponsorships, or other benefits.

Q. May I designate how a school, parish, ministry or not-for-profit uses my gift?

#iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday donations are considered unrestricted gifts to the chosen school, parish, or ministry, unless the participating organization has specified a particular project for this year’s campaign.

Q. Why are there fees applied to my donations through #iGiveCatholic?

#iGiveCatholic on GivingTuesday is a fundraiser for your organization, and there are expenses as there are with any other fundraiser held in person such as a dinner, gala, etc. The convenience of donating through a giving day platform with special features and extra security measures incurs fees. These online transaction fees contribute to the cost of secure financial transactions, responsive tech support, customizable marketing materials, tailored training, one-on-one support and other behind the scenes components enabling your chosen ministry to focus their time and effort on their mission. You can read more about how these fees assist your organization HERE.

All online donations will be paid to the organization net the host, platform, and ACH or credit card transaction fees. ACH fees are 3.3% plus $3.00. Credit card transaction fees are 5.8% plus $0.30.  Donors have the option to cover these fees at the time of donation, and they will receive a tax deduction on the full donation amount, inclusive of any fees covered. 

Offline gifts of cash and checks given directly to the organization incur no online transaction fees. 

Q. What if I notice a transaction error?

Donors who notice a credit card transaction error must notify #iGiveCatholic by emailing questions@iGiveCatholic.org within 30 days following GivingTuesday.

Q. I have questions - who can answer them?

On the iGiveCatholic.org website, click on the blue chat bubble on the bottom right-hand corner of any page and enter your email address and your question. You can also send your question by email to questions@igivecatholic.org. GiveGab/Bonterra is the platform provider and may be answering your questions if technical and related to the platform.