Frequently Asked Questions for Donors

1. What is Valley Gives?

Valley Gives is a one-of-a-kind celebration of generosity for western Massachusetts.  On 12.12.12 residents of Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties will join together for 24 hours in special events and online campaigns to make gifts to their favorite charities.  In a single day we hope thousands of Valley residents will deliver an outpouring of support for the nonprofits working to make our region an amazing place to live.  Every gift will have greater impact as participating non-profits will be eligible for significant cash awards that will go directly to fund their good work.

2. Who can participate in Valley Gives?

Any individual may donate. Donations through Valley Gives to nonprofit organizations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law and irrevocable (donations will not be refunded). Contributions may be made via credit and debit card only.

3. How do I make a donation?

On December 12th, click here to search for the charity you want to support, and then click “donate” to enter the appropriate donation information. Donors can schedule contributions in advance of the Valley Gives day by visiting an organization’s page on the Valley Gives site. If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to our giving day partner, Razoo. Their friendly customer support team can help you: 866-437-1952 or support@razoo.com.  Only donations made online with a credit or debit card on December 12th will be a part of Valley Gives.

4. Is there a minimum or maximum donation?

The minimum donation is $10. There is no maximum donation limit.

5. How much of my donation will go to the nonprofit?

The nonprofit organization will receive the full donation, less a flat rate of 2.9%, which covers the credit card processing and Razoo.com fees.

6. Who will receive my contact information?

The organization(s) you choose to support will receive your name and contact information, unless you choose to make an anonymous contribution.  Your contact information will not be shared with any other organization.

7. Can I get a refund?

All donations are final and cannot be refunded.

8. Who is the Razoo Foundation?

The Razoo Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that exists to promote and provide online charitable giving solutions that support a new era in philanthropy. By leveraging secure and efficient technologies, the Razoo Foundation seeks to provide robust, high-value, low-cost end-to-end solutions for donors and nonprofits to easily fundraise and engage in charitable giving activities.

9. Do I need to have an account with Razoo to donate?

No, you do not need to create an account to make a donation. However, if you plan to give multiple times during Valley Gives creating an account means you only have to enter your credit card information once. Your account also collects your tax receipts in one location, enables you to track your donation, review the charities you support, and schedule future giving.

10. How do I get a tax receipt?

Your tax receipt is e-mailed to you immediately by Razoo Foundation upon successful processing of your donation. To claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, please retain your email donation receipt as an official record.

If you misplace this email, you can view your giving history and receipts by logging into your Razoo account, or request a duplicate receipt by e-mailing support@razoo.com. Please include your full name, date of donation, amount of donation, and name of your designated nonprofit.

Frequently Asked Questions for Nonprofits

1. What organizations are eligible to receive donor advisements and prizes?

To participate, 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations must be based in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts (Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties) AND primarily serve the community in the region. If an organization does not meet both of these criteria, they must fund and manage ongoing programs in these three counties.

This campaign's success will depend on our collective enthusiasm and implementation. We're asking nonprofit professionals, volunteers, businesses and citizens to bring their skills and experiences to their favorite nonprofits to make this a success. The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts will serve as the lead coordinator to ensure that we have a common message and that we utilize resources efficiently and effectively.

2. How do I register my nonprofit to participate?

Qualifying nonprofit organizations can register at http://valleygives.razoo.com until October 5, 2012

3. How much of a donor’s contribution will be re-granted to my organization?

Your organization will receive the full donation, less a flat rate of 2.9%, which covers the credit card processing and Razoo.com fees.

4. How will donations made on Valley Gives be distributed?

Each donation made to your organization will be disbursed directly to your nonprofit from the Razoo Foundation around the 10th of the month following Valley Gives. It will be disbursed via check, or you can sign up for electronic funds transfer here: www.razoo.com/eft.

5. How do I view donor information?

You can access a real-time donation report by logging into your administrative account, going to your nonprofit page, and clicking the tab “donations.” You can set the date filter and download this report into a .CSV file.

Razoo also provides an online Disbursement report so you can cross-reference transactions in your monthly disbursement. You can access this under the “donations” tab by clicking the link “Disbursements.”

6. Do I need to issue tax receipt to my donors?

No, donations made through Razoo will be receipted from Razoo Foundation. However, we do encourage you to send a thank you note/email to your donors letting them know how awesome they are.

Thank You

How it Worked

When a donor came to the Valley Gives website on December 12th, they made a gift to their favorite nonprofits. At the end of 24 hours, the top three nonprofits that raised the most money and the top three nonprofits that received the most donors were rewarded with special grants of $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000, the nonprofit in 12th place in each category received $1,200. In addition to those prizes, participating nonprofits were eligible for special bonus gifts given between noon and midnight to randomly selected winners.

Browse Nonprofits

For more information about rules and prizes.

Go to Rules and Prizes

Thank you Sponsors and Partners

Thank you to all the generous sponsors and donors who made Valley Gives possible. You have set a shining example for our region and made this a better place to live and work. Special thanks are dedicated to Paul Doherty and Al Griggs who have inspired us all to live more generous lives.

Golden Ticket

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Legal Disclaimer

All donations made on valleygives.razoo.com are made to the Razoo Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization which permits donors to advise a regranting of their donations to other IRS recognized qualifying 501(c)(3). It’s Razoo Foundation’s normal practice to regrant 97.1% of its contribution to the qualifying organization as advised by the donor, retaining 2.9% for Razoo Foundation’s expenses (including credit card transaction costs).