I'm teaming up with an organization called Network for Good/SixDegrees to facilitate online donations to Curesearch NCCF.This organization tries to minimize the "overhead" associated with charitable giving by streamlining the transactions involved (i.e. by focusing on
electronic transactions). Network for Good uses industry-leading Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to keep your personal information as secure as possible.
Online donations are simplest via credit card or Paypal (if you have a Paypal account), but you can also make an "online checking" donation by entering some key information from one of your checks. However, due to the higher processing fees associated with online checking donations (that are ultimately incurred by the charity), the minimum donation amount for this method of donation is significantly higher (see below).
If you want to avoid the whole online thing and mail a check:
Info about donating by phone, mail, or FAX is here. Note that donating this way will not add it to the donation tally for the Mt. Rainier climb, but it still accomplishes the main thing, which is supporting the cause. If you do this, leave us a comment here so that we can give you the thanks you deserve.
Donating online through Network for Good does require that you "register" online with them. But their privacy policy makes it clear that they "will never sell, trade or rent your personal information to other individuals or companies." In other words, you won't be flooded with junk mail and spam after you donate through them.
Here is more about donating this way (taken directly from the Network for Good website (as of March 2008):
How do I make a donation?
Making a donation on Network for Good is easy. Network for Good's web site features a Giving Cart - a "shopping cart" that enables you to make a single donation or multiple donations to a variety of nonprofit organizations all in one visit. You will be asked to create a Profile for future giving, as a way for you to save your contact information and to store your donation history for future reference.
To make a donation, you first need to find an organization you want to support in the GuideStar database. To do this, go to the Donate section, and use the search tools provided; you may search by keyword, location, or organization name.
Once you identify an organization that you would like to support, click the Donate Now button. On the following page, enter the information requested, including the donation amount, your donation preferences, your donation designation (optional), and your donation dedication (optional). When completed, click the Add to Giving Cart button.
On the next page, you will see your Giving Cart, which lists your donations. On this page, you may Change your donations, or Remove them from the Giving Cart. From this page, you may click to Make Another Donation or you can click Continue to proceed to check out. By clicking Make Another Donation, you will return to the Donate section, where you can conduct another search for a charity, and add the donation to your Giving Cart.
Once you proceed to check out, you will be prompted to sign in to Network for Good. If you are a returning donor, enter your e-mail address and password and click Sign In. If you are a new donor, simply enter your e-mail address and click Continue.
Enter your billing information, as requested, and click Continue. On the following page, review your donation and billing information. If any of it is incorrect, click Change. If it is correct, click Complete Donation.
How does the money get to the organization of my choice?
Network for Good works through VeriSign to get payments from your credit card, PayPal, and/or bank accounts. If the charity you recommended has provided its electronic funds transfer (EFT) information to Network for Good, your donation will be electronically transmitted through our secure servers to the charity's bank account. If the charity has not provided EFT information, Network for Good will mail a check directly to the charity. Donations are sent to charities on the 15th of each month.
How does the Network for Good Giving System work?
Once you locate a charity that you would like to give to, click the Donate Now button and follow the step-by-step instructions provided. When you make a donation through the Network for Good Giving System, you can be certain that your charitable donation is 100% tax deductible and the organization of choice is a legitimate charity that is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service and in good standing.
Network for Good will confirm that your recommended charity is eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions and will process and distribute your donation to the charity you have selected.
As required by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"), Network for Good has exclusive legal control over any donation processed on our website. In the rare event that a charity you have recommended does not satisfy Network for Good's criteria for receiving donations (i.e., it has been classified by the IRS as a disqualified supporting organization, it cannot or does not accept donations, is not recognized by the IRS as a public charity, or is not in good standing with federal and state regulators), Network for Good will select an alternate charity to receive your donation funds.
Like any tax-deductible charitable contribution, any contribution using the Network for Good Giving System cannot be canceled or returned once it has been completed.
Network for Good, in technical terms, is treated as a "donor-advised fund," a 501(c)(3) organization that collects contributions from donors and distributes such contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations in good standing with the IRS recommended by you, the donor.
Network for Good will never refuse to distribute a contribution to a valid public charity recognized by the IRS because of philosophical differences or charitable preferences.
Is there a minimum/maximum donation amount?
For credit card/PayPal donations, the minimum donation amount is $10. For online check donations, the minimum donation is $200 since the fee for check transactions is $10. Online checks are a economical decision for higher dollar donations.
The maximum donation amount for PayPal is $10,000 and for credit cards it is $99,999. The maximum check donation is $25,000 per transaction and $50,000 per donor in the same day.
How is my check accepted over the Internet?
An Internet-based check transaction is similar to a paper check transaction except that Internet checks are processed electronically using the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system that banks use for electronic deposits and payments. This requires that you enter the numbers imprinted on the bottom of your paper check which are the bank routing (ABA) number and bank account number (combined they are also known as the MICR numbers, which stands for magnetic ink character recognition). Our check provider, TeleCheck, converts this information into an electronic item and then processes it through the ACH.
The fee for processing an online check donation is $10 for a single donation, or $5 per donation if multiple gifts are added to the giving cart. We require a minimum $200 for online check donations to make this option cost-effective for the recipient organization.
How will my checking account information be stored?
Your checking account information will not be stored with Network for Good and is only used for processing your donation. Your information is also used by TeleCheck for the purposes of processing your online check and anonymously retained for use in their positive and negative check database. At this time, Network for Good also does not offer recurring donations, but we hope to offer this functionality in the near future.
Why is the processing cost different for credit card donations and online check donations?
For credit card transactions, Network for Good is charged a variable percentage of the transaction by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover in addition to flat per transaction fees. For online checks, Network for Good is only charged flat per transaction fees, although these flat fees are considerably higher than through credit cards. Donors can choose to add or deduct the 4.75% of credit card transaction. The fees for online checks are automatically deducted; $10 for transactions containing 1 donation and $5 per donation for transactions containing more than 1 donation. Online checks are recommended for higher dollar donations.
Network for Good does not profit from fees.
Electing to contribute directly to a charity (through their own website) does not mean that you avoid paying processing fees; all charities incur fees with processing donations. Network for Good is explicit in explaining the fees and we give you the opportunity to cover them within the transaction. Even when you do not elect to cover the processing fee, using our website still saves your favorite charity money because our processing fees are extremely low. Many charities have to pay more to credit card companies.
Are the fees to process check donations the same as credit card/PayPal donations?
No, the fees for online check processing are a flat fee regardless of the size of your donation(s). For transactions containing 1 donation the cost is $10. For transactions contains more than 1 donation (if you are giving to more than one charity in your shopping cart) the cost is $5 per donation. These costs are deducted from your donation before it is paid to the recipient.
How do I locate the routing/account number on my check?
The routing number is always a 9 digit number and usually located between the symbols on your check. The account number is between 10 and 15 numbers and is usually located before the symbol on your check. Neither of these numbers includes your check number.
How will an Internet check transaction appear on my bank statement?
A complete description of the transaction will be included in your bank statement. This description will include most, if not all, of the following information: check number, merchant name, settlement date and check amount. This information appears on your statement where other electronic payments (such as direct payroll deposits and ATM transactions) are listed.
