In just 24 hours, thousands of people will donate millions of dollars to hundreds of non-profits – and in turn, those non-profits will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. It’s a big day! Here are the answers to some FAQs:
Q: This sounds cool! Can I think about it later in the week?
A: NOPE! This is a one-day-only event. Visit svgives.org by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5th.
Q: Why should I give locally? The world is full of much bigger problems.
A: We’ve all heard lots of bad news lately. Here is the good news: you don’t have to choose between giving locally and giving globally – do both! Giving locally is important and impactful:
- Our Silicon Valley non-profits are incredibly innovative, and the work they do here resonates all around the world. Benetech’s work leverages technology to empower disabled people and humanitarian aid workers in over 50 countries; Technovation teaches teenage girls to design, build, and launch mobile apps in 19 countries; and the Tech Museum of Innovation in San José supports global innovators working in healthcare, the environment, education, and more via their Tech Awards program. Oh – and all of those non-profits have matching grants on the table today, so your donation could be doubled if you act fast!
- Silicon Valley is our home, and hundreds of local non-profits work hard every day to improve every aspect of our lives: public education, the environment, the arts, even the commute on 101. They support us; let’s support them!
- Silicon Valley is not an easy place to live. For example, 1 in 3 kids in our community don’t get enough to eat every day. Through Silicon Valley Gives, you can lift up your neighbors and help build a brighter future!
Q: I don’t like donating online. Can I just write a check?
A: Sorry, no. Silicon Valley Gives is an online-only event. But rest assured: last year, Razoo (the company that built the platform that runs Silicon Valley Gives) successfully and securely processed over 20,000 donations from 15,000 different donors. Here’s more on Razoo’s privacy policy. If you don’t want to use a credit card, you can use a PayPal account – and Paypal will match 1% of your donation!
Q: But doesn’t donating via credit card mean that the non-profit won’t get all of the money from my donation?
A: This year, Razoo has introduced a new feature called Donation Booster. During the payment process, you can elect to boost your donation and cover all the associated fees. Please consider this option!
Q: How should I pick a non-profit?
A: Start at www.svgives.org. If you want to increase your impact, you can search for a non-profit with matching grants available. You can also search by category (animals, education, etc.). Most of the 850 participating non-profits have added videos, pictures, and statistics to their sites, so today is a great opportunity to learn about the incredible work our local non-profits do every day.
Q: My company has a matching program. Can I leverage that during Silicon Valley Gives?
A: Probably! Check within your company for the exact process. Silicon Valley Gives is *just* complicated enough that the matching process may differ from company to company.
Q: I’ve got a super-technical question about taxes or the Razoo platform or my Razoo account…
A: The answer is probably here somewhere.
Here’s to a great day of local giving!
