This FAQ addresses Give Lively’s role in processing donations through Charity Navigator’s Giving Basket and may not apply to all Give Lively members.
This article is for nonprofit representatives who are curious about the timeframe for RECEIVING donations made through Charity Navigator’s Giving Basket.
If you are a donor wondering when a nonprofit will RECEIVE your donation, read more here. If you are a donor wondering if your donation has been SENT to the nonprofit, read more here.
Two disbursement methods
There are two forms of disbursement: via mailed paper checks and as a direct deposit.
- Paper checks are mailed once a month within 30 days of the close of the given month and if the total value of waiting funds for a nonprofit equals $10 or more. For example, a nonprofit with more than $10 of donations made in March will be mailed a check before the end of April. For donation totals of less than $10, once additional donations to a nonprofit push the total funds value over $10, a check will be cut during that month’s processing.
Special note about February 2023 donation disbursement checks: In December 2022, the minimum disbursement threshold for nonprofits receiving donations through the Giving Basket was dropped from $50 to $10. This means that nonprofits who received donations through the Giving Basket and had more than $10 in donations waiting for disbursement, but less than $50, have received checks in early 2023, sometimes for donations dating back to 2021.
- Alternatively, and only for Give Lively member nonprofits, Stripe and direct deposit are used to transfer most donations (except those made via PayPal) with no minimum threshold amount, also within 30 days of the close of the given month. Give Lively members (learn how to apply here) additionally benefit from full and free access to all of the powerful and practical products included in the Give Lively fundraising platform, complete with Digital Fundraising, Event Fundraising and Peer-Based Fundraising solutions.
Disbursement processing details
Disbursement speed depends on whether the funds given through the Giving Basket are processed as donations straight to the nonprofit organization(s) or are directed to the nonprofit(s) through the Give Lively Foundation. (The Give Lively Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization -- tax ID 81-0693451 -- established in 2016 that serves the public by facilitating charitable gifts to nonprofits across the United States.)
The processing method is determined by three primary factors at the moment the donor completes the checkout process:
- whether a beneficiary nonprofit is an approved Give Lively member
- whether that nonprofit has a Stripe account in good standing and
- whether the donation was made with PayPal.
Disbursements to Give Lively members with a Stripe account in good standing (non-PayPal donations only)
If a nonprofit is an approved Give Lively member and has a Stripe account in good standing, and the donation was not made via PayPal, then the funds are processed as a donation straight to the nonprofit.
When this is the case, the following will occur immediately after the donation has been fully processed:
- The donor will receive a receipt with the beneficiary nonprofit’s details next to any corresponding line items:
Donation to <Nonprofit’s Name>
Tax ID: <Nonprofit’s EIN> - The nonprofit will see the funds in the "Line Items (Giving Basket)" downloadable CSV and the "Line Items (Giving Basket)" and "Transfers" on-screen reports found in the Give Lively Reports portal.
- The nonprofit will see its own name and EIN in the "Recipient Entity Name" and "Recipient Entity Tax ID" columns in the "Line Items (Giving Basket)" CSV report.
Note that the funds will still need to be disbursed to the nonprofit via Stripe and direct deposit, as described above.
Disbursements to non-members and to members without a Stripe account in good standing, as well as for all donations made via PayPal
If any one of the following is true, then the funds are processed as a donation to the nonprofit via the Give Lively Foundation:
- the donation is made through PayPal
- an organization is not a Give Lively member
- the organization’s Stripe account associated with an approved Give Lively membership is not in good standing.
For extra clarity: A nonprofit will receive donations via the Give Lively Foundation if any one of the following is true at the moment the donor completes the checkout process:
- The nonprofit has never applied to be a Give Lively member.
- The nonprofit applied to be a Give Lively member, but is awaiting approval.
- The nonprofit is an approved Give Lively member, but disconnected its Stripe account.
- The nonprofit is an approved Give Lively member, but has a restricted Stripe account.
- The donor donated through Paypal.
When this is the case, only the following will happen immediately after checkout:
- The donor will receive a receipt with the following details next to any corresponding line items:
Donation to <Nonprofit Name>
Directed through the Give Lively Foundation
Tax ID: 81-0693451
(Note: 81-0693451 is Give Lively Foundation’s EIN)
The rest of the disbursement and data-sharing process will begin after the funds have been received by the Give Lively Foundation and have been approved for redistribution. The funds are disbursed to the nonprofit via check, as described above.
As soon as the checks are sent, the following will happen:
- The nonprofit will see the funds in the "Line Items (Giving Basket)" downloadable CSV and the "Line Items (Giving Basket)" and "Checks" on-screen reports found in the Give Lively Reports portal.
- When viewing the "Line Items (Giving Basket)" CSV report, the nonprofit will see the Give Lively Foundation’s name and EIN in the "Recipient Entity Name" and "Recipient Entity Tax ID" columns.