Frequently Asked Questions
Contributing Through Direct Change
Special Kinds of Contributions
Projects and Partners Funded
Miscellaneous
Contributing Through Direct Change
Direct Change transfers funds to partners on a monthly basis as long as $1,000 has been raised since the last transfer.
Yes, as a US 501(c)3 organization, your donations to Direct Change are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.
No. However, Direct Change deducts 2.8% from each donation to our bank charges for credit card fees. Direct Change does take a 10% administrative charge for donations sent via check. This cost covers our expenses to manually process donations and issue receipts.
When viewing a project in the directory or on a "Fund" page, follow the link to "partners" to see if a partner has been designated. If a partner is listed then donations to that project will go to that partner. However, Direct Change reserves the right to reallocate funds donated to a different partner organization, with a similar objective, if any partner does not continue to meet all legal requirements, fails to comply with Direct Change's reporting requirements or is unable to utilize the amount of funds raised.
As a 501(c)(3) organization, Direct Change is required to submit a form 990 to the IRS. Direct Change will publish a copy of that form on our web site which as required will include a detailed listing of our expenditures including grants to other organizations and operating expenses. Direct Change posts progress reports from our partners on our web site and include reports in our newsletter to supporters who opt-in to receive it.
Direct Change does not share its list of supporters with any other organization. Supporters that donate through a Fund are given the option of sharing their name with the Fund Manager whose Fund they donated through.
Special Kinds of Contributions
When you contribute through Direct Change, the payment page (just above where you enter your credit card information) gives you the option of making the contribution just once, or on a recurring monthly basis for as many months as you choose.
Your credit card will be charged on approximately the same day each month, and you will be e-mailed a receipt for each monthly transaction.
At any time you can modify or cancel recurring contributions by going to http://my.directchange.org/recurring and providing your credit card number and billing zip code.
Projects and Partners Funded
Organizations that run programs that either assist orphans and/or at-risk children in Africa or are engaged in activities to rebuild southern Sudan can apply to be members of our African Partner Program. Organizations sponsoring programs to be funded through Direct Change must be USA PATRIOT Act-compliant and run the funded programs under strict guidelines to assure that all funds are used for a charitable purpose.
The following outlines the funding process:
- Staff Review. The first review focuses on assuring that the submitting organization has presented all the required documentation and that the application meets the minimum requirements. This includes reference checks, Patriot Act Compliance and assuring the that the activities are consistent with SEC, 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.
- Advisory Committee Review - The Advisory Committee, made up of issue experts, reviews the application to assure that the organization and proposed program funding follows best practices and will provide charitable services efficiently.
- Board of Directors Approval - The Board of Directors approval is required for any program to receive funding through Direct Change.
Projects are listed in the directory as we have partners or perspective partners to carry out the work in Africa. As applications from new partners are reviewed new projects will be listed to the directory.
Partners are required to submit both monthly and yearly reports. The monthly reports are posted on the website for our supporters to review. Direct Change will be making periodic site visits to inspect the projects.
There are thousands of wonderful organization helping the children of Africa. Direct Change was founded to support small effective organizations in an effort to fill a gap in international aid. As documented in Save the Children's report Bottlenecks and Drip-feeds, small community based organizations are in desperate need for resources and the current system of international aid typically does not reach them effectively. Direct Change's African Partner Program provides community based organizations in Africa a new funding source while providing an alternative to donors.
Miscellaneous
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