❓ Donation FAQs

Why is my credit card being rejected when I attempt to make a donation?

Most credit card donations made through Deed are processed through PayPal (whether via your PayPal account or regular credit card). Since we can't speak with PayPal directly on your behalf (due to privacy and security concerns), we have identified the most common reasons you may be receiving an error message and some potential solutions.

• The credit card you entered may be associated with a specific PayPal account, and you haven't logged in with that particular account. Log into your PayPal account (and make sure your account details are up-to-date) before trying to make the donation.
• Your card may be associated with a PayPal account that has been closed/cancelled. Try creating a new PayPal account and associate your card with that new account.
• Many global payment providers struggle to accommodate all credit cards perfectly. If your credit card is not accepted when making a donation, try another credit card if you have one.
• You may have exceeded your card limit within the PayPal system (this is a PayPal-specific limit, different from your credit card limit)
• Your cookies may be causing your problems. Clear your cookies/web history and try again. Click here if you're not sure how.
• You have linked the card to a PayPal account, but have not yet confirmed that PayPal account. If you have a confirmation email sitting in your inbox, click the link to confirm your account.

If you've crossed off these options and the issue persists, your best bet is to contact PayPal directly.

We use other payment processing partners as well. If you're having an issue not covered here, feel free to contact us.

☝ Log in with a PayPal account instead of just entering details + card information. Alternatively you can set up a recurring donation (there's much less fraud protection with that solution) and then cancel after the first donation. Note: Recurring donations are not available to organizations processed by Network For Good (NFG).

Why am I seeing "Something went wrong" when I attempt to make a donation?

☝ PayPal fraud prevention – the below walks you through what to do if you have a hard time donating with a credit card.

When you go to donate, you'll see this:

When your donation doesn't go through, you'll see this:

When you click "Try Again" the below popup window is shown which asks for more details to try to decrease the fraud prevention score:

Are my donations tax deductible?

Usually yes, but it depends on where you're filing taxes and the location of the nonprofit(s) you donated to. The rules of tax deductibility vary from country to country, so it's best to reference a trusted government website in the country you made your charitable donation, or ask your own tax advisor.

The receipt you receive will depend on the payment processor of the nonprofit you donate to.

• For any donations made through PayPal Giving Fund, or GlobalGiving you will receive a receipt to your email upon donation.
  • PayPay Giving Fund (PPGF) – nonprofits in US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Ireland.
    • For a nonprofit in Ireland, a donor will receive a receipt from Irish nonprofit PPGF-Ireland. For a nonprofit in the UK, a donor will receive a receipt from UK nonprofit PPGF-UK.
  • If you need to be re-issued a receipt, please reach out to the payment processor’s support team!
• For donations made to nonprofits utilizing the PayPal Direct processing partner, the nonprofit is tasked with providing a receipt. This depends on the nonprofit’s policy.

I made a mistake, can you refund my donation?

Credit card and PayPal donations are processed with receipts prepared and issued immediately, so unfortunately we cannot refund these donations after you have confirmed them. If you have additional questions, please email support@joindeed.com.

Do organizations I donate to receive my personal information?

When donating, you choose whether or not to share your personal contact information with the org in the 'Share with the nonprofit' section on the donation page.

How does a nonprofit receive my donation?

How nonprofits receive your donation depends on the payment processor (you can identify the processor on the donation page, as well as on the receipt you receive via email). Nonprofits will receive your donations with a check, an Electronic Funds Transfer, or directly into their PayPal or Stripe account. Funds are generally dispersed around the 25th of each month. You can find information about the estimated disbursement time on your Profile > Your Donations.

Are there any fees applied when I make a donation?

There is an Organization Support fee (which covers nonprofit verification, automated receipting, donor tracking, reporting, and more) and a variable merchant fee for the payment processor (ie: PayPal, Stripe). The merchant fee to the payment processor varies by region.

• Our payment processing partners GlobalGiving and Network for Good charge a flat fee of 5%.

Why are there fees for my donations?

Deed leverages payment processing partners to facilitate donations to nonprofits through our platform. Fees are based on the payment processing partner and vary per country. You can view the payment processor associated with your donation when you click "Donate" on a nonprofit profile or fundraiser. If you have questions about specific processors or fees, feel free to reach out to support@joindeed.com.

How do I spend my Donation Credits?

If your company supports this feature, you'll see an option on the check-out page to use your Donation Credits. To use your Donation Credits, ensure that your donation (and fees) are equal or less than your Donation Credits.

Can I create a fundraiser for a colleague, family or friend?

Unfortunately no, you can only create fundraisers for nonprofit organizations.

Do I have to donate through Deed to receive a match?

It is preferable that you donate through Deed for us to efficiently process the match. However, if you made a donation “offline” (and your company supports this feature) you can request a match. You'll find the option to Request a Donation Match on the dropdown menu in the top righthand corner of your homepage.

Can I see the status of my External Match Request?

After you submit your Match Request, you’ll get an email notification that it was received and is under review. You’ll also get an email notification when it’s approved or declined. If it’s approved it will appear on your profile with an ‘external’ tag.

I want to donate to an organization that is not a registered charity. Can I still make a donation?

Deed only accept donations from nonprofits that are vetted through one of our payment processing partners – PayPal, Network for Good, or GlobalGiving – to ensure that your dollars are always going to a verified cause. If an organization is not a registered nonprofit, they will likely not be accepted by our payment processing partners.

That being said, we know that there are organizations created every day in response to urgent crises, and they may not have the time or capacity to register their legal entity right away. Our recommendation is to:

1. Make sure that you’ve done your own due diligence around these charities. We also may recommend seeing if there is a registered charity doing similar work for the time being.
2. Research or reach out to gauge if they are fiscally sponsored by a registered nonprofit, in which case you can donate that the registered nonprofit and designate the donation to the un-registered organization, as described here.
3. Reach out to the organization to see if they are in the process of registering their organization. There are a number of pro-bono legal services that you can refer them to, to help complete their registration process. A non-registered charity, especially if they are in their early stages, would definitely appreciate it!

Our Nonprofit Success team is here to help with onboarding as applicable – please reach out to them at nonprofits@joindeed.com with any questions!