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Nov 9 - Dec 31, 2023

FAQs

WHY DONATE THROUGH MONTEREY COUNTY GIVES?

Monterey County Gives! shows just how generous our community can be. When we come together with gifts big and small, the results are amazing. Gives! benefits nonprofits and donors alike. Every organization you support through Gives! receives 100% of your donation, plus an additional amount through the overall match.

It’s easy! With a single donation, you can support one or more of the 206 participating nonprofits to benefit. You can allocate different amounts for each one, and/or even contribute to the overall matching fund. You can even donate stock or make an Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA.

By donating through Monterey County Gives!, you are part of a movement generating millions in grants each year to strengthen our county. It’s a great way to give.

HOW DOES THE OVERALL MATCH WORK?

Thanks to the generosity of our Partners, Monterey County Gives! has raised an Overall Matching Fund. This pool of money will be used to provide the pro-rated match. If you wish, you too can support the Overall Match Fund on the Donate page.

After the campaign ends, the Community Foundation for Monterey County will calculate the fees, the cost of which is covered by the Overall Matching Fund. Last year, the fee was 3.02% and included credit card, administration, website and design costs. Each participating nonprofit is then sent a check that includes 100% of the donations it received throughout the campaign, along with the pro-rated match on the first $75,000 it raised. Last year this match percentage was 11.20%.

WHAT IS A CHALLENGE GIFT?

A challenge gift is a donation that helps inspire more gifts for the recipient nonprofit. It can come from an individual, a family, a business, or a group like a Board of Directors. The donor is recognized on nonprofit’s page on the MCGives! website, and in the MCGives! issue of the Monterey County Weekly (if received before the publication date). If you would like to make a challenge gift, you should contact the nonprofit you wish to support directly.

IS MY ONLINE DONATION SECURE?

Yes. Your online donation is made through a secure server.

WHEN DOES THE CAMPAIGN START AND END?

Monterey County Gives! kicks off Thursday, November 9 and ends at midnight December 31 (PST).

CAN I DONATE THROUGH THE MAIL?

Yes. While we encourage to give via the website, donors who do not wish to donate online may mail donations to:

Community Foundation for Monterey County
Attn: MCGives!
2354 Garden Road
Monterey, CA 93940

Please click here to print the MC Gives! donation form. This must be included with your mailed donation.

Checks must be made payable to the Community Foundation for Monterey County (on the memo line write in: MCGives!). If donating to multiple organizations, please combine the total gift onto one check. Mailed checks must be postmarked or delivered to Community Foundation office by 12/31 to be eligible.

WHAT IS THE MINIMUM DONATION?

The minimum donation accepted is $5.

WHAT ARE THE ADDITIONAL AWARDS?

$2,500 Ingenuity Grant: This grant is awarded to one nonprofit that demonstrates ingenuity and creativity through their approach in resolving their sector’s challenges. This award is chosen by the Monterey County Weekly based on each participating organization's submitted proposal.

$1,000 Largest Number of Donors Award: This award will be given to the nonprofit that has the most donors.

$1,000 Most Donors ages 18-35 Years Old: This award will be given to the nonprofit that receives the most donations from those who are 18-35 years old (born from 1987-2004).

$1,000 Florence Haspel Zeve Award: This award will be given to the nonprofit that demonstrates leadership and ingenuity in the area impacting women, children, families, education and/or the arts, in honor of Florence Haspel Zeve. This award is chosen by the Monterey County Weekly based on each participating organization's submitted proposal.

Click here to view the past awardees.

WHY AN INCENTIVE FOR DONORS 18-35 YEARS OLD?

Nonprofit organizations depend on a variety of people to make their organizations flourish. When young donors get involved with a nonprofit organization, they can have an important long-term impact, not only in helping to raise funds, but as volunteers, engaged participants, maybe ultimately as members of the board of directors. We want to encourage younger people to participate with the nonprofit community, to become lifelong partners with the nonprofits of their choosing. If you are a donor in this age range (born in the years 1988-2005), please mark the box on the checkout page when you make your donation.

HOW WERE THE ORGANIZATIONS SELECTED?

A request for proposals was published in the Monterey County Weekly for several weeks during June and July. Our panel reviews the eligible organizations (that submitted applications by the deadline and is a 501(c)3 organization in good standing) and looks for the Big Ideas and missions that we believe can make a difference for our community in the upcoming year. To apply for next year’s campaign an organization should look for the announcements beginning next June in the Weekly, and follow the application instructions.

CAN I DONATE STOCK?

Yes, we can accept donations of stock. For instructions, please contact the Community Foundation for Monterey County at 831-375-9712 or mcgives@cfmco.org.

CAN I DONATE FROM MY IRA?

Yes, we can accept donations from Individual Retirement Accounts (Click here for more information on IRA Charitable Rollovers). To do so, please go to the Donate page and enter the amounts you wish to donate to the specific organizations. On the Checkout page, you will then fill in your details and select either the Check or Wire payment option (depending on how your IRA administrator prefers to send out distributions). After hitting submit, you will be sent an email with instructions, including how to communicate with your IRA administrator. One thing to note, if you have your own checkbook for your IRA account--often called a custodial account--to qualify for a 2023 Qualified Charitable Distribution your IRA contribution must clear your custodial account by December 29th, 2023. In other words, your check must reach the Community Foundation with enough time for them to process it, their bank to process it, and then for it to clear your IRA account. This may take a few weeks. Please confirm the timing with the manager of your custodial account. If you need more information, please contact the Community Foundation for Monterey County at 831-375-9712 or mcgives@cfmco.org.

CAN I MAKE A DONATION IN HONOR OR MEMORY OF SOMEONE?

Yes. On the checkout page, you will have the option to select a dedication option: “This is an honorary or memorial gift.” You will then be prompted for more information, including the person you wish to acknowledge, and the option to send an email to someone to let them know about your gift. Please note that if you are donating to multiple organizations at one time, each organization will receive notification of your honor/memory gift.

ARE DONATIONS TAX DEDUCTIBLE?

Yes. Online donors will receive an email receipt immediately after making an online donation. This email serves as the official tax receipt for the charitable gift (for IRS purposes). Online donors will not receive an acknowledgement in the mail, so they need to print or save this email for their records. Donors of checks, cash or stock over $250 will receive an acknowledgement letter from the Community Foundation for Monterey County, which is a 501c3 nonprofit (Tax ID #94-1615897).

WILL CASH DONATIONS BE ACCEPTED?

While we discourage cash donations, we do accept them. If you do need to make a cash donation, they can be made at the Monterey office of the Community Foundation for Monterey County. The address is 2354 Garden Road, Monterey, and the office is open 8:30 AM-5:00 PM Monday through Friday. Please convert the cash to the largest denominations possible. Be sure to include the name of the organization to which the donation applies. If the cash donation is from multiple donors, you must include the donors' names, addresses and each individual's donation amount.

WHO HANDLES THE MONEY FROM THE DONATIONS?

All donations are overseen and managed by the Community Foundation for Monterey County. In February of next year, the Community Foundation will distribute 100% of all donations each individual nonprofit organization receives during the campaign, as well as the pro-rated match.

CAN MY DONATION BE MADE ANONYMOUSLY?

Yes, check “I want my gift to be Anonymous” on the checkout page. Please still provide your contact information as the Community Foundation for Monterey County needs this information to process your gift, but they will not publish or share your donor information anywhere, including with the nonprofit(s) you are supporting.

HOW WILL THE OVERALL MATCH BE APPLIED?

The overall match will be divided based on the percentage of the total donations received during the campaign by each organization. This match will only apply to the first $75,000 raised by an organization.

WHO CAN I CONTACT IF I HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?

For questions about donations, please contact the Community Foundation for Monterey County at 831-375-9712 or mcgives@cfmco.org. For all other questions, email the Monterey County Weekly at mcgives@mcweekly.com.