FAQ

Q. What is The Big Give?

The Big Give is a St. Clair County-wide movement to celebrate and increase philanthropy on June 9, 2021 through online giving for local participating nonprofits. These nonprofit organizations have various focus areas from basic needs, education, and animal welfare to arts and culture and more.

This 24 hour day of giving, championed by the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, is an opportunity to support the excellent work of our local nonprofit organizations and to show what our community can collectively accomplish through generosity.

Donations are accepted through www.thebiggivescc.com.

Q. When does The Big Give take place?

The Big Give takes place on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, midnight to 11:59 pm.

Q. How do St. Clair County nonprofit organizations get involved?

The Big Give serves as a platform for donors to learn about and give to participating local nonprofit organizations. There is a diverse group of nonprofits serving basic needs, education, animal welfare to arts and culture and more.

To participate, each of the nonprofit organizations must register online by March 31, 2021 at www.thebiggivescc.com. To be eligible to participate organizations need to meet the following criteria:

Q. How do I search for nonprofits?

You can go to the Big Give home page and search for one or more of the participating nonprofit organizations that you would like to support. After selecting a nonprofit, click on the "Donate Now" button. Although the Big Give features nonprofits based in St. Clair County, residents from any location who have Internet access can donate online.

Q. What if I can't find my favorite nonprofit?

All nonprofit organizations located in St. Clair County have been invited to participate in the Big Give. Visit www.thebiggivescc.com to see a drop-down menu of participating nonprofit organizations.

Q. How do I make a donation?

You can go to the Big Give home page and search for one or more of the nonprofit organizations that you would like to support. After selecting a nonprofit, click on the "Donate" button. Although the Big Give features St. Clair County nonprofits, residents from any location who have Internet access can donate online.

Q. Must all donations be made through the www.thebiggivescc.com or the Community Foundation of St. Clair County?

Yes. The Big Give promotes online giving and www.thebiggivescc.com is the platform for individual donors to give to participating nonprofit organizations.

Donations made via check should be made payable to the Community Foundation of St. Clair County and delivered to the Community Foundation offices at 500 Water Street, Port Huron, MI 48060, on June 9, 2021 between 8:00 am until 5:00 pm. Donors should provide the name of the nonprofit to which they are donating and note the Big Give on the memo line. Checks must be dated June 9, 2021.

Q. What payment methods can I use?

You do not need to create an account to donate. You can donate with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express). Mobile pay options (Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc…) and an ACH form of payment will also be available on www.thebiggivescc.com. 

Gifts from your donor advised fund outside the Community Foundation will be accepted if that check is received by hand, via messenger, via US mail, as a wire transfer or by other carriers (i.e., FedEx) during or before the 24-hour period from Wednesday, June 9, 2021, from midnight to 11:59 pm. If you intend to make a gift from your donor advised fund at the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, please contact Sue Schmid at 810.984.4761 or sschmid@stclairfoundation.org no later than June 8, 2021.

Stock gifts are also accepted, but the transfer must be received during the 24-hour period from Wednesday, June 9, 2021, from midnight to 11:59 pm, or earlier. If you intend to make a stock gift or wire transfer to the Big Give please contact Jackie Hanton at 810.984.4761 or jackie@stclairfoundation.org no later than June 3, 2021, or sooner than that if it is a mutual fund.

Donors who wish to donate to the Big Give by check, must hand-deliver that check to the Community Foundation of St. Clair County at 500 Water Street, Port Huron MI  48060 on June 9, 2021, between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. Donors should provide the name of the nonprofit to which they are donating and they should note the Big Give on the memo line. Checks must be dated June 9, 2021.

Q. What is the minimum donation?

You can make a donation as small as $10.

Q. Is there a maximum donation amount?

No. Your maximum donation is controlled by your banking institution. If you plan to make a large online donation on June 9, 2021, we recommend you notify your credit card company in advance. This will help ensure that the gift will not be blocked by your credit card company's fraud filters. If making a large online ACH donation, please check your ACH limits with your banking institution.

Q. Will there be fees on donations made through the Big Give on June 9, 2021?

Yes. Both GiveGab (online platform) and the credit card payment processor charge processing fees when donors make online gifts to nonprofit organizations. Normally, a percentage of each donation helps to cover these fees. However, this year's event will give you the option of covering the fees, which will mean more money in the organizations' pockets. GiveGab retains a 3% campaign management fee from all donations. Credit Card processing fees are an additional 2.5% + $0.30. Donors are given the option to cover these fees. If you cover the processing fees, 100% of your online charitable gift will go to the organization(s) you selected.

Q. Is there a match on my donation?

Yes. A Bonus Pool has been made possible by generous donors, corporate and community partners. All donations received during the Big Give will be amplified on a pro rata basis based on funds raised through the Bonus Pool. 

Q. Why does my credit card receipt reference the Community Foundation of St. Clair County instead of the organization to which I donated?

This is because the Community Foundation of St. Clair County uses www.thebiggivescc.com - the platform used to process online donations. Your donation first goes to the Foundation via www.thebiggivescc.com. After processing the gift, the Foundation then grants the donations to the charities less any fees. Use of the website allows you to receive an acknowledgment letter electronically immediately upon completion of your transaction.

Q. Is there a donation deadline?

To receive a boost from the Bonus Pool or for an organization to qualify for prizes, donations must be made online between midnight and 11:59pm on June 9, 2021. To qualify, Big Give donations must be made on June 9, 2021 or before with a specific allocation to the Big Give and the name of the organization that should benefit (checks must be dated 06/09/2021 and be received no later than that day).  

Q. Can I donate to multiple nonprofits during the Big Give?

Yes. After clicking the Donate button for one organization, click the "Add to cart" button. Then click the "Add another organization" button to add other organizations to your donation form. When you are finished adding donations, press the "Next" button to continue with the donation process. 

You may also choose to use the "Gift Basket" by clicking on the icon on an organization's profile page. The cart holds your selections while you explore more nonprofits and will automatically generate a multi-give donation form with all your donations at once when you are ready to check out by clicking again on the Gift Basket icon anywhere on the website.

Q. Can I use my employer's matching gifts program?

If your employer will be matching your contribution, please ask your employer to send the matching funds directly to the appropriate nonprofit(s) and not to the Community Foundation.

Q. Is my donation tax deductible?

Yes. All donations made to the participating nonprofit organizations featured on www.thebiggivescc.com are tax-deductible. After making a donation, you will automatically receive an on-screen acknowledgment letter. If you've donated to multiple nonprofits in one transaction, you will receive one receipt reflecting the total donated.

*Any donations processed outside of the Giving Day Period, through GiveGab.com, or subsequent recurring donations are subject to transaction fees outlined on the GiveGab.com pricing page: info.givegab.com/pricing.