Help Center

Creating an Account

1. Visit givingfountain.org and click Sign Up
2. Fill in your details:
   • Organization Name — Your company, family office, foundation, or personal name
   • Organization Type — Corporation, Family Office, Foundation, or Individual
   • First & Last Name
   • Email — Your work or personal email
   • Password — Must be at least 8 characters
3. Complete the CAPTCHA verification
4. Click Create Account
5. Check your email for a verification link and click it to activate your account

Logging In

1. Go to givingfountain.org/login
2. Enter your email and password
3. Click Sign In
4. If you have two-factor authentication enabled, enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

Forgot Your Password?

1. Click Forgot password? on the login page
2. Enter your email address
3. Check your email for a reset link
4. Click the link and set a new password

The directory contains over 1.2 million vetted 501(c)(3) organizations sourced from IRS records.

Searching

• By name: Type the nonprofit's name in the search bar
• By EIN: Enter the 9-digit EIN (with or without dash, e.g., 12-3456789)
• By location: Type a city or state name

Search results appear as you type. For best results, type at least 3-4 characters.

Filtering

Click Filters to narrow results by:

• Category — Animals, Arts & Culture, Community & Civic, Education, Environment, Health, Human Services, International, Religion, Other
• Claim Status — Claimed (verified organizations) or Unclaimed
• Sort — Name (A-Z), Name (Z-A), or Recently Added

Near Me (Location Search)

Find nonprofits near your current location:

1. Click Filters to expand the filter panel
2. Click the Near Me button — your browser will ask for location permission
3. Select a radius: 10, 25, 50, 75, or 100 miles
4. Results update to show only nonprofits within the selected radius, sorted by name

How it works:

• Each result displays the distance from your location (e.g., "1.4 mi")
• A banner below the radius selector shows which states are included in the results (e.g., "Showing results in: Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia")
• Use the state checkbox to limit results to your state only
• Click Near Me again to turn off location filtering

Distances are calculated to the center of each nonprofit's ZIP code area, so displayed distances are approximate.

Browsing by Letter

Click any letter (A-Z) to browse nonprofits alphabetically.

View Modes

Toggle between Grid (visual cards) and List (compact table) views.

Saving Searches

Click Save Search to bookmark your current filters. Access saved searches from your dashboard or the directory search bar.

Featured Nonprofits

Hand-picked organizations appear at the top of the directory, marked with a "Staff Pick" badge.

Trending Causes

The directory highlights trending causes based on recent donation activity across the platform.

Giving List & Favorites

The Giving List sidebar lets you build a donation by adding nonprofits and causes as you browse. Click the giving list icon in the header to open it.

• Giving List tab — Shows nonprofits and causes you've added for your next donation
• Favorites tab — Shows nonprofits and causes you've saved (requires sign-in)

On mobile, you can swipe right on the sidebar to dismiss it quickly.

Saving to Favorites

Click the heart icon on any nonprofit or cause to save it to your Favorites. You'll receive notifications when favorited nonprofits launch new campaigns. Manage notification preferences at Dashboard > Settings > Notifications.

One-Time Donation

1. Find a nonprofit in the directory and click Donate, or go directly to givingfountain.org/donate (you'll be prompted to log in if you aren't already)
2. Choose recipients — Add one or more nonprofits and/or categories
3. Set allocation percentages — Decide how to split your donation (must total 100%)
   • Use the +/- buttons or type a percentage
   • Click the lock icon to lock a percentage while adjusting others
4. Enter amount — Minimum $5 for one-time, $1 for recurring
5. Options:
   • Cover processing fees — Add a small amount so 100% of your donation reaches nonprofits
   • Donate anonymously — Your name won't be shared with the nonprofit
   • Gift dedication — Dedicate in honor or memory of someone
6. Click Proceed to Checkout
7. Complete payment via credit card or bank transfer (ACH)
8. You'll see a confirmation page with your donation details

Allocation Templates

Save your favorite allocation splits as templates:

1. Set up your desired allocation (nonprofits + percentages)
2. Click Save as Template
3. Next time you donate, load the template with one click

Anonymous Donations

When you check "Donate anonymously," the nonprofit sees the donation amount but not your name or organization.

After logging in, your dashboard shows:

Overview Stats

• Total Donated — Your lifetime giving total
• Donation Count — Number of donations made
• Nonprofits Supported — How many organizations you've helped
• Tax Receipts — Available receipt count

Charts & Insights

• 12-Month Trend — Your donation history over the past year
• Category Breakdown — Pie chart of giving by cause area
• Top Nonprofits — Your most-supported organizations
• Giving Goal Progress — Track against an annual giving target
• Donation Streak — Consecutive months with donations

Dashboard Sections

Section	What It Shows
History	All past donations with filters by date, amount, nonprofit
Receipts	Tax receipts for individual donations and annual summaries
Subscriptions	Active recurring donations
Templates	Saved allocation templates
Favorites	Bookmarked nonprofits and categories
Saved Searches	Your saved directory search filters
Impact	Impact reports from nonprofits you've supported
Campaigns	Fundraising campaigns you've contributed to
Items	Physical item donations you've made
Notifications	Platform updates and alerts
Reports	Donation analytics and giving reports

Setting Up

During checkout, choose a recurring interval:

• Monthly — Charged on the same day each month
• Quarterly — Every 3 months
• Annually — Once per year

Managing Subscriptions

Go to Dashboard > Subscriptions to:

• View all active recurring donations
• See next charge date and amount
• Pause or cancel a subscription
• View payment history for each subscription

Canceling

Click Cancel on any subscription. The cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period — you won't be charged again.

GivingFountain supports physical item donations in addition to monetary gifts.

How It Works

1. Go to Donate > Item Donation
2. Describe your item:
   • Photos — Upload up to 5 photos
   • Condition — New, Like New, Good, or Fair
   • Estimated Value — Self-declared for items under $250
   • Donation Type:
     • General — Listed for any nonprofit to claim
     • Direct — Sent to a specific nonprofit
     • Campaign — Part of a nonprofit's active campaign
     • Honor — In honor or memory of someone
3. Choose shipping method:
   • You ship it directly
   • Drop off at a designated location
   • Nonprofit picks it up
   • Platform provides a shipping label
4. Pay the processing fee ($5 for shipped items, free for drop-offs)
5. Your item is listed and nonprofits can accept it

Item Lifecycle

Your item goes through these stages:

1. Listed — Available for nonprofits to review
2. Matched — A nonprofit has accepted your item
3. Shipping — Item is in transit
4. Received — Nonprofit confirmed receipt
5. Acknowledged — Thank you sent

Items expire automatically after 60 days if no nonprofit claims them.

Individual Receipts

After each completed donation, a receipt is available in Dashboard > Receipts. Each receipt includes:

• Donation amount and date
• Recipient nonprofit(s) and EIN(s)
• Allocation breakdown
• Fee details (if applicable)
• Your unique donation ID

Annual Summaries

At year-end, an annual receipt summarizes all donations for the tax year. Find it at Dashboard > Receipts > Annual.

Downloading

Click the download button on any receipt to save it as a PDF.

Go to Dashboard > Settings to manage:

Profile

• Update your name and avatar
• View your email (contact support to change)

Organization

• Edit organization name and website
• View organization type (set at registration)
• Update organization logo

Team Management

• Invite members — Add team members to your organization by email
• Assign roles:
  • Owner — Full access, can manage team and billing
  • Admin — Can manage most features
  • Member — Can donate and use templates
  • Viewer — Read-only access
• Remove members — Revoke access from team members

Security

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Add an extra layer of security to your account with TOTP-based two-factor authentication:

1. Go to Settings > Security
2. Click Enable next to Two-Factor Authentication
3. Scan the QR code with your authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy, 1Password, etc.) — or click the secret code to copy it for manual entry
4. Enter the 6-digit code from your app to verify
5. 2FA is now active — you'll need to enter a code from your authenticator app each time you log in

To disable 2FA:

1. Go to Settings > Security
2. Click Disable next to Two-Factor Authentication
3. Enter your account password to confirm

Password

• Change your account password at any time from Settings > Security

Notifications

• Go to Settings > Notifications to configure your preferences
• Choose which notifications you receive via email and in-app:
  • Donation receipts and confirmations
  • Recurring donation reminders
  • Impact reports from nonprofits
  • Campaign milestones
  • Platform announcements
• The notification bell in your sidebar shows unread notification count with an attention badge

If you represent a nonprofit listed in the GivingFountain directory, you can claim it to manage its profile and receive donations directly.

How to Claim

1. Find your nonprofit in the directory
2. Click Claim This Nonprofit
3. Fill in the verification form:
   • Your name and title at the organization
   • Contact email and phone
4. Verify your affiliation — The platform verifies you actually represent the org:
   • Email domain match — If your email domain matches the nonprofit's website, verification is automatic
   • Document upload — Upload official documentation (letterhead, IRS determination letter)
   • Admin review — A platform admin reviews and approves your claim
5. Once approved, you gain access to the Nonprofit Portal

What Claiming Gets You

• Edit your nonprofit's profile (description, logo, mission, contact info)
• Set up Stripe Connect to receive direct payouts
• View donation history and donor information
• Create fundraising campaigns
• Publish impact reports for your donors
• Accept item donations
• Create embeddable donation widgets for your website

After claiming a nonprofit, access the Nonprofit Portal at givingfountain.org/nonprofit.

Profile Management

Update your nonprofit's public-facing information:

• Display name, tagline, mission, description
• Logo and cover image
• Website, email, phone
• Social media links
• Service areas and causes
• Donation settings (minimum amount, suggested amounts, thank-you message)

Stripe Connect Setup

To receive direct payouts:

1. Go to Settings > Payments
2. Click Set Up Stripe Connect
3. Complete the Stripe onboarding process (requires bank account, EIN, identity verification)
4. Once active, donations are transferred directly to your bank account

Without Stripe Connect, donations are held by GivingFountain and disbursed periodically via check or ACH.

Team Management

Invite team members to help manage your nonprofit:

• Send invitations by email
• Assign roles (Admin or Member)
• Remove team members as needed

Nonprofits can embed a donation form on their own website.

Creating a Widget

1. Go to your Nonprofit Portal > Widgets
2. Click Create Widget
3. Name your widget
4. Copy the embed code
5. Paste it into your website's HTML

Widget Features

• Customizable name
• Tracks donations separately per widget
• Can be enabled/disabled at any time
• Shows donation count and total raised

Fundraising campaigns let nonprofits rally donors around a specific goal.

For Nonprofits

1. Create a campaign with a title, description, goal amount, and deadline
2. Share the campaign link with your supporters
3. Track progress with real-time donation thermometer
4. Donors receive milestone notifications (25%, 50%, 75%, 100% of goal)

For Donors

• Browse active campaigns in the directory or from nonprofit profiles
• Donate specifically to a campaign
• Track your contributions in Dashboard > Campaigns
• Receive updates as the campaign reaches milestones

General

Q: Is GivingFountain free to use? A: Yes, creating an account and browsing the directory is free. A small processing fee applies to donations (which donors can optionally cover).

Q: How are nonprofits vetted? A: All nonprofits in the directory are sourced from IRS records of registered 501(c)(3) organizations. Only nonprofits with an active IRS status appear in the public directory.

Q: What does "Claimed" vs "Unclaimed" mean? A: A "Claimed" nonprofit has been verified by someone who works there — they can manage their profile and receive direct payouts. "Unclaimed" nonprofits are imported from IRS records but haven't been claimed yet. You can still donate to unclaimed nonprofits; funds are held and disbursed via check.

Donations

Q: What's the minimum donation? A: $5 for one-time donations, $1 for recurring.

Q: Can I split a donation across multiple nonprofits? A: Yes! You can allocate a single donation across up to 10 nonprofits and/or categories with custom percentages.

Q: What does "Cover Fees" do? A: When enabled, you pay a small additional amount so that 100% of your intended donation reaches the nonprofit(s). The fee covers payment processing costs.

Q: How do anonymous donations work? A: The nonprofit receives the donation amount but your name and organization are not shared. The donation still appears in your personal history and tax receipts.

Q: Can I get a refund? A: Contact support. Refunds are processed on a case-by-case basis through the admin panel.

Nonprofits

Q: How do I claim my nonprofit? A: Find your organization in the directory and click "Claim This Nonprofit." You'll need to verify your affiliation through email domain matching or document upload.

Q: How long does claim verification take? A: Email domain matches are instant. Document-based verification typically takes 1-2 business days.

Q: How do I receive donations? A: Set up Stripe Connect through your Nonprofit Portal for direct payouts. Without Stripe Connect, GivingFountain holds funds and disburses them periodically via check or ACH.

Technical

Q: What browsers are supported? A: GivingFountain works on all modern browsers — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge.

Q: Is my data secure? A: Yes. GivingFountain implements a multi-layer security system including encryption, rate limiting, CAPTCHA verification, two-factor authentication, and comprehensive audit logging. All payment processing is handled by Stripe.

Q: How do I set up two-factor authentication? A: Go to Dashboard > Settings > Security and click Enable next to Two-Factor Authentication. Scan the QR code with your authenticator app, enter the 6-digit code to verify, and you're all set.

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This is a living document. It is updated as new features are added to the platform.