Cultivate

Do I have to work for a 501(c)3 non-profit to submit a cause?

Yes. If you know of a non-profit you think should receive funding, but you don’t work for them, just send them the application link and suggest they apply. Also, we will be holding other contests separate from The Give to award grants to individuals and groups not associated with non-profits, so if you are interested in having a project funded but do not work for a non-profit, stay tuned for those contests.

How long can my video be?

Absolutely no longer than 10 minutes, but ideally 1-3 minutes. We have lifted the original 2 minute time limit, but we still recommend keeping it quick. People don't have long attention spans online! If you are making a new video, we suggest keeping it under 3 minutes. If you have an 8 minute video already and you don't have the resources to have it edited down, we won't disqualify you for it.

How are the 30 causes listed on the voting page each month selected out of all of the applications you receive?

First, we comb through all of the submissions to verify eligibility, including 501(c)(3) status, good financial standing as an organization, and agreement with our own internal standards (see next question). Then, we as a team select our top 15, and then we put all the remaining eligible applications "in a hat" and randomly select the other 15.

What are the eligibility standards a submission has to pass?

A submission must: be for something tangible (meaning the usage of the money can be shown in some way) and fit within our mission of "supporting education and basic human needs." A submission will not be eligible if it: is for the benefit of animals, or; requests money to be re-granted to another organization, or; is to fund research, or; is solely to raise awareness of an issue, or; is for a political cause, or; involves religious proselytizing, or; is to be used by a religious organization in such a way that only benefits members of that community or religion, or; is to fund a fine arts institution (unless for an educational program within such institution). For the full eligibility standards, please read the Terms & Conditions (link to pdf at top of this page).

What is required of me if I win? Are there any strings attached?

Only that you get back to us with photos and video showing what the money went to support so that we can feature it on the site to inspire others to apply and vote. There is also a Grant Agreement you must sign, which requests certain materials we use for a final "vetting" including your 990 form. For all the fine print, please read our Terms & Conditions on the submission page.

If I work for a program run by a church that is not specifically a religious program (like a homeless shelter sponsored by a church), can I apply?

Yes. While projects and related activities cannot directly or indirectly involve religious activity, they can be carried out in association with religious organizations as long as they don’t promote religious advocacy or proselytizing acts intended to expand membership, encourage conversion, or advance a religious denomination.

Can my organization help someone overseas?

Yes, as long as your organization is registered as a 501(c)(3) in the US.

If my project isn’t selected, can I resubmit?

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: keep in mind that without any changes, your submission may not be any more likely to be selected the second time. However, if you’ve made changes to your project and video, feel free to resubmit, and when you do, let us know what you’ve changed.

If my project is selected, can I resubmit again for another project later?

Definitely!

What if my organization isn’t in one of the categories listed?

The categories are meant to be broad, as our mission is to support “education and basic human needs,” and a lot of things fall under that umbrella! For exclusions, see question 4 above about eligibility.

Does the amount of money given away on the site actually equal 10% of your sales?

We do ABSOLUTELY give 10% of sales, but not all of that 10% is given away through the website. We also have some internal initiatives that direct part of the available funds. But we'll tell you about where all of it went on the website.

What restrictions are there on voting and voters?

Voters must be 21 or over, they can live anywhere in the world, and they can vote once per day.

How is cheating handled?

We have a one-strike cheating policy. If cheating is found on behalf of any organization, whether or not the organization was responsible for it or even knew about it, they will be disqualified. In fact, we have a one-strike policy for all bad sportsmanship and harassment. The spirit of The GIVE is one of positivity, and we only work with organizations that maintain that spirit.

If I vote, will my information be shared with anyone?

No.

How do you vet the organizations involved?

One of the reasons we decided to distribute money based on voting is that we feel that the public acts as a "vetting" system of its own -- if an organization has enough public support to win via voting, they must be doing something right in quite a lot of people's eyes. But after winning in voting, we do do our own vetting as well. We request all winning organizations' 990 form, which shows us their financials -- we are able to see how much of their revenue goes to salaries, for example, and look for other financial red flags. We also run them through Charity Navigator and/or Guide Star (neither include all organizations so we check both). Lastly, we request a letter of reference from a third party organization.

Is the vote counter in real time?

Yes.

How do I know that my vote was counted?

Refresh the voting page - the counter will have gone up. Also, after you vote, you should see a little box pop up telling you your vote was counted. The real test? Try voting again - if you've already voted that day, it won't let you vote again.

Do I have to have a Facebook account to vote?

Yes.