Frequently asked questions
Q: What kind of organizations are invited to attend?
A: Our platform is currently optimized for active 501(c)(3) U.S. public charities or those otherwise legitimately incorporated as tax-exempt nonprofit entities under state law. Certain foreign nonprofits may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Q: What are the geographical limitations for participation, and why?
A: Generally, applying organizations must be either incorporated in the United States or doing work that takes place within the 50 U.S. states and territories. As a U.S.-based crowdfunding platform, our effectiveness is expanded as our constituency expands, so we typically support organizations that work in their own neighborhoods, cities, and states. That said, we do not discourage organizations with international reach, in particular those that involve U.S. citizens in their work.
Q: Is there a fee for the featured nonprofit to participate?
A: There is no fee for our nonprofit partners to participate and they receive 100% of contributions after the Cause of the Week finishes. 52andChange is currently funded by voluntary “tips” given by the users at check-out.
Q: What is the application process like?
A: Our application is a three-part process designed to respect nonprofit staff time and require significantly less effort for those less likely to be selected for a 52andChange.
Part 1: Fill out the initial contact form, click “submit,” and continue to the second section consisting of additional contact information and three short responses.
Part 2: Organizations that are invited to apply will receive a more detailed Request for Information questionnaire. We have designed this to take a minimum of staff time, with most sections being optional and all with flexible word counts to help leverage your boilerplate.
Part 3: Organizations selected by our panel to become a Cause of the Week will be then invited to provide limited numbers of pictures, videos, and other assets to create the Cause of the Week website and “pitch” the organization to our constituency.
Q: What happens to the dedicated Cause of the Week web page when the campaign ends?
A: All past Causes of the Week will continue to be featured as Past Causes on our website, and we may approach Causes in the future to create follow-up messages. When the Cause of the Week ends, the dedicated web page will change so that instead of cultivating $1-10 donations through our system, it will link instead to your donation page, your chosen social media page, or both.
Q: Is there any nonprofit that should not apply?
A: We are currently considering nonprofits that fit under the four focus areas listed above. Organizations applying for religious activities, political campaigns, and lobbying generally will not receive consideration. In addition, organizations whose principal activity is funding other nonprofit organizations are very unlikely to be approved.
Q: Will we be able to reach out to individual donors who give to 52andChange to thank them?
A: No, donor information is private, but our hope is that our users will become constituents of organizations to which they donate. Part of our mission is to help people find their cause. There are opportunities to connect with the Cause on their page, which includes links to social media. If our users would like to give more than $10, we encourage them to visit our nonprofit parter's website.
Q: Is the Cause of the Week required to participate in marketing, provide contact lists, or otherwise dedicate resources to the Cause of the Week?
A: No. For maximum results, we hope that you will share the Cause of the Week in your social media and email (we provide optional templates to use), but we do not require promotion of this effort.
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