Frequently asked questions

It depends on what you're doing:

• Items purchased from a retailer (Amazon, Walmart, Target): these are gifts of goods to the nonprofit — the items ship directly to the charity, and you don't keep them. A gift of goods to a verified 501(c)(3) may be tax-deductible if you itemize your deductions. Keep your retailer order confirmation as your record; for non-cash gifts over $500, the IRS requires additional substantiation (Form 8283). Givonit does not issue a receipt for retailer purchases, because the transaction happens on the retailer's site.
• Cash donations to a verified 501(c)(3) via the platform: yes, these are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. We generate an IRS-compliant receipt automatically and email it to you.
• Platform tips: not tax-deductible. Tips are paid to Givonit, not to a charity. Your tip receipt clearly states this.

We recommend consulting a tax advisor for questions specific to your situation.

Givonit earns affiliate commissions from Amazon, Walmart, and Target when donors complete purchases through our tracked links. This commission comes from the retailer's marketing budget — it does not affect the price you pay and does not reduce the value of goods going to the nonprofit. We also earn revenue from optional donor tips. We do not take a percentage of donations.

Yes. Every organization on Givonit must pass our verification process before posting needs. We use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (Publication 78) to confirm 501(c)(3) status automatically. If a match can't be confirmed automatically, our team reviews the application manually. Organizations can be suspended or removed if they violate our Terms of Service or lose their tax-exempt status.

It depends on the lane. For items you buy from a retailer (Amazon, Walmart, or Target), your purchase is a transaction between you and that retailer, governed by their policies — if an item isn't delivered, contact the retailer's customer service, and save your order confirmation. Givonit is not the seller for those purchases and cannot process retailer refunds. For items Givonit offers and sells directly, Givonit is the seller; because these fund goods donated to a nonprofit, they are final sale — but if an item never arrives or arrives defective, we'll make it right (replacement or refund). Just contact us.

When you follow a “Fund This” link, the retailer's checkout page is pre-populated with the organization's ship-to address (where the retailer's platform supports this, e.g., Amazon Wish Lists). After purchasing, you self-report on Givonit, and the nonprofit also self-reports when items are received. This creates a two-sided confirmation trail. We cannot independently verify individual retailer transactions, but the system is designed so misuse provides minimal benefit and leaves a visible record.

Yes. Card data never touches Givonit's servers. All tip and cash-donation payments are processed by Stripe using Stripe Elements, which is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant — the highest level of payment security. For retailer purchases, you complete the transaction directly on the retailer's site (Amazon, Walmart, or Target), which have their own payment security standards.

Receipts are emailed automatically to the address on your account within a few minutes of a successful payment. For cash donations to verified 501(c)(3)s, the receipt includes the IRS-required language confirming the organization's tax-exempt status, the donation amount, and a statement that no goods or services were provided in exchange. You can also download past receipts from your account page at /account/tips.

Yes. You can browse and fund needs as a guest — no account required. When you click “Fund This,” we send you straight to the retailer to complete your purchase. A free account (just an email address — no other personal details required) is optional and unlocks a few extras: leaving a tip with a receipt, saving needs to a watchlist, confirming a need you funded, messaging the nonprofit, and seeing your funding history.

Currently, Givonit is open to US-based 501(c)(3) public charities. Your organization must have an active EIN that appears in the IRS Publication 78 database (or be eligible for manual review). Private foundations and non-US organizations are not eligible at this time. Fiscal-sponsored projects should contact us before applying.

No. Givonit is free for nonprofits. We earn revenue through retailer affiliate commissions and donor tips — neither of which reduces the value of goods received by your organization.

Most organizations are verified instantly via automated IRS lookup. If your EIN isn't matched automatically (e.g., recently issued EINs, certain church categories, or state variances), our team reviews the application manually — typically within 2 business days. You'll receive an email when your status changes.