Is your organization ready to join Midlands Gives?

Please read below for important details to help you start planning your campaign.

Questions? Contact midlandsgives@yourfoundation.org or call 803.254.5601 and press 4. Or, if you are an approved participant of Midlands Gives, request to join our Midlands Gives Nonprofit Facebook Group.

To quickly access the information you need on this page, use the links in the table of contents below:

Registration Information

Registration for Midlands Gives 2020 is now closed. To be notified of updates, please sign up for the Foundation's Nonprofit News email.

Nonprofits are eligible to participate in Midlands Gives if they:

Are a 501(c)3 in good standing
Have an office in one of the following SC Counties: Calhoun, Clarendon, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda or Sumter
Have at least 1 full year of financial history as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization by November 19, 2019

New Nonprofits Registration Information: For nonprofits that have never participated in Midlands Gives OR did not participate in in Midlands Gives Day 2019

Returning Nonprofits Registration Information: For nonprofits that participated in 2019

Important Dates

October 1, 2019 | Registration Opens
October 31, 2019 | Early Bird Registration Ends
November 19, 2019 | Registration Closes
November 27, 2019 | Deadline to complete required fields of Midlands Gives profile (for new nonprofits)
December 3, 2019 | Giving Tuesday
April 21, 2020 | Scheduled Giving Opens
May 1, 2020 | Deadline to submit Matching Gifts Form, Last day to make profile edits
May 4, 2020 | Deadline for donors to create Champion Pages
May 5, 2020 | Midlands Gives Day!

Training Information

Midlands Gives training provides participating nonprofits tools and resources to meet their giving day goals. Nonprofits can register for trainings on the Trainings tab of your Midlands Gives profile. All webinars are recorded and posted under the Resources tab of nonprofit's Midlands Gives profiles.

Training dates are as follows:

Midlands Gives 101 (mandatory for new NPOs) on January 14 at 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. and January 15 at 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. at LRADAC Training & Education Center (2711 Colonial Dr. Columbia, SC 29203)
- A webinar option will be available on January 15 at 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Strategy Sessions (optional) on January 14 at 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. and January 15 at 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. at LRADAC Training & Education Center (2711 Colonial Dr. Columbia, SC 29203)
Midlands Gives Meetup & Mingle, February 13, 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Seibels House and Garden (1601 Richland St. Columbia, SC 29201)
Facebook Live Training with Chris Strub on February 20, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., Cathy Novinger Girl Scout Leadership Center (1107 Williams St. Columbia, SC 29201)
Network for Good: 4 Keys to Your Spring Campaign’s Success, RESCHEDULED February 25, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m., Webinar

Early Bird Club

Don't miss out - Register your nonprofit by October 31 join the club! Early Bird Club benefits include:

1. Being entered in special Giving Tuesday drawing. 10 nonprofits will be randomly selected for a $200 prize. Winners will be announced on December 3, 2019.
2. Receiving priority consideration for interview opportunities with local media.
3. Receiving priority consideration to be featured in CCCF stories about Midlands Gives, including a feature in a Free Times ad.
4. An opportunity for a 15-minute consultation with a CCCF team member regarding your profile, marketing, or strategy.

Midlands Gives Minute Emails

Midlands Gives Minute emails help keep nonprofits informed and on track during the entire Midlands Gives process. If your nonprofit has been approved and you are not receiving these emails, please contact midlandsgives@yourfoundation.org.

Nonprofit FAQs

General FAQs

Why should our nonprofit participate in Midlands Gives?

Midlands Gives provides an ideal platform for participating nonprofit organizations to increase awareness, donors and dollars all within one campaign. Using the resources provided by Central Carolina Community Foundation, nonprofits can create an extensive, yet cost-effective outreach campaign.

Does Central Carolina Community Foundation make money from Midlands Gives?

No. The Foundation does not receive any profit from Midlands Gives. All money raised goes to the organizations that participate less the 4.9% credit card and technology fee. Central Carolina Community Foundation and generous sponsors underwrite all costs associated with hosting the event.

With response to COVID-19, the Community Foundation will be waiving the 2.8% platform technology throughout the month of April to further support nonprofits.

Registration FAQs

How do I know if I am a NEW nonprofit?

Any nonprofit that did not participate in Midlands Gives 2019 should register as a NEW nonprofit. This includes nonprofits that participated in previous Midlands Gives events but did not participate in 2019.

How will I know if I'm missing information or if you have questions about it?

If this occurs, we will add a note in the comments tab of your profile describing what we need. An email will be automatically sent to you asking you to review the comments.

Where do I sign the Participation Agreement?

When logged into your Midlands Gives profile, click the "edit" button below the list of users. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the participation agreement section. Read the agreement and then type your name in the field to accept.

Training FAQs

How many people from my organization can attend the trainings?

The in-person trainings are limited to two representatives from each organization. There is no limit to how many people can attend the webinars.

Can I attend more than the required trainings?

Yes! We encourage you to attend and take advantage of as many of the webinars as you like. All webinars will also be recorded for you and your colleagues to view at a later time.

Will the webinars be recorded?

Yes, a link will be provided after the webinars for you to view the recordings. Slides will also be posted for the Midlands Gives Webinars.

Giving Day FAQs

When is Midlands Gives?

Midlands Gives Day will be May 5, 2020. Giving day begins at 6 a.m. and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. The Midlands Gives platform is open year-round for giving!

Where is Midlands Gives Day 2020 headquarters?

Midlands Gives will be an entirely online giving day! Join in the Midlands Gives Day excitement on social media through Central Carolina Community Foundation's Facebook page, @cccfpics on Instagram, and @cccftweets on Twitter and Use #MidlandsGives across all platforms to join in the online conversation!

Donation FAQs

Is there a size limit on gifts?

There is no maximum amount. The minimum gift is now $10!

What is a unique donor?

A unique donor is defined as one person or corporation/business. Donors are encouraged to make gifts to multiple organizations of their choice. Each gift to a different organization will be counted separately on the giving day leaderboard. Multiple gifts made to the same organization using the same credit card will be considered as one gift.

Can staff, volunteers and board members donate to the organization they are associated with?

Yes, as long as they use a personal credit or debit card and not one associated with the nonprofit they are giving to.

When will my organization receive their Midlands Gives donations?

Organizations who receive donations through the year-round platform will receive checks quarterly in January, April, July, and October. For donations made during giving day, on or before June 30, Central Carolina Community Foundation will provide your organization with payment via check in the amount of total donations received on behalf of your organization net of fees plus the organization's share of any regional bonus pools and any prize amounts (if applicable). Prior to receiving the check, you will receive an email statement informing you of your grant amount. You will have ten days to dispute this amount before the check will be sent to your organization. Please be patient as our finance department performs a financial reconciliation on all transactions. To ensure accuracy, this process takes some time.

Can we encourage donations by giving away prizes or free gifts?

No. All gifts made during Midlands Gives must be 100% tax deductible. You cannot offer a premium for gifts made during the event. Organizations are however encouraged to raise their own matching funds, which allow donations to go even further.

Does my organization need to send letters for their tax deductions?

No. The donor will immediately receive an email confirming the gift receipt from Central Carolina Community Foundation. We encourage you to acknowledge donations by following-up with donors to thank them and let them know how their gifts will fuel your mission.

Will my organization receive donor contact information?

Yes, organizations will have access to their donor lists through their CiviCore account. This information will include contact and amount information for their specific donors. You will be able to see your organization's donations as they come in. Donors will be notified at the time of their donation that this information will be provided to your organization and donors have the option of remaining anonymous. Remember, this information is confidential. Nonprofits should not share their donor information with anyone and NEVER giver or sell the information to a third party

Should my organization also send a tax acknowledgement letter?

No. Central Carolina Community Foundation must issue all donor acknowledgments for tax purposes and they will be issued to the donor via email immediately after the donation. The participating organization may issue a separate informal "thank you" but it does not need to include the formal tax-deductible language that references the donation amount.

I have more questions!

Feel free to submit your questions to midlandsgives@yourfoundation.org or, if you have an urgent question, give us a call at 803.254.5601.

Information for Nonprofits