About the Event

When is Give Miami Day?
Give Miami Day 2020 is Thursday, November 19th. The 24-hour online event begins at 12 a.m. EST on November 19th and ends at 12 a.m. EST on November 20th.

Who hosts Give Miami Day?

Give Miami Day is hosted by The Miami Foundation, a community foundation that helps charitable donors become champions for the issues they care about. The Foundation does not collect any fees and hosts Give Miami Day as part of its mission to promote philanthropy throughout Greater Miami.

Who can make a gift?
Anyone! This event is open to the public and anyone across the globe may participate by making a gift online.

Making a Gift

How can I make a gift?
Gifts can be made through a bank account, credit or qualified gift card (VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express) or through a Donor Advised Fund at The Miami Foundation.

Can I give ahead of Give Miami Day?
Due to this year’s urgent need caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation will allow early giving prior to Give Miami Day 2020. Early giving will begin on Monday, November 16th.

Can I make gifts to multiple organizations?
Absolutely— and you’re encouraged to do so. Simply add each gift to your cart. Once you are ready to checkout, go to your cart and complete your transaction.

Is there a minimum or maximum gift?
The minimum gift amount is $25. There is no maximum gift amount. Please note: only gifts between $25 and $10,000 are eligible for funds from the Bonus Pool, an additional percentage of funds distributed to participating nonprofits after Give Miami Day.

What cards do you accept?
We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit and debit cards. You may also use a bank account or a qualified gift card (VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express). Gifts cannot be made through PayPal, money order, check or cash.

How much of my gift will go to the nonprofit?
Nonprofits will receive the entire gift amount you designate, plus Bonus Pool funds and/or eligible prizes. However, credit card and transaction fees, up to about 4.5%, will be deducted. The transaction fee is paid to CiviCore, the Miami Foundation’s technology partner. The Miami Foundation hosts Give Miami Day as part of our mission to promote philanthropy throughout Miami-Dade County and does not collect any fees for Give Miami Day.

If you make a gift through a Donor Advised Fund at The Miami Foundation, neither credit card nor transaction fees are assessed; your entire gift plus Bonus Pool funds and prizes will go to the nonprofit.

Can I pay for the transaction fees on the gift I’m making?
Yes. You have the option to help cover the credit card and transaction fees (estimated up to 4.5%) for your gifts. You can opt out of this option if you choose when completing the gift form.

How can I make a gift for someone else?
If you’re making a gift on behalf, in honor or in memory of another person, you may include their name under the “in honor/in memory of” option on your giving form. We recommend adding a note in the “Comments or Special Instructions” section of the form indicating a thank-you note should be sent to that person.

Is my gift tax deductible?
Yes. Your gift and any fees you may choose to cover are fully tax-deductible. You will receive an itemized receipt from no-reply@miamifoundation.org to submit with your taxes after making a gift. Only receipts sent from The Miami Foundation may be used for tax purposes.

Can I receive anything in exchange for my gift?
No. Gifts made on Give Miami Day may not be used to pay for anything that might be perceived as a material benefit to the donor, including tickets to events, membership fees or other incentives.

Whom should I contact if I need technical assistance?
For questions on the donation form, please contact The Miami Foundation’s Give Miami Day Hotline at 305-371-2711.

If your transaction is not processing, please contact your credit card company or bank. Multiple unsuccessful attempts may cause your banking company to lock your card.

If you accidentally make a gift to the wrong organization, please contact us as soon as possible at 305-371-2711 to make the adjustment. After Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at 4 p.m., all gifts made to selected organizations are considered final and non-refundable unless otherwise directed by the merchant processing company.

Early Giving

What is Early Giving?
A new feature for Give Miami Day this year is our Early Giving period, during which we will open the GiveMiamiDay.org portal for donations to be made early. From Monday, November 16 at 12 a.m. through Wednesday, November 18 at 11:59 p.m., anyone can go to GiveMiamiDay.org, find a nonprofit’s profile and make a gift before the start of Give Miami Day (November 19 at 12 a.m.).

Why did we add an Early Giving period?
We are always in search of new ways to increase critical support and funding for our local nonprofits, and we’ve seen many other giving days implement an Early Giving period with great success! The main purpose of the Early Giving period is to give increased flexibility to many nonprofits and donors who may not be able to get all of their donations in during the 24 hours of Give Miami Day. Many nonprofits have had successful “pledge card” campaigns, where they collect gift information (name, address, credit card) from donors in the weeks ahead of Give Miami Day. Having to enter the high volume of pledge card gifts into the GiveMiamiDay.org platform has strained nonprofits’ staff. Early Giving will help lessen that strain by allowing staff to enter pledged gifts beginning Monday, November 16. Note: Eligible Early Giving donations (gifts between $25-$10K) will still qualify for the general Bonus Pool.

When is the Early Giving period?

Sunday, November 15 at 11:59 p.m. – deadline for nonprofits to make edits to their profile + deadline to create a Champion Page
Monday, November 16 at 12:00 a.m. – Early Giving period begins (GiveMiamiDay.org opens for donations)
Wednesday, November 18 at 11:59 p.m. – Early Giving period ends
Thursday, November 19 at 12:00 a.m. – Give Miami Day begins
Thursday, November 19 at 11:59 p.m. – Give Miami Day ends (all gifts must be entered into GiveMiamiDay.org by this time)

Can my organization still collect pledged donations ahead of time?
Yes, organizations may continue to collect pledged donations at any time prior to the Early Giving period and Give Miami Day. Please note that all pledged donations will still need to be entered into GiveMiamiDay.org either during the Early Giving period, or on Give Miami Day. The Early Giving period will hopefully allow more flexibility for your organization to input all pledges prior to the Give Miami Day event.

When will early gifts be processed and visible for the nonprofits to see?
Gifts will be processed immediately when entered into GiveMiamiDay.org during Early Giving. Gifts will immediately show up in the total amount raised for the nonprofit it is made to and will be able to view the donor information on the nonprofit donation report. If you have additional questions, please contact our support team at givemiami@civicoresupport.zendesk.com.

Is there a limit to how much my organization can raise during the Early Giving period?
No, there is no limit to how much your organization can raise during the Early Giving period.

Will gifts made during the Early Giving period qualify for matches and prizes?
Eligible gifts between $25 and $10,000 made during the Early Giving period will qualify for the general Bonus Pool percentage match, not the power hour bonus pool.

Are there any prizes during Early Giving?
Yes! The prizes will be announced soon.

Reasons to Give

What are Prizes?
Prizes help your selected organizations earn extra dollars. These hourly and milestone opportunities range from $500 to $1,500 in extra dollars for the winning nonprofits. An organization is only eligible to win one prize. Please note that the winner of the Early Bird Prize will be eligible to receive an additional prize during give Miami Day. The full list of prizes will be available in November.

What are Champion Pages?
Champion Pages are an easy way to support your favorite nonprofit on Give Miami Day. You can create a unique URL to share with your network, set fundraising goals, keep track of gifts made on the day, upload photos and videos as well as a personal story about why you're supporting a specific nonprofit.

What is the Bonus Pool?
All gifts between $25 and $10,000 will be eligible for a bonus gift from the Bonus Pool. The bonus gift percentage will be calculated by dividing the total Bonus Pool dollars by the total eligible gifts. For example, in 2019, the bonus gift percentage was approximately 5%. If an organization raised $5,000, their bonus gift was $250. The Miami Foundation determines the Bonus Pool percentage at the conclusion of Give Miami Day.

After You Give

How do I get a receipt for my gift?
You will automatically receive an itemized receipt for your gift(s) via email from no-reply@miamifoundation.org. Only receipts sent from The Miami Foundation may be used for tax purposes.

Why does my credit card statement say I made a gift to The Miami Foundation?
The Miami Foundation hosts Give Miami Day as part of our mission to promote philanthropy throughout Miami-Dade County. Your gifts, along with any eligible prizes or Match Minute dollars, will be processed and distributed directly to each participating nonprofit through the Foundation. Please note: The Miami Foundation does not collect any fees for nor derive any material benefit from Give Miami Day.

When will the nonprofit I’ve supported receive their gift?
Participating will receive all funds, including gifts, Bonus Pool, Prizes and Match Minute dollars by December 31st, 2020.

What do the nonprofits do with the gift I’ve made?
Gifts made on Give Miami Day are for the unrestricted use of your selected organization.

Does The Miami Foundation accept employer matching gifts for Give Miami Day?
Yes. The Miami Foundation accepts employer-matched contributions for gifts made on Give Miami Day. Those gifts will be directed to the organization designated by the donor upon receipt. If the donor made multiple gifts on Give Miami Day, the employer’s gift will be equally divided amongst the donor’s designated organizations. Employer gifts are not eligible for Bonus Pool dollars or prizes. Employer matching fund forms can be sent to development@miamifoundation.org.

How will my email address and personal information be used?
Email addresses will be used to send electronic tax receipts for gifts made on Give Miami Day, as well as a post-event survey. Unless you choose to give anonymously, your name, email address and billing address will be shared with the organizations to which your gifts will be credited.

The Miami Foundation does not retain credit card information and your personal data will not be shared with or sold to any other outside vendors or third parties.

Unless you opt out of us doing so, The Miami Foundation may send you periodic newsletters informing you of its work, news or upcoming events in our community.

Frequently Asked Questions