Support Giving Anonymously,

Giving Anonymously is a non-profit organization facilitating generosity between people. We are a volunteer organization; each of us donates our time without pay to keep Giving Anonymously running.

Giving Anonymously began in 2005 with our website up and running in early 2007. We began with a few goals in mind: We wanted to relationally connect people through giving, to make it fun, and in the process protect relationships from feelings of obligation. Giving to others in need can be full of mixed motivations and our hope is to facilitate Pure giving.

Anyone who enjoys putting cash under a friends door or in their mailbox will often times not know if their friend actually got the gift and they cannot hear what it meant to them. So, we came up with an idea to have a messaging line where recipients could call after receiving their gift. When a recipient doesn’t know who gave the gift to them they are even more free to express their gratitude and we capture this through voice files that we email to the donor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q What happens if the recipient doesn't get the check or accidentally throws it in the trash?

A If that happens we will refund your money in whole. We'll also refund the contribution amount (if any) you paid to send the check. We ask that you fill out "Recipient's information" (telephone number / email), for us to contact the recipient so they know not to throw the check away when they receive it.

Q What if the person I'm giving to doesn't call GA's toll free number to leave a 'Thank you'?

A Just to confirm they received and deposited your gift, we'll scan a copy of the check (when our bank gets it back) and email it to you showing the recipient's signature.

Q These gifts are not tax deductible? Why not?

A If GA was choosing who to give your money to and you had no say in the matter then it would be tax deductible. However, because you are choosing who you want to give to, the IRS does not consider it a tax deductible donation.

Q Taxes and Giving: If I give someone money will I owe taxes? Or... If I receive a gift do I have to declare it as taxable income?

A The IRS allows a person to give up to $12,000 in 2008 and $13,000 in 2009 ($24,000 in 2008 and $26,000 in 2009 as a couple) to any number of people, every year, without facing any gift taxes. For example in 2009, you and your spouse together could give 100 different people each a check for $26,000 and none of it would be subject to tax nor would it need to be declared. A Recipient will never owe income tax on a gift no matter the amount and should not declare it as income on their tax return.

Q Contribution to Overhead Costs: Why can't I contribute less than 3% for gifts over $500.00?

A The 3% minimum is to cover banking and transaction charges which range between 2.4% - 5.9% for each gift transaction. The contribution also helps pay for a postage stamp, the check, envelope and brochure. Whatever is left goes towards our overhead costs. We've wanted this service to be free to give through but a 3% contribution for gifts over $500.00 is as close as we could get.

Q Turn Around Time: If I process a gift now, how soon will it be before Giving Anonymously puts it in the mail?

A Before mailing a check we call or email the recipient to make sure the mailing address is correct and that they are willing to receive the gift. We've found that about 30% of gifts mailed without making contact with the recipient are returned or thrown out as junk mail. If we've exhausted all means of making contact with the recipient we will refund the gift and contribution amount back to the donor.

Q If I let GA choose who to give my gift to how do I know it’s going to a legitimate / verified need?

A We ask for a written description of the need. We follow this up with a phone call. We also ask for at least two references from social workers, religious leaders or other non-profit entities in their community who know them and can vouch for their expressed need. We follow up on these references and do our due diligence to validate each request. Please note that because GA is not a 501c3 organization these gifts are not tax deductible.