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How does this work? It's simple. Organizations post a description of their project and outline their needs. Site visitors review it and decide how much they want to contribute, even if it's only $5.00. Who can post a project? Anyone can post a project. Each project will be reviewed and once approved, will be added to the site. Why would a project not be approved? The scope of this site is only so broad: To support social events, activities and beautification efforts that improve the quality of life for the residents of Muncie. That isn't to say that a blood drive or church fundraiser isn't a worthwhile cause, just that it would be more successful in a different venue. We'll help them to find a good match, though. How much does it cost to post a project? Nothing. How does five dollars help? Five dollars is five dollars. Five dollars from a thousand people is five thousand dollars. You could contribute to a project a month and spend less than a hundred dollars. Multiply that by a couple thousand people and Muncie becomes a brighter place. Where does my money go? One dollar is deducted from your contribution to pay for transaction fees, site operation costs, etc. The rest goes directly to the organization. What if I want to give directly to the organization? Posted with each project are instructions on how to give your money directly to the organization via mail or phone. Why would organizations not want me to just do that anyway? Some probably do. Some don't accept credit cards. But for the most part, it's because we handle all of the paperwork for them. Handling large numbers of donations can be labor-intensive. Processing the payments, issuing receipts, recording donor information, etc. can eat a lot of hours. Many organizations don't have the people-power to spare. Are donations tax-deductible? That depends on the organization. If it is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, then your net donation will be tax-deductible. Each organization will indicate their status when posting their project. If you are unsure, the group's contact information will be posted as well. They'll be happy to assist you. Is Light Up Muncie not-for-profit? No, it isn't. Transaction fees are expensive, and the whole point of the site is to have lots of them. There also other costs associated with running the website. For now, the goal is simply to be self-sustaining. Our underlying philosophy is that making the world a better place is not just good for business, it is good business. This site is part of developing that idea, and as such, the status and policies are likely to change as it grows. The primary goal, however – making Muncie a better place – will remain the same. If there's a question we haven't answered, please ask, using the handy form below. |
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