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Each member must commit to donating $100 per meeting ($400 per year).
The donations are given directly to local charities (national charities with a local chapter are eligible as well). The purpose is for the members’ contributions to stay in our community.
At each meeting, members submit a charity nomination form if they wish a particular charity to be considered for member donations. Three charities are randomly selected out of a basket and identified for presentation to the members at the next meeting (which allows time to prepare). A charity that has been selected for a donation previously can be renominated after one year.
The member who nominated the selected charity is given 5-10 minutes to make an informal presentation at the meeting. No power points or handouts are needed, the simpler the better! The member simply stands at the podium and shares information on the charity and how the member donation would make an impact on the community. A representative from the charity is welcome to accompany the member with the presentation to help provide more detail and information if needed. A few minutes are also provided to answer any questions.
Following the presentations, members vote by completing and submitting their ballots. The votes are tallied and the charity receiving the majority of votes is the selected charity for that meeting. Regardless of who you voted for, all members are required to make a $100 donation to the selected charity.
If your name is drawn and you make a presentation and your charity is not chosen, you are eligible to put your charity nomination in the drawing at the next meeting, as long as you are present at the meeting.
Frequently Asked Questions About Grapevine
What is Grapevine?
Grapevine is a platform dedicated to Giving Circles, empowering people to connect, pool donations, and collectively decide which nonprofits and causes to support. It’s more than just a site for collecting donations; it’s a community space for collaborative philanthropy.
Are Donations through Grapevine Tax-Deductible?
Yes! All donations on Grapevine are to verified nonprofits in good standing with the IRS. You’ll receive a charitable gift receipt after you complete your donation. You may be able to claim a tax deduction for your charitable contribution for the full amount of the gift. Please check with your tax professional.
How does Grapevine Communicate or Send Notifications?
Grapevine mainly supports communication with members through email updates and posts within your Giving Circle. While you can send bulk messages and create posts for important updates, direct text (SMS) notifications are not available through Grapevine. All core communications like event invites, reminders, and updates go out via email to your members.
Where Fund Go (Early Payments)?
If a member pays before your Circle has chosen a local charity, their funds are held securely within your group’s Grapevine account. The money will remain there until your group selects the nonprofit for your next giving cycle. Once a nonprofit is chosen, Grapevine disburses the funds directly to them, along with clear impact records for your members.
How Do I Submit a Handwritten Check?
Members can give checks as donations—in this case, the check should be made payable to “Grapevine Giving Foundation” (not the future nonprofit). To submit, mail checks to the address listed in your Grapevine dashboard or use the instructions for off-platform payment submissions. After mailing or depositing, fill out the online “Off Platform Payment Submissions” form to help Grapevine track and attribute the donation correctly. Please note that processing mailed or deposited checks may take several weeks due to standard banking processes outside of Grapevine’s control.
If you or your member wish to send your check donation to Grapevine to be directed to your giving circle, here are the relevant info you’d need:
- Make the check payable to: Grapevine Giving Foundation
- Include the Purpose*: [INSERT GIVING CIRCLE NAME]
- Mail the check to: Grapevine Giving Foundation P.O. Box 23752 New York, NY 10087-3752
- Submit your “Off Platform Payment Submissions” form online: Go here or copy and paste the URL here into your browser: https://grapevinegiving.typeform.com/to/MiNYrPbk
*If you do not include the Giving Circle name on the check, we will not know where to send your donation on the Grapevine platform and it may not get attributed correctly. We are not responsible for any misplaced or misdirected funds.
Kindly be advised that all off-platform donations such as check, ACH, DAF, wire transfer, etc. are subject to a 3% processing fee. For any questions, please contact our team at community@grapevine.org.
You can click the button below to go directly to Grapevine’s website to make a donation.