|
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is GoldPenny?
GoldPenny is a "parent" site, with numerous "child" sites throughout the United States. The goal of GoldPenny and its child sites is to promote wise giving, through helping donors make informed decisions about the charities to which they give, and to promote excellence in nonprofits by providing charities with information and the means to connect with the wider giving community. The focus of GoldPenny is local; by that, we focus on the giving communities within cities rather than nationally, in order to strengthen our local giving communities.
2. What are "child sites?"
ROCKFORDGiving is and example of a "child" sites of GoldPenny, which focuses on the giving community in the greater Rockford, Illinois area. For instnace, ROCKFORDGiving lists only those Rockford area charities which meet adequate business practices, as measured by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving standards. Members can search local Rockford charities on ROCKFORDGiving, either by name or category and read more about those charities prior to making any giving decisions. Other cities with provide the same services to their local communities through their own "child sites."
3. How do I know which charities are better organized or operated than others?
Within the next 6-12 months, GoldPenny will be starting it GoldPenny Designation Program. The GoldPenny Designation Program seeks to visibly recognize those area charities which exhibit the highest standards of excellence, set out the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving standards. Those charities meeting this high standard will have a gold penny icon next to their listing on ROCKFORDGiving, so that they are easily recognized. All charities will be reviewed annually to determine if they qualify, or continue to qualify, for the GoldPenny Designation Program.
4. How do I read more about listed charities?
Each listed charity has the ablity to create its own Giving Profile Page on the local "child site." When you see a charity you are interested in, click on it (its name or its image), and you will be directed to its page. The charity's page will contain its GoldPenny Survey results, its mission, past projects, a copy of its 990, upcoming events and more. Each charity's contact information will also be listed so that you may obtain further information, either through the site or directly.
5. What is a GoldPenny Survey?
Each charity seeking listing on a GoldPenny child site is first required to complete the GoldPenny Survey. This is a 25 item questionnaire, based upon the standards set forth by the Better Business Bureau. The standards are aimed at identlfying accountability with respect to the people, purpose and programming of each charity. Only those charities whose GoldPenny Surveys yield acceptable levels of accountability will be listed on ROCKFORDGiving. Each charity's GoldPenny Survey can be viewed on its charity page, or the survey itself can be viewed in the GoldPenny Library.
6. What is the GoldPenny Library?
The GoldPenny Library is a source for information for donors and charities alike. It contains current philanthropy news articles, research and public interest articles, tests and questionnaires and more. It is interactive, in that information is provided in various formats, such as Web TV, RSS news feeds, blogs, and more. As GoldPenny is a "parent" site, all "child" sites are able to access the library. Additionally, charities and members from each city are able to add to the library, for use by all. Thus, as GoldPenny grows, so does its library. The GoldPenny Library is available to all registered users.
7. What are the benefits of becoming a registered user?
For charities and donors alike, the biggest benefit of membership is the ability to connect with others in your local giving community. All registered donors are given a My Giving Profile page. This is a page that is controlled by the registered user. Charities are able to post their mission, past and current projects, capital campaigns, GoldPenny Survey and more. Donors can list favorite charities or causes, track donations, post documents, donate and more. All registered members can create both private and public portions of the page; for instance, a donor may find it helpful to track donations but not have this information seen by others. This would remain on the private portion of the donor's page.
A large benefit of membership is the ability to create "friends" through your Giving Profile page. This is done through request, and allows you to quickly identify and contact those with whom you most closely align in belief or giving philosophy.
Another benefit is access to the GoldPenny Lilbrary, which contains philanthopic news and information in a variety of interactive formats. Members are able to access and provide information to the Library, to keep it fresh and active. As GoldPenny grows, so will the Library.
8. What does it cost to be a member?
There is no cost to being a member of GoldPenny or any of its child sites, due to generous grants by philanthropic minded groups within each area. With all of the benefits of membership at no cost, why not become a member?
9. Can I search charities if I am not a registered member?
Yes, you are able to search charities if you are not a registered member. However, you will not be able to create your own Giving Profile page or to interact with charities or other donors, or to access the GoldPenny Library. These functions are truly what sets GoldPenny and its child sites apart and create the local giving communities.
10. How can I share information with others through ROCKFORDGiving?
As a registered member, whether a charity or donor, you are able to post articles, events and more on your Giving Profile page as often as you like. Also, events can be posted on the Home page, for easier viewing by all members and users, by submitting the event to the local child site or to GoldPenny. All submitted events will be regularly reviewed and checked for accountability purposes prior to listing.
|