What is the registration fee for? Does it count towards my minimum fundraising requirement?
Your registration fee covers all TEAM PAWS Chicago costs associated with your membership, such as singlet and other perks (see “Perks” page on the event page). Because the registration fee offsets our costs, it does not count towards your minimum fundraising requirement.
If I forfeit my membership perks may I get my registration fee waived?
No. We understand that not everyone will wish or can take advantage of all our perks (especially those from out of town) but the registration fees help us cover our costs so that more funds raised can go towards saving homeless pets.
Why is the minimum fundraising requirement different across events? Can this be lowered?
As a condition of using their charity entries, the BANK OF AMERICA Chicago Marathon sets the fundraising minimums ($1,250 for Pre Lottery and $1,750 for Post Lottery). TEAM PAWS Chicago sets the fundraising minimum for Self Secured ($650). Charities may raise these minimums but are prohibited from lowering them. We submit monthly fundraising reports to the marathon to show that we are adhering to their rules.
What happens if I don't meet the minimum fundraising requirement by the due date?
For those who don't reach their minimum fundraising requirements, 50% by 8:30am (US Central) on Friday, March 31, 2023 ($325 for self-secured, $625 for pre lottery, and $875 for post lottery) and 100% by 8:30am (US Central) on Friday, September 1, 2023 ($650 for self-secured, $1,250 for pre lottery and $1,750 for post lottery), PAWS Chicago staff will charge the credit card on file for the remaining balance, starting at 8:30 a.m. on the due date.
What if I'm waiting on matching gifts from my company that still haven't arrived before the deadline?
We will be able to honor these as long as you fulfill all of the following:
1. Email teampaws@pawschicago.org by 5pm (central time) NO LATER than the day before your deadline notifying us of the situation.
2. In the email, you must include the following documentation from your company:
A. Verification that your company will be making the gift (e.g. receipt, email, etc.)
B. Amount that the gift will be
C. Date the gift will be sent to PAWS Chicago
If we do not receive these items by the deadline, we will be unable to honor them. We are unable to accept applications for matching gifts, we must receive confirmation that the gift has been approved and is being processed.
3. Matching gifts must be received by PAWS Chicago by December 31, 2023 (gifts not received by then, PAWS Chicago will charge the remaining balance with the credit card on file on December 31, 2023).
What if I'm waiting on gifts from my Facebook Fundraiser?
As you may have seen, Facebook has “Donate” features where you can create an online fundraiser via Facebook to go to your charity of choice. These pop up to encourage people to create fundraisers for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. The way this works is you create the fundraiser, the funds first go to Facebook, and when the fundraiser ends, after the close of that month, Facebook then gathers the information and sends one large check to that organization.
When Facebook sends us checks each month, they do not list who held the Facebook Fundraisers and because of this lack of confirmation (from Facebook) we are unable to credit these funds to individual fundraising pages like TEAM PAWS Chicago.
In addition, we do not receive the list of donors (or how much they gave). Because these funds went to Facebook first and not directly to PAWS Chicago, and due to the missing donor information, we cannot issue ANY receipts to donors who donate to a Facebook Fundraiser.
Furthermore, because we cannot verify these gifts as forthcoming as we can with Corporate Matching (due to lack of access with Facebook) we cannot honor these gifts as “pledged” gifts as we can with Corporate Matches.
Therefore, we do not accept Facebook Fundraiser Funds towards TEAM PAWS Chicago fundraising and strongly urge members to use their fundraising pages instead.
What if my card gets charged on the deadline, but afterwards more people donate to me? Will I be refunded?
No we will not issue partial or entire refunds. As a member of TEAM PAWS Chicago, you are making the commitment to raise the minimum due BY the deadline listed. For this reason, we encourage you to let your supporters know this deadline to ensure that your obligation is met.
Members may continue fundraising in order to earn our fundraising prizes.
Where should I mail donation checks?
All donations should be mailed to:
PAWS Chicago
1933 N. Marcey Street
Chicago, IL 60614
USA
Who should I make my check out to?
Please make all checks payable to: PAWS Chicago.
Please make sure that in the memo it says TEAM PAWS Chicago and who the donations should be credited to.
How do I find a participant's personal fundraising webpage?
Click on the home page and begin typing the first or last name. Your options will display as you type.
How quickly can I expect an online donation to post to a participant's fundraising account?
Any donation made online should post immediately. If an online donation does not post within 5 minutes, please
contact us.
Are donations tax-deductible?
All monetary donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
For donations made outside of the U.S. online with a credit card, will the amount entered be in U.S. dollars?
Yes. For donations made online with a credit card overseas, the amount entered in the online donation form will be in U.S. dollars.
Do all donors who mail their donations receive a receipt?
Any donor who mailed their donation will receive an acknowledgment letter directly from PAWS Chicago.
Do all donors who contribute online receive a receipt?
Yes, anyone who donates online, regardless of the amount, will receive a receipt via email.
What is PAWS Chicago's Tax ID number?
A Tax ID number identifies PAWS Chicago as a 501(c)(3) non-profit Organization. The PAWS Chicago Tax ID number is EIN 36-4219778
How do I add a dedication when I make a donation?
When you make a donation online, you can designate what you want to appear as your recognition name on the participant's Honor Roll. This may be your name, or it could be something such as "From the whole Wolf family" or "in memory of Aunt Cathy."
How long does it take for my cash/check donation to be processed?
When PAWS Chicago receives cash and check donations we need to first deposit these donations with our bank. Once the donation clears, we can then post it onto your fundraising page. This process can take up to one week (7 business days) depending on donation volume.
What can I do if a check is written out to me personally?
If a donation check has been written out to you personally, you may endorse the back of the check and mail it in with a completed donation form to PAWS Chicago at 1933 N. Marcey Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA.
Can I mail in a cash donation?
It is not a good idea to send a cash donation in the mail. You may drop off the cash at PAWS Chicago's Blazer Building at 1933 N. Marcey Street, Chicago, IL 60614 Monday-Friday between the hours of 9-5 along with your information. Alternatively, you can get a cashiers' check and mail that as you would a normal check (see how to mail checks in Donate FAQs above).
How quickly can I expect an online donation to post to my page?
Any donation made online should post immediately. If your donation does not post within 5 minutes,
please contact PAWS Chicago.
Can I enter a check online?
You can't enter a check online. What you can do is enter a check as a pledge. This can be done in the fundraising section of your headquarters page. The status of the check will be pending until the check is received by PAWS Chicago.
A donor is requesting a Tax ID number; what is that and how can I get it?
A Tax ID number identifies PAWS Chicago as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Many donors will request this number to validate their donation as tax-deductible. The PAWS Chicago Tax ID number is EIN 36-4219778.
Not all of my donors are showing up in the Honor Roll. Why?
As your donors make a contribution, they have the option of whether or not they want to appear in the Honor Roll. Donors can select their name to be anonymous, their donation amount to be anonymous, or both to be anonymous. The recipient will be notified of the donor name and amount via e-mail.
Where can I find a list of the people who have donated to me?
Log in with your email and password to visit your headquarters page. Select "My Fundraising Report" on the left side. You will then find a list of all of your donors as well as a list of all donors to your team.
How can I send a thank you email to my donors?
To easily send thank-you emails to donors, follow these steps:
- Log in to your fundraiser dashboard by clicking the "My HQ" link in the top right
- Click "My Fundraising Report" in the left sidebar
- Locate the donor/donation you'd like to thank, and click "Send Email" (If the donor didn't submit their email address, this option is unavailable.)
- Type the message in the pop-up window, and click "Send Email"
Why am I receiving emails telling me that I've received a donation?
You are receiving these emails because we would like to keep you updated on your fundraising efforts. If you wish to stop receiving these updates, please login to your headquarters and edit your account preferences.
