Twestival Local 2011 Charity Guidelines

THE ‘GIVE’ IN TWEET. MEET. GIVE.How to Choose a Local Charity to SupportChoosing a charity is not an easy task. There are so many worthy causes that deserve the fundsand awareness that Twestival Local is likely to bring. Use this as an opportunity to discover somegreat organizations in your local community and gain valuable fundraising skills. Guidelines for Selecting a Twestival Local Recipient • Twestival Local organizers must award a single nonprofit as recipient • A nonprofit must be selected with input from the community; nominations not voting • Recipients must be a registered / established nonprofit, based locally and their work must have a direct impact in your community • Nonprofit recipients should pinpoint a specific use for the Twestival Local funds • Nonprofit recipients should have a social media and online presence • Lead organizers of Twestival Local must not work or have other objectives regarding the charitable recipient as this is a conflict of interest; they can be a general volunteer • The nonprofit selected is informed about Twestival Local and agrees to be the recipient • Do not select nonprofits which are overtly religious or political in nature; or organizations whose aims do not result in a tangible, measurable impact • 100% of funds collected through ticket sales and donations from the Twestival Local must go direct to the nonprofit; this money is not to be used for event costsAccept Charity Nominations from your CommunityAlthough not mandatory, it is a great idea to put out a call for nonprofit nominations on Twitter,Facebook or blogs asking people to suggest local causes important to them. Creating a shortlist ofnonprofits to support by accepting nominations can create buzz in your community, while profilingorganizations you might not have discovered. The best thing to do is to write a post on yourTwestival.com blog explaining what kind of cause you are looking to support, list short questionsyou’d like answered and explain what you might offer in return - don’t forget to set a deadline.Use comments, email or embed a form to collect these suggestions. Another idea is to use Twitterand have people tweet their suggestions with a designated hashtag like #twestivalcharity and#cityname or Twestival Twitter handle. Remember, these are nominations only and not a final vote.The Official Vetting ProcessOnce a local organizing team has decided which charity they wish to support for Twestival Local2011, the final stage of the process is to submit a form to the Twestival Global team for vetting. Ifcities followed the guidelines, there should not be any issue with the recipient selected as only ahandful of nonprofits are ever disqualified at this point. The process takes approximately 24 hours,but can take longer depending on how quickly the organization responds to additional questions.The reason this process is in place is because we acknowledge that it is not always easy to identifyan effective charity and we want to protect everyone working under the Twestival brand. It is alsovery important to ensure the relationship between local organizing team and local nonprofit issolid and leaders are clear on financial responsibilities. Final global approvals starts on January 28thand runs until registration closes on March 10th http://twestival.com/causes PLEASE POST ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO THE GLOBAL WORKSPACE ON HUDDLE.

Establishing GoalsIt is important to set a fundraising goal for your Twestival Local. This is a powerful motivator fororganizers and will inspire those in your community to rally together to achieve the result. Youwant to set the goal high enough to push everyone to work hard, but not so high that it will beimpossible to reach. Every city is different. Set a quantitative goal (i.e. reaching $5000 will result inXX or $20 = XX) as this will help you when marketing your event or promoting the impact ofticket sales. Please do not promise your charity they will receive a specific amount of money, asthere are too many variables with fundraising and it isn’t fair to set those expectations. Researchthe goals of the organization and work with them to identify a specific local project that Twestivalcould potentially support. The ability to communicate the direct impact Twestival funds will be a bigincentive for many to give. It is also an incredible way to profile their work as cities will be able tofollow the progress with a feeling of ownership. Establish milestones for reaching levels towardsyour fundraising goal and create rewards where people are recognized for their contribution.Twestival’s 100% Donation Model - What does this mean?The great thing about Twestival Local events is that they are run by volunteers. Our heavy use oftechnology and social media provides us with very little overhead and all event expenses arecovered or donated by sponsors. Since the inaugural Twestival, we have worked diligently tomaintain a 100% donation model for Twestival. This has nothing to do with believing organizationsshouldn’t invest a percentage towards good administration or salaries. Instead, our 100% model isin place to be able to be transparent about where the funds are going across the board, in anycountry. We have a strong message to share and this keeps that message clear to show thepotential impact of funds. Twestival has global partners that cover fees which make 100% possible.Setting the Record Straight on Charity ReceiptsOne of the most popular questions we get every year has to do with how people can getcharitable receipts. There seems to be some misunderstanding of the legalities and realistic impactof these tax breaks. It is important to note that Twestival is independent from any nonprofits wesupport. In addition, Connect the Dots Foundation, which was set up as a legal body to protectTwestival does not have the capacity to distribute receipts or banking requests. It is not permittedto provide charitable tax receipts for event ticketing and even in cases where a small percentagedoes qualify for this, we are not a charity and therefore do not have the power. However, this yearTwestival is partnering (from Feb 15) with well known online fundraising platforms that are tied tononprofits and if your organization is registered, this is where direct donations can indeed receivea charitable receipt. It is a great way to channel large sponsorship donations and ensure they getcredit. Alternatively, what most sponsors will be looking for is some acknowledgement of wherethe funds have gone, so you can write them an official thank you letter. Anyone buying a ticket toan event is getting a great experience in return and we do give 100% of funds to great causes.Responsibilities of the Charity RecipientWhile Twestival Local does run independently, we are very conscious how we represent anycharitable organization or brand. Twestival Local charities must agree to be named as the recipientas they could be quoted in press releases, asked to provide digital design assets and work with ourfundraising partners to ensure donations are transferred safely.How Can Our Local Nonprofit Get the Most out of the Twestival Experience?Twestival Local is about more than just handing over a cheque to a charity after the event. Pastrecipients will tell you that Twestival offers a unique opportunity for them to widen their networkand improve social media knowledge. Once nonprofits are officially approved, they will be sent adocument and video with hints and tips of how to engage with their Twestival Local. Remember:Nonprofits are under no obligation to get involved beyond providing a handful of details. PLEASE POST ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO THE GLOBAL WORKSPACE ON HUDDLE.

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Twestival Local 2011 Charity Guidelines

by Amanda Rose on Jan 24, 2011

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Twestival Local 2011 Charity Guidelines — Document Transcript