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Paying Nonprofits via Change
Paying Nonprofits via Change

How Bonfire sends payments to eligible nonprofits safely, securely, and compliantly.

Bonfire Team avatar
Written by Bonfire Team
Updated over 2 months ago

Bonfire makes it easy for nonprofits to receive their proceeds safely, securely, and compliantly with the help of GetChange Corp ("Change").

As Commercial Co-Venture (CCV) laws are developing and evolving across the US, we are simplifying the process of fundraising for eligible nonprofits by partnering with Change. Change allows Bonfire and the organizations who partner with us to maintain compliance – today and into the future.

Eligible nonprofits can opt to receive payments via Change. Read more about this process below.

What is Change?

Bonfire uses GetChange Corp ("Change") as the third-party service provider for donation processing. Donations made via Change's platform are to Our Change Foundation ("OCF") 501(c)(3) (EIN: 86-3353394), a nonprofit organization that gives grants to the nonprofit selected as the beneficiary of the Bonfire Campaign. Your Bonfire payouts will be sent as “Grants” from Change.

How will my nonprofit receive payments from Our Change Foundation?

Payments from Our Change Foundation ("OCF") are made as grants from OCF to your nonprofit.

You can register with GetChange Corp (“Change”) at any time to set up your preferred payment method and track your payouts.

If you do not register with Change, you will receive a mailed check to your organization with your first payout. Change will notify your organization of subsequent payouts available. To collect these, you must either (a) register with GetChange Corp, where you can set up direct deposit (ACH), or (b) contact their support team at support@getchange.io to confirm receipt of the first payout and to receive any future payouts via check. Change requires this checkpoint to avoid payouts getting lost.

Once you have set up with Change, you will no longer need to request individual payouts through your Bonfire Dashboard. Proceeds will automatically be sent to your organization at a set cadence. You can set the cadence of Change payouts by registering with Change.

Are there fees associated with Our Change Foundation or Change?

There are no fees for our customers and nonprofits for receiving grants from OCF. Bonfire covers the platform fees that Change charges related to claiming the donations.

How can I change my Change payout method?

Change makes payments to nonprofits primarily by ACH bank transfer. To set up ACH transfers, you'll first need to register with Change. While Change prefers to send payments via bank transfer for added security and speed, they are happy to help set up alternate payment methods like paper checks. If you've already registered with Change, you can email their support team at support@getchange.io.

Once you register, you can also track your grant, update your preferred payout cadence, and fill out your nonprofit profile.

How long does it take for a payout from Change to get to the nonprofit?

Donations sent to Our Change Foundation (“OCF”) are processed weekly. Benefitting nonprofits will receive their grant from OCF within 30 days.

In rare cases, OCF is not able to grant a donation to the selected nonprofit. If OCF is unable to grant a donation to the chosen nonprofit, Bonfire will work with the seller to recommend a different nonprofit organization with a similar mission. If the seller doesn’t respond, Bonfire will recommend a similar nonprofit to OCF.

If you want to know if a specific payout has been received by a nonprofit, you can reach out to the Change Support Team at support@getchange.io.

What address will Change send checks to for our organization?

Your check will be sent to the address on file with Our Change Foundation. To learn more or update your organization's mailing address, please register with GetChange Corp.

Bonfire uses GetChange Corp (“Change”) Foundation as the third-party service provider for donation processing. Donations made via Change's platform are to Our Change Foundation ("OCF") 501(c)(3) (EIN: 86-3353394), a nonprofit organization that gives grants to the nonprofit selected as the beneficiary on the Bonfire Campaign.

Does my payout have to go through Our Change Foundation?

All proceeds from Giving Campaigns must be paid out to nonprofits through Change. Nonprofits fundraising directly on Bonfire may continue to receive their funds directly from Bonfire; however, nonprofits will need to receive payouts through Change in order to utilize all of Bonfire’s nonprofit perks, like the ability to receive additional donations at checkout.

How do I get access to my donor list?

Your nonprofit must sign up and create an account on Bonfire to access full donor lists. Once we successfully verify your nonprofit, you can navigate to your Dashboard, select the “Organization” tab, and then “Reports” to access donor lists.

Why did my nonprofit receive a grant from Our Change Foundation?

CCV laws are state-based and constantly changing. To best maintain compliance with these laws, Bonfire is working with Our Change Foundation (“OCF”) to simplify compliance for us and the nonprofit organizations who receive funds from Bonfire fundraising campaigns.

Because Bonfire’s platform allows individuals to raise funds for thousands of different nonprofit organizations, keeping up with contracts and reporting for all of the nonprofits would be nearly impossible. By sending all payouts to Our Change Foundation, the contract, registration, and reporting requirements only fall on Bonfire and OCF, not on your nonprofit. Your nonprofit receives a grant from Our Change Foundation, which is a simple process and helps avoid the complex legal processes associated with CCV.

What is CCV?

CCV stands for Commercial Co-Venture. CCV is a legal term adopted by the US government that refers to a contract between a nonprofit organization and a for-profit company that is created to support charitable causes. The for-profit business in this relationship is known as a commercial co-venturer. Laws in states across the US regarding fundraising for nonprofits are constantly changing to keep up with industry and market evolution. When individuals use Bonfire to fundraise for a nonprofit organization through a giving campaign, this is considered a commercial co-venture under this new legislation. By partnering with Change, nonprofit organizations can reap the benefits of peer-to-peer fundraising with Bonfire while maintaining compliance with state-based regulations.

How can I contact Change?

If you would like information about your organization, you can contact the Change Support Team at support@getchange.io.

If you have questions, our Customer Support team is eager to help. Send us a message on our contact page!

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