Would you like to represent GlobalGiving in your country? Apply for GlobalGiving Ambassadors, a new program that will identify leading GlobalGiving partners to visit other non-profit partners and host workshops overseas. Selected individuals will visit GlobalGiving in Washington, DC for training. Apply online by March 9th.

Every year, GlobalGiving receives emails and phone calls from our partners around the world who are acting as informal ambassadors—hosting workshops to teach other organizations in their community about the value of online fundraising and the tools available through GlobalGiving; providing one-on-one support to organizations that need help uploading due diligence documents or submitting a project report; and organizing informal meet-ups and opportunities for networking and collaboration.

At the same time, everywhere we go, we’re asked “when are you setting up a GlobalGiving office here?” And although we wish we could be on the ground in every country we work in to meet with our partners and to provide in-person support, we don’t have the resources or manpower to make that possible. So, we rely primarily on highly trained fellows and volunteers to visit our partners overseas and to host workshops for organizations interested in joining GlobalGiving. (In fact, we have a brand new GlobalGiving representative headed to Southeast Asia next week!) And it’s working! We’ve received fantastic feedback from organizations about the value of these face-to-face interactions with a member of the GlobalGiving team.

But wouldn’t it be great if we could provide a long-term, consistent presence in one country?

So this year, for the first time, we are excited to be formally supporting our partners who are already acting as informal GlobalGiving ambassadors in their countries, while expanding GlobalGiving’s in-the-field support through the Ambassador Program.

This new program will identify and train one to two Ambassadors to represent GlobalGiving in their country for one year. Selected individuals will have the opportunity to participate in a one-week training in Washington, DC in April or May 2012, where they will learn everything they need to answer frequently asked questions about GlobalGiving’s project entry system, campaigns, corporate partnerships, and more.

What are the Program requirements?

Selected individuals will:

• Commit to act as GlobalGiving’s Ambassador in their country for one year. We will provide regular check-ins and support to our Ambassadors throughout the year.
• Be available to come to DC for a week of training in April or May. GlobalGiving will reimburse flight, lodging, and food expenses for this one week stay.
• Visit GlobalGiving’s partners organizations in the country to verify the projects and reports posted on the site and to offer support to current partners. GlobalGiving will provide a small monthly travel and communications stipend to make these visits and relevant communications possible.
• Host at least six workshops throughout the country about the value and principles of online fundraising and to support organizations interested in learning more about GlobalGiving.  GlobalGiving will provide a workshop budget. Ambassadors will be eligible for reimbursement for costs directly associated with the workshops.
• Provide feedback about organizations from the same country that are applying to GlobalGiving for the first. GlobalGiving uses a rigorous due diligence process to vet organizations that are new to the site. On occasion, questions arise about specific organizations. We will seek Ambassadors’ advice when relevant.
• Help GlobalGiving understand the local non-profit sector in your country as well as any regulations or restrictions that might inhibit organizations from applying to join GlobalGiving.

Who is eligible to apply for the Ambassador Program?

To be eligible for the Ambassador Program, you must:

• Live and work in a country other than the United States. The main objective of this program is to extend GlobalGiving’s representation outside of the U.S, where GlobalGiving’s office is based.
• Work for an organization that has been successfully using GlobalGiving’s site for AT LEAST one year.

Preference will be given to individuals who have been active and engaged on GlobalGiving and who have experience working with non-profit networks in their country.

What are the benefits for being an Ambassador Program?

GlobalGiving Ambassadors will benefit from:

• An all-expense paid trip to GlobalGiving’s office in Washington, DC to meet GlobalGiving’s team and take part in a one-week training.
• In depth training about online fundraising and GlobalGiving. During the one-week training, we will go over the principles of online fundraising—calling on experts in the office and from the DC area to share their suggestions for utilizing online tools to raise money for non-profit organizations. We will also offer an in depth training in fundraising on GlobalGiving—including how to use the project entry system, attract new donors, benefit from corporate partnerships, and more.
• Networking opportunities while in the United States. GlobalGiving will organize meetings with strategic partners and potential collaborative organizations during the one-week stay.
• A modest travel and communications stipend for in-country visits to other GlobalGiving partners.
• Funding to host workshops for other organizations in your country. The Ambassador Program gives organizations the chance to contribute to the growth of local non-profit networks by providing networking opportunities at workshops and offering information and support for online fundraising.
• The opportunity to build relationships with and learn best practices from other GlobalGiving partners through site visits and meetings.

Interested? Please apply online here by Friday, March 9^th.  We will review your application and get back to you by March 16^th to let you know if you have been selected for a second round of applications. Applicants accepted to submit a second application will be asked to provide a letter of recommendation from another organization from the same country.

Would you like a larger say in developing GlobalGiving’s campaigns? Would you like to be the first to see new tools and features before they are rolled out on the site? Apply now for GlobalGiving’s Leadership Council, a new advisory committee made up of representatives from our non-profit partners (like you!).  Applications are due Thursday, February 16^th.

GlobalGiving is committed to evolving and shaping our online platform, tools, campaigns, and trainings to better meet the needs of our partner organizations. We know that the best way to do this is to seek and act on feedback from you. That is why, over the years, we have invited each of our partners to complete an annual project leader survey. We have encouraged candid dialogue at our workshops throughout the world and requested comments and suggestions via our Project Leader Facebook group.

Our newest initiative, the Leadership Council, is just one more way for us to execute one of four values: Listen. Act. Learn. Repeat. Read about our four values here.

What is the Leadership Council?

The Leadership Council will be a committee of representatives from our non-profit partners around the world. We are looking to identify representatives from a range of organizations: long-time GlobalGiving partners, who have seen how GlobalGiving has changed over the years, as well as some of GlobalGiving’s newest community members, who can bring fresh ideas and new perspectives to the group. Ideally, the Council will be made up of representatives from organizations around the globe—representing GlobalGiving’s diverse base of non-profit partners in the U.S. and over 100 other countries—who have varying access to the internet, experience with online fundraising, etc.

The Council will meet via skype or conference call once every three months (kicking off in April 2012) to discuss important issues related to GlobalGiving—campaigns, pricing, new experiments, project ranking, and more. Council meetings will generally last about two hours. GlobalGiving staff will share new features on the site, ideas for future campaigns, etc. and invite Council members to share feedback and offer suggestions.

The Council will also act as an ad hoc advisory committee, providing occasional feedback on new ideas and features via email and responding to specific questions from the GlobalGiving team that are relevant to your country or background. For example, you may receive infrequent requests for feedback on other organizations in your country or identifying potential guest hosts for monthly trainings. Council members may also be intermittently asked to act as a reference for other GlobalGiving partners in your country or sector who have questions or require some assistance with their GlobalGiving account.

What are the responsibilities of Leadership Council members?

Leadership Council members will be expected to:

• Participate in four 2 hour conference calls via skype or phone throughout the year. Because the Council will be made up of representatives from all over the world, Council members are expected to be flexible with timing (calls may be at night or early in the morning in your country) and accommodating when possible.
• Come to each conference call prepared, having reviewed any material sent out by GlobalGiving staff in preparation for the call. Participants should be prepared to speak knowledgeably about the topic and to share ideas and new suggestions.
• Provide advice on new GlobalGiving applicants based in your country and/or on rules and regulations specific to charitable organizations in your country.
• Test out and offer feedback about new features and campaigns.

What are the benefits of being a Leadership Council member?

As a Council member, you will receive sneak peeks of our newest features and the opportunity to make suggestions on upcoming campaigns, trainings, and more. This is a great way to have a larger say in GlobalGiving’s programming and to help make GlobalGiving an even more valuable and effective tool for organizations like yours around the world!

Interested? Please apply online here by Thursday, February 16^th.  We will review your application and get back to you by March 1^st to let you know if you have been selected for the Leadership Council!

Wow! 2011 was an incredible year. GlobalGiving nearly doubled the amount of donations made through our site to partners around the world. We worked with 56 corporations to offer employee giving, facilitate grants, and assist in cause-marketing campaigns. We made some exciting improvements to our website—making mobile donations available to our partners, showing you your Partner Rewards Level and project ranking(s) in real time on the project entry system dashboard, and more! And it’s all because of YOU!

Your amazing work in the field—offering microfinance in Mexico, training midwives in Ethiopia, rescuing elephants in Thailand, and so much more—inspired 102,000 donors to give this past year. Your quarterly reports, openness, and transparency gave our corporate partners the confidence to invest $10.8 million in your work. And your feedback and suggestions helped us to dramatically improve GlobalGiving’s website. So, from all of us at GlobalGiving, we would like to say a big thank you for making this our best year yet! Check out the GlobalGiving staff thank you video here.

The Numbers

2011 was GlobalGiving’s most successful year ever! Here’s why:

• In 2011, $20.4 million was donated to projects through GlobalGiving, an increase of 89% from 2010!
• Traffic doubled on the site, from 1.3 million visitors in 2010 to 2.55 million in 2011;
• 102,000 individuals made donations through GlobalGiving in 2011, a 62% increase from 2010;
• $967,382 in GlobalGiving gift cards were purchased;
• The number of recurring donations made through GlobalGiving’s site increased 112% (We currently process $65,338 in recurring donations each month and that number climbs each day thanks to experiments and matching campaigns);
• 1,718 organizations received donations on GlobalGiving in 2011, 424 more than in 2010; and
• 47% of donors chose to pay GlobalGiving’s fee separately, increasing the percentage of the donation reaching your projects on the ground!

Incredible, right? The growth that we experienced in 2011 was no coincidence. The team at GlobalGiving worked hard to attract new donors through media outreach, develop and manage valuable corporate partnerships, and provide you with a better user experience and more opportunities to reach out to your own networks. Here are some highlights:

• In 2011, GlobalGiving worked with 56 corporate partners including Nike, Neutrogena, ABC, Dell, LivingSocial, and Ford resulting in almost $10.8 million in donation volume for partner organizations. One exciting new partnership in 2011 was with Eli Lilly & Company, which gave all 37,000 employees a $50 gift card to GlobalGiving.  Lilly employees donated $850,000 through their new employee giving portal to health, hunger, education, and environment projects on GlobalGiving.
• On the tech side, we made some huge improvements to the dashboard in the project entry system, making it possible to view your organization’s Partner Rewards Level and project rankings in real time and see when your next project reports are due. Now you can manage your organization’s disbursement information and project leader roles online and we made it possible for you to embed video in your project page! We’ve also built organization pages, where you can send donors to see all of your organizations’ projects on GlobalGiving. This year, we also improved the donor experience on the site, adding tabs for monthly recurring donations and gift donations to the project page, in addition to changing the appearance of project reports and thank you emails, among other things. (Thanks Tech Team!)
• We continued to expand and improve the services we offer to our partner organizations, including monthly trainings by experts, local workshops in 33 countries (and 6 American cities), one-on-one fundraising consultations, volunteer listings, and numerous fundraising campaigns.
• In 2011, partner organizations like yours raised over $1 million in GlobalGiving fundraising campaigns, such as Bonus Days, and GlobalGiving gave away over $230,000 in matching funds and bonus grants.

So, what can you expect in 2012?

We expect 2012 to be another record-setting year. We have already announced our 2012 fundraising calendar with the dates for upcoming matching and fundraising campaigns (including some campaigns and promotions that we’ll be launching for the first time this year). Don’t miss out on the opportunity to take advantage of the growing momentum on GlobalGiving!

GlobalGiving is very excited to announce that we are rolling out a new disbursement method called FXecute for our international partners!  When compared to traditional bank wire transfers, FXecute will save your organization a substantial amount of money in wire fees and currency exchange premiums, ensuring that more of your donors’ dollars reach you overseas.

FXecute delivers donations in your local currency to your international bank account via your country’s domestic ACH system (similar to a direct deposit) rather than the typical international wire.  Using this system we are able to avoid typical wire fees of $55-$95 every time we disburse funds to your organization. In addition to saving on wire fees, GlobalGiving will be able to get you a conversion rate that is approximately 10 times better than a regular bank transfer.  A typical organization now pays an average of around $105 to receive a $1,000 donation through an international wire.  With FXecute, this charge is lowered to about $5.

So, for each disbursement that GlobalGiving sends your organization, you could save up to $95 in fees and reduce currency conversion by as much as 90%!

Have questions?  See below:

So how does FXecute work?

FXecute has bank accounts in over a hundred countries throughout the world. By working with FXecute, GlobalGiving is able to send domestic ACH transfers (similar to direct deposit) from an FXecute account in your organization’s country in the local currency.  This direct, domestic transfer is typically free.

Why does this save my organization money?

FXecute is a far more efficient and economical way of transferring funds than traditional international wires.  Many traditional international wires must go through an intermediary bank, which frequently charge a processing fee of about $20 for each wire they receive. Local banks also usually charge between $10 and $75 to receive the wire. In addition, local banks usually charge 3-11% to convert U.S. dollars into the local currency.  FXecute does not charge these bank wire fees and charges a much lower currency conversion rate.

To compare, below is a chart of a typical organization in, say, Kenya:

*FXecute saved you $100!

Does FXecute cost money?

Yes,  FXecute does charge a fee for currency conversion ranging from 0.3% to 1%. There is no fee for the actual transfer of funds.   This is in contrast to typical bank transfers, which charge between 3-11%.

Is my organization eligible to receive disbursements through FXecute?

Unfortunately, not all organizations will be able to participate in the FXecute system.  Here are the conditions that must be met:

1. 1)      Your bank account is in your country’s local currency. If your account is in U.S. dollars, you will NOT be able to participate.  Also, if your account is in Euros but your country’s currency is something else, you will NOT be able to participate.  Some of our international partners maintain multiple accounts which hold the local currency as well as U.S. dollars and for them it may be beneficial to route funds from GlobalGiving to the local currency account versus the US dollar account.
2. 2)      Your bank account is in a FXecute-activated country. FXecute currently supports 141 countries.  Chances are very good yours is one of them.   Some of the countries where FXecute does not cover include Zimbabwe, Argentina, and Ukraine.  The project entry disbursement page when you log into your GlobalGiving account will automatically detect whether you’re eligible.
3. 3)      You’ve recently updated your disbursement instruction on PE. We will NOT automatically convert you to the FXecute method.  You will need to long onto PE and update your disbursement instructions.  For some countries we will require additional information like your IFSC code for India, CNPJ number for Brazil, or Clave number for Mexico.  

How do I update my disbursement information?

All changes to disbursement instructions should be made through the project entry system.  Login here. Click on the “organization manager” at the top of the page. Click on the name of your organization. Scroll down to the bottom of the organization editor to “Disbursement Options.” Enter your disbursement details below. Don’t forget to “save and submit” at the bottom of the screen once you’ve made your changes.

We will review your information and approve the changes in 1-2 business days. We’ll let you know if we have any additional questions.

Starting Monday, October 31^st, all organizations will be required to update their disbursement information before performing other tasks—submitting project reports, editing projects, sending thanks you’s—in the project entry (pe) system.

What is a SWIFT code?

A SWIFT code is a bank identification code (BIC).  SWIFT stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, which is the institution that manages the SWIFT network and communications between banks.  Think of it as an electronic address for your bank and your bank branch.  The SWIFT code is either 8 or 11 characters in length that follows this pattern:

• 4 letters for the institution code
• 2 letters for the country code
• 2 letters or digits for the location code
• 3 optional letters or digits for the branch code (XXX stands for the primary office)

Check with your bank branch for the correct SWIFT code and try to use the branch specific code whenever possible.  Alternatively, you can you look up your bank’s SWIFT code by performing a BIC search at www.swift.com.

Can I use my IBAN number instead of a SWIFT (BIC) code?

No. The United States does not participate in the IBAN network and therefore we require a SWIFT code to transfer funds.  We strongly recommend however that you include your IBAN number in the bank-to-bank instructions as it is often helpful in expediting the settlement of funds with your bank.  In some cases we have been required to provide the entire IBAN number or components of it, such as the sort code, to execute a wire transfer.

What is an IBAN number?

The IBAN number (International Bank Accounting Number) is used primarily by European countries, though is also commonly used in the Middle East.  Each participating country has a slightly different format though all include a country code, bank code, branch code, and account number.  Your account’s IBAN number can be found on your bank statement.  For transfers between two IBAN participating counties, only the IBAN number is required.  If one of the countries is outside the IBAN network, as is the United States, the beneficiary bank’s SWIFT code is required.

Can I still choose to receive wire transfers?

If your organization has a bank account outside of the U.S., you are still eligible to receive wire transfers if you choose.  Please keep in mind that wire transfers can cost your organization a significant amount of additional of money for each disbursement.  Selecting FXecute will save your organization money in both bank fees and conversion rates.

Will this change affect U.S. based organizations?

No, GlobalGiving will continue to disburse to U.S. registered organizations using ACH (similar to direct deposit) and paper checks. We strongly encourage you to sign up for ACH disbursements. ACH is an electronic transfer from our bank account to yours. It saves you time and money, and you don’t have to worry about checks getting lost in the mail.

What is my bank routing number?

Your bank routing code, also known as routing transit number (RTN) is a 9-digit number used in the United States, which serves as a financial address for processing financial transactions within the United States.  Typically your bank maintains at least two codes, one for processing ACH transaction both electronic (direct deposit) and paper (checks), and another for processing domestic wire transfers (fedwire number).  These numbers are not interchangeable.  See the images below to find out how to find your routing number.  This number may also be referred to as an ABA number.

How do I find the routing number for my account?

The routing number for your account is located at the bottom of your checks.  There are three sets of numbers.  The first set for business accounts is the check number.  The second set is a 9 digit routing number.  The third set is your account number.  For personal checks, the routing number comes first, followed by the account number, and then the check number.

BUSINESS CHECK:

PERSONAL CHECK:

Why am I getting an invalid routing number message?

The routing number entered is validated against a comprehensive list provided by the Federal Reserve.  This list is updated regularly and we believe it to be complete and accurate.  If your check contains a routing number not on this list, please confirm with your bank and email us a scanned copy of a voided check to disbursements@globalgiving.org so that we can resolve the discrepancy.

The most common errors are using a 9 digit account number or your account’s fedwire number instead of your routing number.  The fedwire number is used for receiving domestic wire transfers and is not a substitute for your ACH routing number.

I have a Canadian account, can I receive an ACH?

No. At present we are not able to support ACH transfers to Canadian based accounts.  There are no current plans to add this functionality, but if this is something you would like us to consider, please email disbursements@globalgiving.org.

Does changing my organization’s address in the GlobalGiving project entry system update my check delivery address?

No.  The two addresses are maintained separately.  To update your check delivery address, click on the “organization manager” at the top of the page. Click on the name of your organization. Scroll down to the bottom of the organization editor to “Disbursement.” Make sure that your disbursement status is “active.” Don’t forget to “save and submit” at the bottom of the screen once you’ve made your changes.

I’m a visual learner.  What does this change really look like?

Here it is: