Think of Groundswell like a savings account for all of your giving. First, you'll need to contribute funds to your Groundswell account. You can contribute funds by connecting a bank account, contributing stock, contributing money from your paycheck, or by using Apple Pay/Google Pay. Your company will match those contributions, up to your match limit. So if your company offers a match of $100, they'll match the first $100 that you contribute into your account. You can still contribute more to your account (and you should!), but your company won't match anything over that $100. Once you have contributed funds to your Groundswell account, you can donate that money to charities directly through the Groundswell platform. The funds in your Groundswell account will remain there until you donate to your chosen charities, and they can even earn interest, helping you donate even more!
Your Groundswell account is yours forever - even if you leave your current company. Groundswell makes it easy to centralize all of your giving, not just what your company will match. Rather than tracking individual donation receipts throughout the year, Groundswell gives you an impact report with a summary of your tax-deductible contributions. Hello, easier tax filing! Groundswell also can help you identify worthy charities that align with your interests with our charity spotlights. This is why users love using Groundswell for all their giving, not just their company matches.
Groundswell takes 1% of donations (domestic and international) to cover the cost of processing. Many companies choose to cover those costs for you, so you may not see them when you give. (Of note, we have among the lowest distribution fee across giving platforms with most falling between 3-5%.)
No, Groundswell is a company that works alongside the Groundswell Charitable Foundation. The Groundswell Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity that serves as a custodial sponsor of all personal giving accounts (Donor-Advised Funds) on the Groundswell platform.
Yes. You can contribute funds into your Groundswell account and donate to as many charities as you like throughout the year. In January of the following year, you’ll receive a single consolidated tax receipt that shows all of the tax-deductible contributions that you have contributed into your Groundswell account for the previous year. The single receipt makes tax filing a little bit easier!
Security is a priority in every feature we build. We've carefully selected vendors like Plaid to meet industry standards and transfer contributions without ever storing user account or financial info on our servers. Moreover, we understand that charitable giving is deeply personal. As part of our workplace giving programs, we ensure employee privacy and never share with employers which specific charities their employees have supported.
Yes! You can use Groundswell's Favorites feature to highlight your favorite charities. Just search for your favorite charity and select "Add to Favorites" on the right hand side of their charity page. The next time you visit your homescreen you'll see that charity front and center in your Favorites section, making it even easier for you to give to your favorite organizations!
To support the causes you care about with Groundswell, contributing is the first step. When you contribute to your Groundswell account, you're setting aside funds to ultimately donate to charity. First, you'll add a funding source which could be a bank account (ACH transfer), Apple Pay or stock/ETFs. (You can also contribute to your Groundswell account through payroll if you prefer. Just grab your Groundswell account and routing numbers from you profile, and set up a payroll split on your payroll provider portal.) Once your funding source is added, you're ready to contribute funds and can choose to make a one-time or a recurring contribution to your Groundswell account.
A minimum amount of $1 is required for each contribution. There’s no maximum limit, you can be as charitable as you like!
Keep in mind that if you’re part of a workplace match program, the program will come with a match limit. This means your employer will match your contributions up until a certain point. They will let you know what this limit is and we’ll remind you in the app.
Recurring contributions allow you to consistently fund your Groundswell account on a monthly basis. For example, you could add $100 to your Groundswell account on the 1st of every month. If match funds are available from your employer, these recurring contributions will be matched.
Setting up a recurring contribution is a great way to save money for future donations. Whether you’ve got an annual giving goal in mind, or you’d like to quickly make a donation to charity when a natural disaster occurs, recurring contributions can help you get there.
Today, you can contribute stock to your Groundswell account with our partner Donate Stock. In the future, you’ll be able to contribute crypto.
No. Your Groundswell account is powered by a donor-advised fund, or DAF, and contributions to DAFs are irrevocable. If you've made a contribution in error, you can reach out to support@groundswell.io to request a reversal of the transaction within 7 days.
When donating, a minimum amount of $5 is required for each transaction. There’s no maximum limit, you can be as charitable as you like!
Recurring donations enable you to consistently support your favorite charities, so they can continue their important work. For example, you could donate $50 to your favorite charity on the 1st of every month. Charities rely on regular donors to plan for the future and more accurately forecast their fundraising efforts.
The Groundswell app includes over 1.5 million US charities. These are all certified 501(c)3 organizations in good standing with the IRS that are eligible to receive tax-deductible donations. For organizations not listed in the IRS’s database but eligible to receive tax-deductible donations (such as some houses of worship or schools), Groundswell staff conduct due-diligence to ensure that the organization meets the IRS’s standards. Groundswell does not process donations to organizations denoted as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
You can also donate to over 300,000 international charities, including every UK, Canada, and Australia charity and additional nonprofits across 83 other countries.
Some charities may be listed with their legal name. Check their website to find their legal name. You can also try entering the charity's 9-digit EIN. EINs can often be found on a charity's website. If you still can’t find the charity, click the “Can’t find the charity you are looking for?” card on your Groundswell dashboard and submit the charity info on the form. You can also get in touch with the Groundswell team and we can work with you to get the charity added to our database. You can reach us at support@groundswell.io.
100% of donations are processed and sent within 48 hours of the donation date via ACH, through a partnership with PayPal Grants. For charities that are not PayPal Confirmed Charities, donations are sent via paper check to the mailing address on file with the IRS. Delivery times vary based on USPS. Each individual donation is acknowledged with the user’s name, unless the user has opted to donate anonymously.
Yes! You can include a note on all of your donations and if you are donating to a specific fundraiser or event we highly recommend that you utilize this feature to ensure your donation gets acknowledged.
Groundswell can accept “offline” donation receipts - via the mobile app (under Profile), or on the web platform (on the main page). Upload your receipt with your name, charity name, donation date, and donation amount, and we will review and then send the matching funds into your Groundswell account. From there you can donate to the same charity or anywhere else!
Your Groundswell account is powered by a donor-advised fund, or a DAF. Think of it like a savings account for all your charitable giving. The DAF allows us to do everything faster - from matching your contributions to getting your donations to the charity. With a DAF, you get an easier way to make donations and your employer has way less administrative burden to deal with. It also ensures anonymity of employee donations: your company is supporting you, not your individual donations. The DAF infrastructure also enables a single consolidated tax receipt at year-end. You can learn more about DAFs here.
It means you’ve got a pretty awesome employer! Donation credits come directly from your employer and go into your Groundswell account. You now have extra funds in your Groundswell account that you can donate to a charity! If your donation credit has an expiration, you will receive reminder emails so you don’t forget to use your credit!
Donation credits and donation matches both come from your employer, but they aren’t the same. Your employer can send you donation credits whenever they like. For example, your employer might credit $50 to your Groundswell account to celebrate your workiversary, and then you can donate that money to your favorite charity. With matching, you first contribute your own funds to your Groundswell account and then your employer matches those funds. For example, you might contribute $100 to your account and then your employer would add an additional $100 to your account as a match. Now you have $200 to donate to your favorite charity. (Match programs include a match limit. This means your employer will match contributions up to a maximum dollar amount. If your company offers a match, you should see your match limit in your Groundswell account.)
Once you contribute funds to your Groundswell account, your employer will match your contribution. The match from your employer will appear immediately after you make your contribution. Match programs include a match limit. This means your employer will match contributions up to a maximum dollar amount. Note that this is different from traditional matching programs that require you to make the donation first and then submit a receipt for the match. With Groundswell, you can send both your donation and your employer match at the same time.
No. We understand that your charitable giving is deeply personal to you. That is why we advocate for your privacy and never share with your employer which specific charities you have supported.
Yes! You can give with Groundswell whether you’re enrolled in a workplace giving program or you’ve signed up on your own. If your employer funds your Groundswell account at any point through a donation credit or a match, these funds will remain in your Groundswell account until you select a charity and donate (even if you’re no longer an employee at that company).
In addition to the more than 1.5 million US 501(c)3 charities, you can donate to over 300,000 international charities, including every UK, Canada, and Australia charity and additional nonprofits across 83 other countries.
You can fund your account using the “Debit/Credit Card” option in the Groundswell App. Please note that our credit/debit card feature is done via Apple Pay or Google Pay. Some countries may not have the option for both so utilize what is available for you.
You can view your balance in your local (non-USD) currency by updating your locations settings in your Account Settings. All you'll need to do is change the Country settings to the Country you are based. (Profile > Account Settings > Country > Edit > Select your Country).
No, there will not be additional fees at this time. The only fee you will incur is our standard 1% distribution fee which Groundswell takes on all donations (domestic and international) to cover the cost of processing. Of note, we have among the lowest distribution fees across giving platforms, with most falling between 3-5%.
At this time, international donations will be processed on a monthly cadence in partnership with CAF America.
Countries have varying definitions of "charity," and within each country, various types of entities might qualify for a tax benefit. Furthermore, the tax benefits can depend on numerous factors, including the donor's income, the donation amount, and the specific type of charity. Always consult local regulations and tax experts for detailed information.
If it is tax advantageous for you to make your donation directly to a local charity, you may submit your donation receipt in Groundswell for review and approval to receive your company’s match in your Groundswell Giving Account. (Profile > Request Donation Match > Submit Photo > Select from Camera/Take picture > Use Photo).
