As an organization choosing to participate and collaborate as a benefitting partner from the Give Big Kern Online Day of Giving, hosted by Kern Community Foundation, you are required to enter into this Memorandum of Understanding, which sets forth the services and duties provided by Give Big Kern, and the roles and responsibilities of all participants.
1. About Give Big Kern
Give Big Kern is Kern County’s official annual giving day. It is an online fundraising event that supports approved nonprofit organizations serving Kern County. Donations made through the Give Big Kern platform go directly to participating nonprofits.
2. Nonprofit Eligibility
To participate, nonprofit organizations must meet the following requirements:
Be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable nonprofit registered with Kern Community Foundation
Have a Silver or higher transparency rating on GuideStar (or its successor platform)
Provide a valid EIN for verification
If an organization is not a 501(c)(3), it must provide a fiscal sponsor that meets these requirements and will receive donations on its behalf.
Participating nonprofits must be headquartered in Kern County or provide services to Kern County residents.
3. Marketing and Promotion
Participating nonprofits are encouraged to focus most of their marketing efforts in the days and weeks leading up to the Giving Day. This helps build community awareness and excitement.
Each nonprofit agrees to:
Share the Giving Day link on its website and social media pages
Encourage staff, board members, volunteers, and supporters to promote the Giving Day through email, social media, and word of mouth
4. Donations and Donor Choice
Give Big Kern does not guarantee how much money any organization will raise.
Donors choose which organizations to support.
Give Big Kern does not influence donor decisions.
Only donations clearly marked as Giving Day donations and made during the official Giving Day period will count toward prizes or incentives.
5. Media and Public Representation
If asked to participate in media interviews or press events, nonprofits agree to speak professionally and respectfully. Participants represent not only their own organization but the Giving Day as a whole.
6. Use and Distribution of Funds
Each nonprofit will receive all donations made to its organization through Give Big Kern, minus any transaction fees not covered by the donor.
Donations are processed through Mightycause and re-granted by the Mightycause Charitable Foundation.
Donations are batched by the calendar month in which they are received and distributed as follows:
Donations made from the 1st through the 15th of the month are distributed on or around the 25th of that same month.
Donations made from the 16th through the last day of the month are distributed on or around the 10th of the following month.
The timing of funds posting to a nonprofit’s bank account depends on the bank’s processing schedule, but is typically within 2–3 business days.
Nonprofits are strongly encouraged to sign up for electronic funds transfer (EFT) or direct deposit. If EFT is not set up, a check will be mailed around the 10th of the month for donations made in the prior month.
Please note:
There is a $5 service fee for each check issued.
Checks are mailed to the mailing address on file with the IRS.
If a nonprofit does not have valid payment information on file, distribution may be delayed.
7. Fees
Transaction and processing fees may apply. Any applicable fees will be clearly disclosed before a donation is completed.
Mightycause retains a 3.8% platform fee from all donations.
Credit Card processing fees are an additional 2.5% + $0.30 for all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover).
ACH processing fees replace credit card processing fees and are 1% additional plus a $1.50 fee. Platform fee still applies.
Donors are given the option to cover the fees and if they choose this option, 100% of the charitable gift will go to the receiving organization. All donations are final and cannot be refunded.
Any donations processed outside of the Give Big Kern donation period through mightycause.com, or subsequent recurring donations, are also subject to the transaction fees outlined above.
8. Platform Services
Give Big Kern uses Mightycause, a secure third-party fundraising platform, to process donations. Give Big Kern does not store donor payment information and is not responsible for technical issues beyond its control.
9. Limitation of Responsibility
Give Big Kern is not responsible for:
The amount of funds raised by any nonprofit
Donor decisions
How donated funds are used by participating nonprofits
10. Changes to These Terms
These Terms may be updated at any time. Continued participation in the Giving Day means you agree to the updated Terms.
11. Contact Information
For questions about these Terms and Services, please contact:
Kern Community Foundation
info@kernfoundation.org
661-325-5346