Donor FAQ —
Every Answer
You Need

We gratefully accept donations from $1 USD. Every contribution creates real-world impact:

• $1 = 4 nutritious meals for a child in need
• $25 = Full set of school supplies for 5 children for a year
• $50 = Clean water access for an entire family
• $100 = Medical care for 10 remote-community patients
• $250 = Complete vocational training for one woman entrepreneur
• $2,500 = A fully drilled water well serving 500+ people

Absolutely. We accept donations from donors in 50+ countries. Our payment system supports:

• USA & Canada: Credit/debit cards, PayPal, bank transfers, checks
• United Kingdom: Cards, PayPal, Direct Debit, CAF Donate
• Europe: Cards, PayPal, SEPA bank transfers
• Africa: Mobile Money — Orange Money, Wave, MTN MoMo, Moov
• Global: Stripe, PayPal in 135+ currencies (auto-converted to USD)

Tax deductibility for non-US donors depends on your home country's laws and any US tax treaty in effect. We recommend consulting your local tax advisor.

Monthly giving is the single most impactful way to support our work — it's how Save the Children, UNICEF, and the world's most effective NGOs are funded. Here's how:

• Select "Monthly" in the frequency tabs of the donation form
• Choose your amount — even $10/month makes a substantial difference over a year
• Your card is charged automatically each month — no action needed
• Cancel anytime with a single email — no questions asked

98 cents of every dollar donated by US supporters goes directly to program expenses in Africa. Here's our verified breakdown:

• 75% — Direct services: education, water, healthcare, food distribution
• 15% — Field operations and local partner staff
• 7% — Fundraising and donor communications
• 3% — Audit, compliance, and administration

This ratio exceeds the UNICEF standard (88%) and the Save the Children standard (87%). Our financials are verified by an independent Big-4 auditor and available in full on our Transparency page.

Yes. Use the cause selector in the donation form to designate your gift to:

• Humanitarian: Water & wells, food aid, shelter, emergency relief
• Education: Scholarships, school kits, school construction, teacher salaries
• Health: Medical care, vaccines, maternal health, child nutrition
• Zakat: Zakat al-Mal or Zakat al-Fitr — processed per Islamic guidelines
• Where Most Needed: We allocate to the highest-priority current need

Note: Unrestricted "Where Most Needed" gifts provide the most operational flexibility and are often the most impactful, since we can respond rapidly to crises.

Yes — multiple ways:

• Immediate email receipt — within 2 minutes of your donation, with transaction ID
• Tax receipt — official 501(c)(3) documentation included in the email
• Annual consolidated statement — for donations totalling $250+ per calendar year, sent each January
• Welcome packet — first-time donors receive our impact guide and program overview

If your receipt doesn't arrive within 15 minutes, check your spam folder. Still missing? Email [email protected] and we'll resend immediately.

Yes, anytime — no questions asked. You have full control:

• Increase or decrease your monthly amount
• Pause for up to 3 months (medical hardship, travel, etc.)
• Switch cause — redirect your gift to a different program
• Update payment method securely online
• Cancel completely — effective within 2 business days

Contact us at [email protected] or call +237 699 687 259. All changes are processed within 48 hours.

Many do — and it can double or triple your impact at no extra cost to you.

• Ask your HR or payroll department about their "matching gift" or "charitable match" policy
• Major employers with active programs: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Bank of America, Pfizer, IBM, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, and thousands more
• Typical match ratios: 1:1 (doubles your gift) up to 3:1 in some cases
• We provide all paperwork — just submit your donation receipt to HR

Yes, 100%. Charity & Hope is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization under US federal law. All donations from US taxpayers are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

• Your email receipt serves as IRS-compliant documentation for gifts under $250
• For gifts over $250, we issue a formal written acknowledgment meeting all IRS requirements
• Annual summary statement provided every January for total annual gifts over $250
• We are registered to solicit donations in all 50 US states

Our Employer Identification Number (EIN) is XX-XXXXXXX (printed on all official receipts). You'll need this for:

• Claiming charitable deductions on IRS Schedule A
• Submitting employer matching gift requests
• Directing grants from Donor-Advised Funds (Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, Vanguard Charitable)
• Planned giving and estate documentation

Our IRS Form 990 (full financial disclosure) is filed annually and publicly accessible on GuideStar/Candid and our own Transparency page.

Yes — and these are often the most tax-efficient ways to give.

• Appreciated stocks & securities: Avoid capital gains tax while deducting full fair market value. Transfer instructions available upon request.
• Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and 30+ altcoins accepted via our secure crypto partner. We issue an immediate receipt at time of transfer.
• Donor-Advised Funds (DAF): Recommend a grant from your Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard DAF directly to our EIN.
• IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD): If you're 70½ or older, donate up to $105,000/year directly from your IRA — excludes the amount from taxable income.
• Planned giving: Bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts.

Contact our Major Gifts team: [email protected]

You can update any information quickly and securely:

• Email: [email protected] — response within 24 hours
• Phone: +237 699 687 259 — Mon–Fri 9am–6pm CET
• Secure portal: Create a donor account at charityandhope.org to self-manage your profile, download receipts, and view giving history

For security, payment method changes require identity verification via a link sent to your registered email address. Changes take effect within 2 business days.

We operate across 15 African countries and parts of the Middle East, working with 87 vetted local partner organizations:

• West Africa: Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso
• East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda
• Central Africa: Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, DRC
• Southern Africa: Malawi, Zambia

Our approach is locally led — programs are designed, staffed, and managed by community members. We believe sustainable development happens when communities own their change.

Our partner vetting process is among the most rigorous in the humanitarian sector — comparable to standards used by USAID and the UN:

• 1. Community needs audit — independent assessment of need and gap
• 2. Organizational capacity review — governance, HR, and financial management
• 3. Financial audit — 3 years of historical records reviewed
• 4. Mandatory field visit — in-person inspection by our US and regional teams
• 5. Pilot phase — 6-month trial project before full commitment

All partners sign our Code of Conduct covering child protection, anti-corruption, and gender equity. Annual compliance reviews — and partnerships are terminated immediately for any violations.

Yes. We offer several sponsorship tiers:

• Child Sponsorship ($35/month): Support a named child's education, nutrition, and healthcare. Receive bi-annual photos and handwritten letters.
• Classroom Sponsorship ($1,000/year): Equip a full classroom — books, desks, learning materials. Named plaque on the classroom.
• Water Well ($2,500 one-time): Drill and complete a well serving 500+ people. Receive GPS coordinates, construction photos, and annual maintenance reports.
• Women's Business Grant ($250): Fund startup capital and vocational training for one entrepreneur.

Email [email protected] for available sponsorship profiles and project matching.

Child and vulnerable adult safeguarding is our absolute first priority. Our protection framework meets or exceeds Sphere Standards and UN safeguarding protocols:

• Zero-tolerance policy — immediate termination and legal referral for any exploitation or abuse
• Criminal background checks — all staff, volunteers, and partner personnel
• Mandatory annual training — child protection and PSEA (Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse)
• Confidential reporting hotline — available in 5 languages, 24/7, fully anonymous
• External investigations — all concerns investigated by independent child protection specialists, not internal HR
• Safe media guidelines — no identifiable photos of children without documented guardian consent

We are a proud member of the Keeping Children Safe Coalition and publish our annual Safeguarding Report publicly.

We use a full MEAL framework (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning) — the same standard used by UNICEF, the World Bank, and major international NGOs:

• Pre-program baseline surveys — measure conditions before intervention
• Quarterly field assessments — in-person by US and regional teams
• Independent third-party audits — all major projects verified externally
• Beneficiary feedback loops — confidential community surveys and focus groups
• Outcome KPIs — tracked across education, health, water, and economic indicators
• 5-year longitudinal studies — tracking lasting community change over time

Results are published in our public Annual Impact Report — available for free download.

We welcome and organize donor visits. Seeing impact firsthand is the most powerful experience we can offer:

• Donor Immersion Trips (7–10 days): Visit multiple projects, meet families and community leaders, participate in activities. Offered twice yearly — March and October.
• Focused Project Visits (3–5 days): Visit your specific sponsored project or cause area.
• Live Virtual Tours: Scheduled video visits to active project sites for those unable to travel.

Contact: [email protected]

Full transparency is a core value. All financial documents are publicly accessible:

• Annual Report: Comprehensive program and financial overview — downloadable on our website
• IRS Form 990: Available on GuideStar/Candid and our Transparency page
• Independent Audit: Conducted annually by a licensed CPA firm — full report publicly posted
• Quarterly Donor Updates: Financial and program summaries for monthly donors

Download everything at charityandhope.org/transparency or email [email protected] for a direct copy.

Planned gifts are how the world's most enduring humanitarian work gets funded. Options include:

• Bequest in your will: Name Charity & Hope as a beneficiary — specific amount, percentage, or residue
• Charitable Gift Annuity: Receive fixed income for life in exchange for a gift — funded at our EIN
• Charitable Remainder Trust: Income stream for yourself or a named beneficiary, remainder to us
• Retirement account beneficiary: Name us as beneficiary on your IRA or 401(k) — highly tax-efficient
• Named endowment: Create a permanent fund in your name or a loved one's memory, generating ongoing grants forever

Our philanthropic advisors provide complimentary, confidential estate planning guidance. Contact: [email protected]