FAQs for Charities

We want to make sure that every charity that joins Bring Light is screened to validate their legitimacy and status as a 501(c)(3) organization in the United States. We also approve all projects before they are posted to ensure they meet legal and quality standards.

No, there is no cost to register or post projects.

You may post as many projects as you wish.

Bring Light currently only accepts monetary donations.

We charge a service fee (on a sliding scale, but never more than 10%) on funds raised. Unlike direct mail and other forms of fundraising, Bring Light is efficient and cost effective – you only pay the service fee on the money you actually raise. For example, if you raise $5,000 for a specific project, you will be charged a $500 service fee. Comparatively, if you typically use a printed direct mail piece to fundraise, labor, printing and postage costs alone would significantly exceed this fee.

Bring Light also offers optional marketing services which you can choose to use. Contact at us marketingservices@bringlight.com to learn more. For more information on reduced service fees on funds raised on projects that are $10,000 or greater, please contact us at charitysupport@bringlight.com.

When your project is completed (by reaching either its funding target or end date), we will send you an invoice for your usage of Bring Light. Once your invoice is paid, a grant request is transmitted to American Endowment Foundation (our donor advised fund). You will receive a check directly from AEF.

Bring Light chose American Endowment Foundation (AEF) as our donor advised fund provider because they are a trusted, respected, and independent sponsor of donor advised funds nationwide. AEF shares Bring Light's vision of inspiring a new generation of philanthropy, and is thrilled to bring the benefits of a donor advised fund to the users of Bring Light.

As a 501(c)(3) public charity serving a national constituency since 1993, AEF’s total donor advised fund assets now exceed $130 million. Their sole business is donor advised fund administration, which includes compliance monitoring, state and federal filings, charity review, and grant disbursements - all in accordance with IRS guidelines.

Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, has awarded AEF its highest rating for the fifth consecutive year. According to their report, "AEF...demonstrated exceptional financial management, outperforming most of its peers in its efforts to allocate and grow its finances in the most responsible way possible.”

Yes! We are happy to provide copywriting and other marketing assistance to help you make the most of your Bring Light projects. Please contact us at marketingservices@bringlight.com to learn more about this service.

Yes. Click on My Profile and then Charity Resource Center to see a list of the projects your organization has posted along with the donations received and the contact list that was developed as a result.

You can thank donors as soon as they make a donation directly from the Charity Resource Center page. When donors choose to share contact information with charities to which they donate, you will also be able to access their email addresses from this page.

No. This is done automatically by Bring Light. When a donor gives to your project, they will receive an email from AEF providing details of their donation.

No. We are unable to accept donations where the donor (or family member) will receive any direct benefit, including the types of goods or services mentioned above.