Give DeKalb County’s bonus pool boosts every donation

Donations made online and by mail to Give DeKalb County on May 6 are eligible to leverage funds from the bonus pool.

The bonus pool is awarded and distributed to all participating nonprofits based on the percentage of the overall Give DeKalb County total they raise, providing valuable unrestricted funding.

For example, if a nonprofit raises 2% of Give DeKalb County’s grand total, they will receive 2% of the bonus pool. If they raise 5% of the grand total, they get 5% of the bonus pool.

“The bonus pool is a way to ensure that every dollar give goes a little further,” Ben Bingle said. “It also adds a little excitement to the giving day and creates some friendly competition between the organizations to raise the most money.”

As of Thursday afternoon, 43 community partners have contributed to the bonus pool. Anyone can donate to the bonus pool as a way to broadly support all of the nonprofits participating in Give DeKalb County. When making an online donation May 6, donors can opt to donate $5 to the bonus pool.

[ Give DeKalb County Day 2021 is almost here, and mail-in donations have started ]

Those who have donated $250 or more to the bonus pool are recognized on Give DeKalb County’s website homepage. All donors to the bonus pool are recognized on social media.

“We’d like to thank the community partners that have already donated to the bonus pool and the outpouring of support and generosity that has been made to create the bonus pool,” Bingle said. “We are fortunate to have such a vibrant nonprofit network in DeKalb County that provide critical services, making our county a better place to live. It’s so inspiring to see the level of support on display during Give DeKalb County.”

There are multiple ways to donate to Give DeKalb County this year:

• Online: Donate online at www.GiveDeKalbCounty.org from midnight to midnight May 6 by credit card or bank transfer with a donation minimum of $5.
• By ACH: Make a donation directly from your bank account using Plaid with a donation minimum of $100. Learn more about using your bank account for your donation by viewing this article. ACH stands for Automated Clearing House, a U.S. financial network used for electronic and money transfers.
• By Mobile Wallet: Donations can be made using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Microsoft Pay on an enabled device.
• By Mail: Complete the mail-in donation form indicating the organization(s) and donation amount(s), then write a single check for the total amount payable to “DCCF.” Mail check and form to the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 475 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore, Illinois 60178. Envelopes must be postmarked April 22 to May 6.
• By IRA: A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is a transfer of funds from your IRA custodian payable to a qualified charitable organization. By April 5, initiate the distribution with your IRA custodian directed to the DeKalb County Community Foundation. Then complete the mail-in donation form and mail it to the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 475 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore, IL 60178. Envelopes must be postmarked April 22 to May 6. The distribution from your IRA should match the total amount indicated on your mail-in form.
• Because of COVID-19, walk-in donations are canceled for the safety of volunteers, staff and participants.

For information about Give DeKalb County or to make a donation to the bonus pool, contact Ben Bingle at ben@dekalbccf.org or 815-748-5383.