The Sacramento Region Community Foundation uses a fast and secure method to disburse donations received on GivingEdge during Big Day of Giving and throughout the year: Deluxe eChecks. Here's how it works:
When your organization receives donations on GivingEdge, our team at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation processes and disburses them to you in one eCheck.
We send the eCheck via email to the address listed under your organization's "Disbursement Settings." The email has a secure link to access and print the eCheck, which can then be brought to your bank (recommended) or deposited remotely.
Separately, we email you a grant letter alerting you of the award, which you should keep for your records. The letter will note that the funds are unrestricted, so you can put them to best use in our community!
Why eChecks? Are they safe?
Not only does using eCheck and grant emails save paper, materials, and transportation emissions, eChecks allow the Foundation team to process checks and grant letters more efficiently, getting your organization its funds sooner!
While no payment method is 100% safe from fraud, Deluxe eChecks uses limited touchpoints, secure, online retrieval, and verification in a secure online database to ensure eChecks are one of the most secure payment methods on the market.
My organization received a donation through my GivingEdge profile. When will I get my eCheck?
Donations that are made through GivingEdge during the year (outside of the Big Day of Giving campaign) are processed in our normal grant cycles. We aim to process donations that are made during the Big Day of Giving campaign as soon as possible after the giving day has concluded; eChecks for Big Day of Giving donations are sent out no later than June 30 of each year.
Who will the eCheck be sent to?
The eCheck and separate grant award letter will both be sent to the contact listed under your organization's "Disbursement Settings" on the back end of your organization's GivingEdge profile, located under the Settings tab. For security purposes, we are not able to copy other people on these emails. To expedite future grant processing, please keep the information in "Disbursement Settings" updated. If you'd like a check reissued, please contact our team.
How do eChecks work?
Much the same as paper checks, except you print them yourself. When your eCheck is ready, you will receive an email from app@echecks.com (like the one below) which includes a button that says "Open this check." Once you click the button, a webpage will open where you can access a PDF of your check (like the one pictured below). Print the PDF, separate the check, sign the back, and deposit it as normal. We recommend depositing it in person to a bank teller.
What is included in the check amount? Where can I see the breakdown?
For gifts made outside of the Big Day of Giving campaign window, checks will include all gifts made through GivingEdge during that grant cycle. Please keep in mind that the check total will exclude the 5.2% fee assessed on all donations made on GivingEdge, so the amount will look different from what you see in your donation report.
Big Day of Giving checks will include online donations received through the website during early giving through midnight on Big Day of Giving, as well as any prizes your organization received on Big Day of Giving, gifts from Sacramento Region Community Foundation and/or Yolo Community Foundation fundholders, and/or Golden 1 Credit Union match funds, less fees. A separate grant email will be sent to the check recipient with a breakdown of what is included in the check total.
How are the fees calculated in my check?
A 5.2% fee is assessed on each credit card transaction made through GivingEdge, which includes a credit card processing fee (2.2%), technology platform fee (2%), and management fee (1%). The management fee covers event and site management, reconciliation of gifts, and check processing, and allows us to bring GivingEdge and Big Day of Giving to the region. You can learn more about fees here.
Donors can choose to help offset fees during checkout. Here's the math: If a donor gives $100 and chooses not to offset the 5.2% fee, you will receive $94.80 in the check (because 5.2% of $100 is $5.20). However, if a donor chooses to offset the fees when making a $100 gift, their donation is increased by 5.2% at checkout to $105.20 and you will receive $99.73 in the check (because 5.2% of $105.20 is $5.47).
Where can I find our donation report?
Your list of donors can be found and exported to a CSV in your organization’s GivingEdge account by going to "Donations" under the Reports tab. In the top right corner, you will see "Download." Make sure that the "Time Period" filter is set to capture donations made during the dates stated in your grant email.
Why can't I find our eCheck?
All eChecks will be sent from app@echecks.com. If you do not receive this email, please check your spam/junk folders. If it isn't there, please confirm you are reviewing the correct inbox for the email provided to us. If you are still unable to locate your eCheck, please contact the team at bdog@sacregcf.org or givingedge@sacregcf.org.
Why is my check amount different from what's listed in our donation report?
Your disbursement will not match the Amount column of your Donation Report. A 5.2% fee is assessed on all donations made through GivingEdge. For Big Day of Giving, the eCheck will include additional factors, such as any prizes that your organization won, some matches (not those solicited by your organization), donations from fundholders at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation and/or Yolo Community Foundation, and fees assessed on online gifts. A complete breakdown will be sent to the email address that receives the check.
If your disbursement seems incorrect, then it may be due to a credit card dispute from one or more of your donors. If this is the case, you may receive less than what your Donation Report shows either because the dispute was lost or because the dispute is still pending. If the dispute was lost, the Amount column should say $0. (If this was a Big Day of Giving donation, you may want to reach out to this donor about donating to your organization directly and explain that the charges that showed up as "Big Day of Giving" on their credit card statements were their donations to you. Sometimes donors forget they gave during Big Day of Giving.)
What if I have trouble depositing the eCheck?
Deluxe eChecks offers the following FAQ links:
Does the Deluxe eCheck company see all my donors' information?
No. The only information they receive is the name of your organization and the amount of your final check. All donation processing and reconciliation are done by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.
What if a donor requests a refund?
For Big Day of Giving, it is the Foundation's policy to process refunds requested through May 30 of each year; following that date, and for gifts made outside of BDOG, we direct donors to the nonprofits they supported for refund requests.
What if my bank has questions about this check?
You can inform your bank that the check was printed from an authorized check record and is not a Check 21 Image Replacement Document. The details (pay to, amount, routing/account number) and authenticity of this check can be verified by visiting www.echecks.com/verify. Answers to additional questions about eCheck can be obtained at www.eChecks.com or by calling 877-333-6964.
eChecks Call Center Hours:
I have a question about my disbursement or a question that isn't answered here.
Please contact us at bdog@sacregcf.org or givingedge@sacregcf.org.