Frequently Asked Questions

What is CharityChoice?
The Columbus Foundation has partnered with CharityChoice, an Internet fundraising program, to bring Charitable Gift Cards to central Ohio. CharityChoice is a program of Special Kids Fund, Inc. dba Charity Gift Certificates, a tax-exempt organization (EIN# 58-2550249) that serves children with special needs.

How are featured nonprofit organizations selected?
Organizations with a current listing in The Giving Store are eligible for Charitable Gift Card Redemption. If your nonprofit is interested in participating, contact nonprofits@columbusfoundation.org.

What is The Giving Store?
The Giving Store is a one-stop shop for easy and effective philanthropy. Visitors to The Giving Store can search for nonprofit listings by keyword or area of interest, such as social services, housing, and arts and culture. You can manage your giving and browse more than 600 area nonprofit directory listings at https://www.columbusfoundation.org/the-giving-store.

Is there a fee for nonprofit participants?
Organizations may participate in the Charitable Gift Card program with no expense.

How will my nonprofit receive donations?
The Columbus Foundation will distribute funds and opt-in donor acknowledgment information, unless anonymous, by mail to selected organizations on a minimum of a quarterly basis. Your organization does not need to issue formal substantiation language required by the 1993 Tax Reconciliation Act, as Charity Choice has already provided this.

How do I purchase a Charitable Gift Card?
Anyone may visit www.TCFGiftCardPurchase.org to purchase a Charitable Gift Card by credit card. Foundation donors with a Donor Advised Fund may contact TCFGiftCard@columbusfoundation.org to purchase a Charitable Gift Card through their fund.

What form do the cards come in?
Charitable Gift Cards are currently available as both a physical card and a printable electronic format.

May I purchase a card in any amount?
Charitable Gift Cards are currently available in three denominations - $20, $50, or $100.

Is there a fee to purchase or redeem a gift card?
CharityChoice has generously waived all administrative and credit card fees so 100 percent of your donation will go to the nonprofit your recipient selects. There is a minimal shipping and handling fee charged for physical card purchases; there is no fee associated with printable electronic cards.

What type of credit cards are accepted?
All major credit cards are accepted, including American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa.

Is my purchase tax deductible?
Charitable Gift Card purchases are tax deductible at the time of purchase to the purchaser to the maximum extent allowed by the tax law. Charitable gift card recipients may designate the recipient nonprofit organization, but are not eligible to claim a tax deduction.

Will I receive an acknowledgement of my donation for tax purposes?
You will receive an e-mail confirmation verifying your purchase and acknowledging the date and amount of your donation to Special Kids Fund, Inc. dba Charity Gift Certificates (EIN# 58-2550249) for your tax records.

When will my gift card arrive?
Physical cards ordered by credit card are shipped within one business day of purchase; expedited delivery options are available. Printable electronic cards ordered by credit card are sent to your gift recipient via e-mail immediately or on the scheduled date. Physical and printable electronic cards ordered through Donor Advised Fund grants may take up to three weeks to receive.

Can I return my gift card?
Charitable Gift Cards are not redeemable for cash or merchandise and may not be returned.

What if I lose my gift card?
Lost, stolen, or destroyed gift cards cannot be duplicated. Unredeemed electronic cards may be resent by logging in with e-mail address the notification e-mail was sent to. Unredeemed physical cards may be redeemed by referencing the redemption code found on the purchaser's confirmation e-mail.

What if my gift card recipient does not have Internet access?
At this time, Charitable Gift Cards may only be redeemed online. If you send a Charitable Gift Card to someone who doesn't use the Internet, you may suggest a friend assist them with the nonprofit designation or offer to redeem the card for them.

How do I know which charity my gift recipient selects?
Your gift recipient may choose to share information on the organization benefiting from your donation with you by e-mail or may opt to redeem their Charitable Gift Card anonymously.

How do I redeem my Charitable Gift Card?
You may visit tcfgiftcardpurchase.org/Redeem/ to enter your redemption code and select a recipient organization.

May I redeem my card for more than one organization?
Recipients may select one organization to redeem the full amount of their gift card and are unable to divide this amount across multiple nonprofits.

Is my gift card reloadable?
Charitable Gift Cards are available for one-time use and are not reloadable.

How much of my donation does the selected nonprofit receive?
CharityChoice has generously waived all administrative and credit card fees so 100 percent of your donation will go to the nonprofit selected.

May I designate my gift for a special purpose?
You are not able to enter special instructions when redeeming your Charitable Gift Card, although you may notify the selected organization separately. It is up to each individual nonprofit to determine how to allocate donations received.

Is there an expiration date?
Charitable Gift Cards do not expire and may be honored, for gift recipient redemption only, at any time. CharityChoice retains a reserve for honoring unredeemed cards.

What is a Donation ‘Add In'?
You may choose to make an additional donation to the organization of your choice via credit card when redeeming your Charitable Gift Card.

How do I know that it is safe to use my credit card?
VeriSign, CharityChoice's credit card processer, is an online security firm that specializes in secure Internet transactions.

Do I have to register?
You may purchase a Charitable Gift Card without creating a username and password, although you will need to provide billing information to complete your transaction. You may redeem a Charitable Gift Card as a guest and do not need to register.

Will my information be shared?
We are committed to protecting your privacy. All personal information shall remain confidential unless you choose to share it with the recipient nonprofit organization or you express interest in receiving updates from The Columbus Foundation or CharityChoice. We do not rent, sell, or exchange our mailing lists with third parties. You may access The Columbus Foundation's full Privacy Policy at https://columbusfoundation.org/privacy-policy/.