We Know Nonprofits
We believe everyone deserves a seat at the table. Our nonprofit network includes all shapes and sizes, from large national organizations to small neighborhood groups working on the front lines of social and environmental change in communities near and far.
Become a partner!
Join our ever-growing family of nonprofits to be considered for inclusion in our clients’ corporate giving and cause marketing programs. The first step is to see if your nonprofit is already in our network.
Photo credit: Galway Hospice
General FAQ’s (scroll down for Target Circle)
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The first step in becoming an eligible nonprofit beneficiary with Simple Generosity and our client programs is to ensure your organization is in good standing with the IRS and/or your local government jurisdiction. The next step is creating a free account profile in our system and completing our questionnaire to share basic information about your organization.
Once you’ve done this, you are in our database! We will reach out if there is a match to participate in any of our clients’ giving programs.
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No. Partners are eligible to be chosen as a beneficiary for various client giving programs, but must actually be matched to a specific program before they receive donations.
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For some client programs, we research and match nonprofits to the program’s specific impact goals — this may include mission, values, geography, and populations served, all based on the program.
For other client programs like THNKS, the client’s customers or employees choose the nonprofit they want to support. THNKS is a gratitude marketplace where people can send a thank you gift to honor someone. The recipient can redeem their THNKS as a gift or as a donation to their nonprofit of choice.
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Nothing. Donation recipients receive 100% of donations. While other platforms automatically pass transaction fees on to nonprofits, we do not. There is ZERO cost to be a partner or receive funds – no hidden charges or so-called “processing fees.”
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No. We don’t require any promotion to participate. If nonprofit partners want to promote programs they’re part of, we’re glad to provide content and marketing suggestions.
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No. Nonprofit Partners do not have to share donor information.
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It depends on each program. We share donor-specific information when it is made available to us. However, many donations come from the customers of our clients on their websites and mobile apps. Due to the privacy policies of our clients, we are generally not able to share customer information.
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If you’re selected for one of our client programs, you can receive funds easily via direct deposit. You may also receive funds via paper check if required.
We distribute donations within 45 days of transaction notification from clients. To keep donations running smoothly, we ask nonprofit partners to notify us as soon as possible with any changes in address or payment information.
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You can check your current profile information here to verify what we have on file and update details as needed. You can also email updates to nonprofits@simplegenerosity.org.
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You can search our database by name or by EIN. If your organization is listed, rest assured you’re in our pool of potential grantees for client programs.
Frequently asked questions about Target Circle
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Target Circle is a giving program funded by Target Corporation to celebrate, honor, and support local charities. The program gives the selected charities free publicity as well as generous funding. It increases awareness among potential donors and volunteers.
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Simple Generosity finds charities through internet searches, client company nominations, news media, and self-nominations.
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Target Circle app users vote from a changing list of 5 or so charities of different types that rotates every 3 months. These votes impact the donation amount from Target. Watch How to help direct where Target gives in your community
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Featured charities receive a donation of at least $500 and often more than $2,000.
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Nothing. While other platforms charge handling fees to nonprofits, Simple Generosity does not.
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Our directive is to provide a well-rounded set of regionally-relevant charities for each Target Store. We strive to include charities that have a strong presence in their area as demonstrated by word of mouth, regional events, social media, and website traffic. While there are many deserving causes to support, we are limited to a small number of charities per area for each 3 month period.
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The people at Simple Generosity, following a set of guidelines from Target Corporation, select the featured charities.
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There is no priority given to charities and specifically no priority is given to charities that we have known the longest. In short, first in does not mean first to be featured.
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There is no way to predict how long it will take because the national mood changes, seasons change, and giving themes change.
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Yes, an email is sent to the charity’s primary contact, asking if they are still interested in participating. The charity is not featured until permission is given to do so.
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While there are no specific promotional requirements, featured charities are given suggestions on how to make the most of the publicity Target Circle generates. We have found that one of the greatest benefits for local charities is the up-tick in volunteer and donor interest after the Target Circle publicity ends.
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Once. After you have submitted your online questionnaire or are in our database there is nothing more that you need to do. There is no need for you to check-in. However, do keep your primary contact information updated.
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Donations are sent promptly at the end of each 3-month cycle. If a donation is lost in the mail or if an electronic payment is misrouted it can take more than 90 days.
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Possibly, yet as Target Circle has expanded in popularity, re-featuring charities happens less often.
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Acknowledgements are completely optional, but if you’d like to send one, please feel free to email nonprofits@simplegenerosity.org and we will make it available to the team at Target. Thank you for being part of the program!
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Target Circle is not for fundraising events such as fun runs, galas, auctions, etc. Consider contacting the local store for possibilities.
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Of all the wonderful giving Target does, Target Circle is not for these types of entities. Consider contacting the local store for possibilities and explore if Target’s gift card program is suitable for you.
Get Started
The first step in becoming a nonprofit partner is completing our online questionnaire.
To view a sample of our standard beneficiary agreement, you may download a copy here.