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What is a TisBest Charity Gift Card?
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A TisBest Charity Gift Card is purchased from this website. It works like any other gift card, and the recipient of a Charity Gift Card spends it to support a charity of their choice.
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What do TisBest Charity Gift Cards look like?
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Charity Gift Cards look like this. You choose between (1) printing the gift card on your printer, (2) sending an instant gift card by email or (3) sending a plastic (100% recycled) gift card by regular mail. You choose from over 50 stock images for your Charity Gift Card, or you can upload your own image for the gift card! Plastic cards sent by mail come in a quality greeting card custom printed with your personal message.
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Can I make a custom charity gift card with any photo or artwork?
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Yes. You can use one of our 54 stock images or upload your own photo, artwork or logo. To upload your own image, click BUY on the homepage and then select the "Upload My Own Image" button. It's very easy, an ordinary photograph works well, and you see exactly what your gift card will look like. Your file should be a jpg. (If you are formatting an image specifically for our cards, it should be 974x606 pixels and 300dpi. The file size can be up to 1 mb. Dark backgrounds work better than light backgrounds, and try to avoid light yellows and light oranges to assure accurate color reproduction on the plastic cards.)
There is no extra cost for custom cards.
There is no minimum order for custom cards.
There is no shipping delay for custom cards.
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What is your shipping policy?
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Standard shipping is Free. Expedited or overnight shipping can be selected during checkout for an additional charge. Cards are shipped within one business day after you order them. (For Charity Gift Cards that you print on your printer or send via email, delivery is instant and there is no shipping charge of course.)
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If I buy a TisBest Charity Gift Card, do you send it to me or to the gift recipient?
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You choose during the ordering process. We can send the Charity Gift Card directly to the recipient. Or, we can send the Charity Gift Card to you, and you can deliver it to the recipient personally.
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Can I send Charity Gift Cards for more than one person in a single transaction?
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Yes. You can order any variety of Charity Gift Cards you want in one transaction. Each Charity Gift Card will appear in your Shopping Cart, and you will pay for all of them during Checkout. If you are sending out a lot of cards, you can upload a mailing list. To do so, click "Buy" on the homepage and rather than entering Recipient Information manually, click the Import Recipient List button and follow instructions on the screen. You will use one of these excel templates: Email Card Template or Plastic Card Template. If your order is very large (large as in hundreds or thousands) please contact us directly at info@TisBest.org for special information and options.
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I am outside the United States. Can I buy TisBest Cards?
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Yes! We offer international billing options. Simply select the "International" option under the billing address heading on the checkout page. *Note that we can only ship plastic cards within the United States. Email us at info@tisbest.org with any questions.
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Can you send the Charity Gift Card on a future date - such as a birthday?
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Yes, we can email a card to the recipient on any date you select. A calendar is included in the card selection process. We email cards out at 4:30am Pacific Time on the date selected. Click here for [shipping information] about classic-plastic gift cards.
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Do TisBest Charity Gift Cards expire?
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Our gift cards do not expire and may be used at any time.
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What denominations of Charity Gift Cards do you offer?
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Each Charity Gift Card is customized so that you can order any denomination, down to the penny, between $10 and $5,000. If you need a large number of cards, we can create lower-value cards as a special order (for example consider having your business hand out $5 Charity Gift Cards, rather than kitsch, at a conference).
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How much does a Charity Gift Card cost, and how much of my money does the charity receive?
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If you want a plastic gift card, then we charge $1.49 to cover the cost of materials and handling. This includes the plastic gift card with full customization, the greeting card and envelope. All materials are 100% recycled content. There is no charge for email or print-on-your-printer cards.
The charity receives the entire amount on the card, less a $1.95 transaction fee and 3% received by the credit card processor (as with all credit card transactions). We transfer funds to the charities each calendar quarter, based on Charity Gift Cards spent in the prior quarter.
We sometimes offer $1.00 and $5.00 gift cards on a special basis. There are no fees associated with those gift cards, and so the charity receives 100% of the funds from a $1.00 or $5.00 gift card.
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Do you give names and contact information to the charities? Whose name is the donation made in?
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We understand the problem with unwanted phone and mail solicitations, so we do not share any customer names or contact information with charities unless you ask us to. Donations are made from TisBest Philanthropy. If you want to register with a charity to receive their mailings, we will offer you that opportunity after you have spent your gift card.
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Is a TisBest Charity Gift Card tax-deductible?
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Yes. The person who buys a Charity Gift Card gets the opportunity for a tax deduction. For example, if you buy a $50 Charity Gift Card, we send you a receipt for a $50 charitable donation to TisBest Philanthropy, an IRS approved 501(c)(3) charity under EIN 20-8630809. The person spending a Charity Gift Card is not entitled to a tax deduction. Please consult with your tax advisor for specific advice about taking tax deductions.
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Why do you offer plastic gift cards?
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Many customers have requested a physical card option, and we're doing our best to offer an environmentally friendly and fully customizable solution. Our plastic gift cards are 100% recycled content – that is why they have a slight gray hue rather than being bright white. See earthworkssystem.com more information.
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What if I order a TisBest Charity Gift Card and it is not received?
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Our email Charity Gift Cards and receipts come from cards@tisbest.org. If you or the recipient did not receive your order, please first check spam and junk email folders, and add TisBest.org as a trusted sender. If the email is not in the your spam or junk folder, please click the "Blue Button" on your receipt and confirm the email addresses you gave us are correct. If you need further help, or if any plastic cards are not received, please send your name, email address and an explanation to info@tisbest.org. To request a duplicate receipt, click HERE.
If you do not have your receipt, click here; Send Receipt. You will be asked for your email address and we will email you the receipt for your most recent order. From that receipt, click "Review Order Button" and you can access all of your transactions in the past year. [need to confirm how this was actually built]
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I have heard about fraudulent charity schemes. How do I know you really give away all the money?
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TisBest was founded to help the world and is operated with the highest integrity. TisBest Philanthropy is a registered non-profit corporation in the state of Washington and qualified as a 501c3 charity by the IRS. Our banking is conducted at Washington Trust Bank in Seattle, WA and our financial records are audited by Finney Neill & Co. a CPA firm. The Better Business Bureau has reviewed our books, records and operations and determined that we comply with their Charity Accountability Standards - Click HERE to see the BBB Report. Our board members are well known and respected professionals in the Seattle area.
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How do you select the charities you feature on the TisBest website?
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TisBest 250
We choose charities with national or international impact that represent a broad array of interests so that nearly everyone will be able to find an organization they believe in for their donation. All of our charities receive significant public support, have demonstrated fiscal and social responsibility and have their official financial and regulatory data subject to third-party review on guidestar.org or charitynavigator.org. We generally feature charities with annual revenues or assets of at least $3 million, and our team reviews the 990 Tax Forms filed by our charities to ensure fiscal accountability.
TisBest Local Charities
We introduced our Local Charities in 2009. To select Local Charities, we asked Social Venture Partner chapters, and other similar groups, to nominate charities from their region for the Local Charities List. We sought charities that were locally founded and operated (i.e. not subsidiaries of national organizations), focused on the local community, were admired by their peers for effectiveness and fiscal responsibility and operated with a sustainable model.
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How do Partner Codes work?
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We started the Partner Code program to offer additional benefits to nonprofits that have really taken TisBest’s mission to heart. Participating charities are given a code and dedicated link which they share with their supporters. Every time a Charity Gift Card is purchased with the link or code, TisBest Philanthropy donates $2 to the partner charity. This donation comes out of TisBest’s general funds and does not affect the donation value of your gift card. The recipient of a Partner Code card also sees a brief message that tells them about the partner charity’s mission and encourages them to consider including that charity when they spend their Charity Gift Card.
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Can I donate the funds on a Charity Gift Card to a charity that is not shown on your website?
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We have 250 charities to choose from. These charities have been carefully selected as responsible and effective charities that represent a wide range of causes and issues.
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