What is a TisBest Charity Gift Card?
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.
What do TisBest Charity Gift Cards look like?
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 50 different stock images for your Charity Gift Card, or you can upload your own image.  Plastic cards sent by mail come in a quality greeting card custom printed with your personal message.
Can I customize a charity gift card with any photo or artwork?   
Yes. You can use one of our stock images or upload your own photo, artwork or logo. To upload your own image, click BUY on the homepage and from the "Category" menu select "Upload My Own". It's very easy, an ordinary photograph works well, and you see exactly what your gift card will look like. (If you are a graphic artist designing an image specifically for our cards, the aspect ratio is 3.375 x 2.125, the image can be up to 500kb, ideally 974x606 pixels, and the file should be a .jpg.)
If I buy a TisBest Charity Gift Card, do you send it to me or to the gift recipient?
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.
Can I send Charity Gift Cards for more than one person in a single transaction?
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. 
Can you send the Charity Gift Card on a future date - such as a birthday?
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.
What denominations of Charity Gift Cards do you offer?
Each Charity Gift Card is customized so that you can order any denomination between $10 and $5,000.
How much does a Charity Gift Card cost, and how much of my money does the charity receive?
If you buy a $100 gift card, then your cost is $100 (plus shipping & handling on plastic cards). The charity receives the entire amount on the card, less a $3.95 transaction fee and 3% that goes to the credit card company (as is the case with any credit card purchase).
When does a charity receive the money?
We transfer funds to the charities each calendar quarter, based on Charity Gift Cards spent in the prior quarter.
Do you give names and contact information to the charities?  Whose name is the donation made in?
We understand the problem with unwanted phone and mail solicitations, so we do not share any customer names or contact information with charities. Donations are made from TisBest Philanthropy. If you want to register with a charity to receive their mailings, please go to that charity's website and register directly.
Is a TisBest Charity Gift Card tax-deductible?
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.
Do you charge for shipping and handling?
For Charity Gift Cards that you print on your printer or send via email there is no shipping charge. Plastic Charity Gift Cards are delivered by mail and regular delivery is only $1.49.
Why do you offer plastic gift cards?
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.
What if I order a TisBest Charity Gift Card and it is not received?
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 check your receipt to be sure the email addresses you gave us are correct; you can review your order and resend an instant-email Charity Gift Card from your receipt at any time by clicking the "Review Order Button" on your receipt. If you need further help, or if any classic-plastic cards are not received, please send your name, email address and an explanation to info@tisbest.org and we will promptly address your needs.

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]
I have heard about fraudulent charity schemes. How do I know you are not one of them?
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. The Better Business Bureau has reviewed our operations and determined that we comply with their Charity Accountability Standards.  Our tax returns and our annual report are available upon request for public inspection. Our banking is conducted at Washington Trust Bank in Seattle, WA and our financial records are audited by Finney Neill & Co. a CPA firm. Our board members are well known and respected professionals in the Seattle area.
How do you select the charities you feature on the TisBest website?
We generally 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.  Please click here for a printable list of TisBest Charities. 
Do you get paid by the charities?
Never. We are not endorsed or sponsored by the charities we feature on the site.
What is a Promo Code?
Promo Codes are the way that TisBest shares with the organizations that help us get the word out about TisBest Charity Gift Cards. And we sometimes cooperate with schools and other children's groups who are fundraising. If you enter a Promo Code on the checkout page, the organization associated with that Promo Code will receive a fee for each card in your order. The fees come out of our general funds and do not affect your gift card or your gift card recipient's donation to charity.
Can I donate the funds on a Charity Gift Card to a charity that is not shown on your website?
We are sorry, but this is not possible. 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.
I am having trouble spending my charity gift card - can you help?
If you are using a website with parental-controls turned on, it might be causing a problem; we don't know why - there is nothing on our website a child should not see - just turn the parental controls off to spend the charity gift card. 
Can I nominate a new charity for your website?
Absolutely. Please send an email to charitymanager@tisbest.org with the name of the charity, its web address and why you think it should be featured by TisBest. Please keep in mind that charities we feature must be shown on charitynavigator.org or guidestar.org and generally must have revenues over $3 million per year. If you write, we will let you know when our list of Charities is updated (this happens once a year in the summer) and what was added or removed.
What if I think one of the charities on your website stinks?
Please tell us. We strive to feature charities that are socially and fiscally responsible and customer feedback is the best way for us to learn if we are making a mistake. Please send email with input about any of the charities on our website to charitymanager@tisbest.org.
If I give a Charity Gift Card as a gift, will I know when it is spent and what charity the money goes to?
Yes. The receipt we send by email will contain links that let you check on the status of each Gift Card.
Does a Charity Gift Card expire?
Yes. A Charity Gift Card expires one year after it is purchased. For example, a Charity Gift Card purchased on 1/5/2008 expires on 1/5/2009. Funds associated with an expired Charity Gift Card are used by TisBest Philanthropy towards soliciting and making donations to the charities shown on our website.
I believe in your cause. How can I help?
Please share your support by sending an email to info@tisbest.org. Please tell us why you like what we are doing and what else you would like to see us do. We appreciate all feedback from our customers and website visitors.  Please also Tell a Friend!
How does TisBest Compare to Charity Gift Certificates that I have heard of?
Cost of Service
 
JustGive
Charitygiftcertificates
Fee to Credit Card Company 3% 3% 3%
Fee for Gift Card or Certificate $3.95 $5* As high as 25%

Fees as a % of Donation ($100 gift card)

6.95% 8.00% As high as 28%

Quality of Experience
Are the cards beautiful, with color images? Yes No  No
Does the card recipient have an emotionally satisfying experience while spending the card, such as inspiring quotes and images? Yes No  No 
Can Card Recipient send a convenient Thank You note to Gift Giver? Yes No  No 
Can the Gift Giver review the gift card he or she sent, see whether it has been spent yet, and on which charity? Yes No  No 
Can the Gift Giver easily review and resend the card if it is lost, by clicking on a link in the receipt? Yes No  No 
* Additional cards on the same order are $2 each.