Beneficiary FAQ

BENEFICIARY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the general benefits that can accrue to Boston Community Change Beneficiaries?
Nonprofit that are listed in Guidestar, (www.guidestar.org) and Schools that are registered with the Department of Education (http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/) can be chosen by cardholders to receive anywhere from 10%, to 70% of the cardholders net rebate on purchases. The beneficiary receives the 70% rebate when the cardholder decides to direct their cash rebate back to their chosen beneficiary.

Do I need to register to enjoy these benefits?
No, as long as you are listed in Guidestar if you are a nonprofit or can be found in the Department of Educations database if you are a school, then you are already accessible to be chosen as a beneficiary by cardholders.

What are the benefits of registration?
Although most schools and nonprofits are already able to be chosen by cardholders, the registration process is FREE and there are meaningful benefits to registration, including;

• Receive quarterly rather than annual direct deposit reports
• Set up “subaccounts” under your 501(c)3 umbrella to raise funds for branch offices that do not have their own 501(c)3 or to provide special project designation options.
• Log into your personalized account with uptodate transaction information
• Obtain the names and contact information of your registered supporters
• View the transaction activity for both merchants and cardholders who donate to your organization
• Receive periodic special announcements of available tools and events
  

Who is qualified to register as a beneficiary?
To qualify as a beneficiary you need to be a registered 501(c)3 or a public or private school that is listed with the MA Department of Education. As a school you must be located in MA, but there is no geographic limitation on eligible nonprofits.

Can a faith based institution be chosen as a beneficiary ?
Yes, most faith based institutions are registered 501(c)3’s, but to date the Guidestar listing is initially built from the IRS’s Publication 78, which does not include faith based institutions. Faith based institutions that are not already listed in Guidestar will need to fax over relevant documentation to Guidestar to be listed there first.