Am I eligible to participate in The Home Depot Foundation Matching Gift Program?

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Marsha Martin
6 years ago
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1 FAQ FAQ - Matching Gift Program What is the Matching Gift Program? Am I eligible to participate in The Home Depot Foundation Matching Gift Program? How does the Matching Gift Program work? How do I register my gift? How long do I have to register my charitable donations? To whom should checks be made payable? Are there minimum & maximum gift amounts that the Foundation will match? What gifts are eligible for the Matching Gift Program? What gifts are ineligible for the Matching Gift Program? What does 501(c)(3) or Revenue Canada mean? Do I need to register my Homer Fund donation to receive the match? Does The Home Depot Foundation match gifts to churches? How do I select an organization? What does it mean if an organization is listed as PENDING? Can I consider the amount of the match to assist in fulfilling my pledge to an organization? When will my donation be matched? Where do I get a detailed history of my past gift applications? I need help, who do I contact? FAQ - Matching Gift Program What is the Matching Gift Program? An important objective of the Foundation is to support The Home Depot associate s participation in their communities on an individual basis through our Matching Gift Program. Our Matching Gift Program allows The Home Depot associates to use Foundation funds to increase their support for charities reflecting their personal interests and causes. The Home Depot Foundation will match eligible individual associate gifts on a dollar-for-dollar basis for full-time and part-time associates. There is a $25 minimum gift amount and a $3,000 maximum per associate per calendar year. Am I eligible to participate in The Home Depot Foundation Matching Gift Program? All U.S. and Canadian, hourly or salaried, full-time or part-time, Home Depot and subsidiary associates are eligible. Seasonal associates and contractors are not eligible. How does the Matching Gift Program work?

2 Make an eligible personal donation directly to the charitable organization. Gifts can be paid by cash, check, and credit card or by negotiable securities that have a publicly listed market value. Register your gift made in the calendar year by the following January 31. We will validate your eligibility and the organization is required to verify your gift. Once fully approved, the matching gift will be scheduled for payment in the next distribution process. Gifts will be matched on a quarterly basis with check distributions taking place in February, May, August and November. We are unable to make exceptions to this distribution schedule. The web site gives you instant access to view your contributions. You can access and view whether your gift is pending, approved or denied by logging on. How do I register my gift? Please have the following details available: Associate ID Recipient organization name and address or Tax ID (often provided on your donation receipt) Gift amount, date and payment type Gifts may be registered via this web site or by using the automated phone service: Web Registration at o First time access will require you to create a login and password o Once logged in, select Request a Matching Gift and follow prompts o You will have the ability to print a confirmation of your gift registration U.S. Associate only phone registration at o Follow prompts How long do I have to register my charitable donations? All gifts must be registered using one of the methods of registration by January 31 of the year following the year in which gift was made. For example, gifts made in April and December of 2015 must be registered by January 31, 2016 in order to be eligible for a match. To whom should checks be made payable? Checks should be made payable to the eligible organization of your choice and mailed directly to the organization. The Home Depot Foundation reserves the right to request a copy of the check as proof of the donation. Are there minimum & maximum gift amounts that the Foundation will match? The company will match gifts of $25 or more, with a total cap of $3,000 per associate per calendar year.

3 What gifts are eligible for the Matching Gift Program? The following gifts are eligible for the Matching Gift Program: Individual associate gifts ranging from $25 to $3,000 Gifts made to organizations that are 501(c)(3) or Revenue Canada designated charities Accredited public or non-profit schools, school districts, colleges, and universities to which contributions are tax deductible under the Internal Revenue Code Associates individual contribution to a walk or run in which they have participated. The Foundation will not match gifts that have been pooled. Associates may sponsor other associates in a fitness event, but each associate must complete his or her own registration The Home Depot Foundation reserves the right to request a copy of the check, stock or security certificates as proof of the donation. What gifts are ineligible for the Matching Gift Program? The Home Depot Foundation will not match gifts TO the following: Individuals (includes Gofundme pages, etc. that are not 501(c)(3) entities) Private Foundations Religious, fraternal, sports or political groups Legislative or lobbying groups that have a primary focus of changing laws Organizations that do not comply with the USA Patriot Act Organizations that are not aligned with The Home Depot Foundation s principles and philosophies The Home Depot Foundation will not match gifts FOR the following: Donations less than $25 Fundraising events and sponsorships such as golf tournaments and dinners where there s a Fair Market Value (FMV) Auction purchases that result in an experience or tangible property for the donor Advertising/Marketing initiatives Group gifts Each Home Depot associate must register his/her own contribution for matching. An associate may not register contributions made by another individual. Associates cannot combine gifts with other associates to meet the Matching Gift minimum. What does 501(c)(3) or Revenue Canada mean? 501(c)(3) is a section of the Federal Tax Code that establishes the criteria for tax-exempt charitable organizations. A Revenue Canada designation means that the organization is a Canadian charity and has registered with the Canada Revenue Agency. An organization must have either status in order to receive matching gift funds. This status allows donations and funds received to be taxdeductible.

4 Do I need to register my Homer Fund donation to receive the match? No. The Home Depot Foundation makes an annual donation directly to The Homer Fund, up to that year s max, to match associate donations. Does the Foundation match gifts to churches? No, The Home Depot Foundation does not fund organizations whose sole purpose is to promote a particular faith. However, many faith-based organizations have taken steps to become eligible for Foundation programs. Gifts may be eligible for a match if the programs operated by faith-based organizations meet certain criteria: If the gift supports a particular program that is available and open to all individuals in the community; The program is for non-religious purposes (such as a food pantry or domestic abuse shelter); The organization does not exclusively use the program to promote any religion; and The organization must have its own 501(c)(3) determination letter from the IRS. How do I select an organization? Organizations can often look very similar. The cleanest way to ensure a successful match is through the Tax ID generally provided on your donor receipt or the organization s web site. What does it mean if an organization is listed as PENDING? If an organization is listed as pending, it means that their eligibility for the matching gifts program has not yet been determined. Once a gift is registered, eligibility will be determined. Can I consider the amount of the match to assist in fulfilling my pledge to an organization? Matching gift funds cannot be used to relieve a person of a financial obligation he or she would otherwise have to pay. Gifts made, in whole or in part, with funds received from other people are ineligible. This includes funds raised in walkathons and similar fundraising events. Only the donor s personal contribution can be matched. Once the gift has been completed, it is eligible for the program if it meets the guidelines. Please be mindful that gifts may not be matched in time to meet deadlines set by recipient organizations. Matching Gift checks can take 4-6 weeks or longer depending upon the approval and verification process. Exceptions cannot be made as disbursed checks are processed in quarterly batches. When will my donation be matched?

5 Your gift will be eligible for matching only when the recipient organization verifies receipt of your gift through the Matching Gift Center. Your gift will then be approved and scheduled for payment in the next check distribution process. Checks are distributed quarterly in February, May, August and November. We must receive verification from the grant recipient within 12 months of the date the gift is registered in or it will expire and not be processed. Where do I get a detailed history of my past gift applications? On the web: Once you have registered as a participant, you may log on to the home page for a detailed list of your Giving History. I need help, who do I contact? homedepot@gooddonegreat.com or call for immediate assistance. Additional information can be found on the Contact Us section of this web site.

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