Question 1

The Credit Card Error Guide

Accepted Answer

So, you did all the right steps. You filled out your info. You pressed “donate”.

And you got an error message.

Never a pleasant experience.

We’ve written this guide to help you decipher what exactly is going on with your card. In general, the best things to do when you get an error is to double check that all the information is correct, and if that doesn’t help, to try a different card.

If neither of those things work, we’re probably looking at a bigger issue here, that lots of other people are experiencing as well. Which isn’t fun either, but at least you know you’ve done nothing wrong. At that point, the best thing is to let us know about it and our engineers will look into the issue.

That said, knowing what the specific error messages mean when they come up on the screen, can help you understand what might be going wrong, and potentially take steps to correct it.

The List of Errors and What They Mean

Do Not Honor – some credit card processors just don’t like certain cards being used on crowdfunding sites. The best thing to do is try a different card.

Decline CVV2/ CID Fail – The card numbers didn’t match. Double check that everything is correct; if the problem persists, maybe try a different card.

Generic Decline – some random thing went wrong, and we don’t even have specifics! Best thing is to double check the numbers and maybe try another card.

{"verification_value"=>["should be 4 digits"]} – this usually happens when you use an AMEX

Question 2

Making Donations - Frequently Asked Questions

Accepted Answer

** Will I get a tax receipt?

Each campaign is different. If the campaign is tax deductible, it should be stated clearly in the campaign description.

Most campaigns that provide tax receipts only provide U.S tax receipts.

How will my donation appear on my bank statement?

Each campaign will be different depending on the title of the campaign, but it will begin with “TCF*”, and then followed by the title of the campaign.

Could I give an anonymous donation?

Yes, just be sure to check off the anonymous box on the donation form.

I forgot to click anonymous, what should I do?

Email support@thechesedfund.com, provide your name, email, and the title of the campaign you donated to, and we will change it for you.

Are there any credit card processing fees?

Yes, the credit card processor charges 3% + 0.30 cents from every donation. These charges are made direction by the processor at the time of the donation, The Chesed Fund does not charge any fees for fundraising.

Q: Are verified campaigns tax deductible?

A: There is no direct correlation between a campaign's verification status and its tax deductible status. Tax Deductible status is determined by the IRS, while The Chesed Fund's verification process attempts to ascertain that all the facts in a campaign are true, regardless of whether you'd receive a tax deductible receipt if you donated to that campaign.

Question 3

What’s a “Verified Campaign” anyway?

Accepted Answer

Wondering about the “Verified Campaign” labels that you’ve seen on our site? Wonder no more! Here is everything you need to know about verified campaigns and the verification process.

How does The Chesed Fund verify a campaign?

We require the following:

Rabbinical or professional endorsements on official letterheads
Supporting documents (e.g. wedding hall contract, medical bills, utility bills, tuition statements, etc.)
At least 2 references
A photocopy of the campaign organizer’s ID
A written description about the cause

We then review the documents and cross check them for authenticity, and we reach out to the references and ask them questions about the situation. We check to make sure all the documents and references match up.

What information is The Chesed Fund looking for when verifying a campaign?

We need as much info as possible to show that the campaign is authentic and does not contain any uncertainties. We use documents and references to confirm this. If we find any discrepancies between what the references tell us and/or the information provided in the supporting documents or if we suspect any fraudulence, we cease investigation of the campaign and return the verification fee.

What references should I provide?

The references you submit are up to you, but ideally, you will want to send in refe

Question 4

How Much Does it Cost?

Accepted Answer

Nothing! It doesn’t cost anything to create a campaign or to collect funds. The recipient pays the credit card transaction fees, however. TheChesedFund.com never collects commissions on donations unlike other crowdfunding sites.

Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 for each transaction. International transactions are up to 3.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

The credit card processing fee is collected by Stripe and it does not go to TheChesedFund.com.

Question 5

Creating an Effective Chesed Fund Campaign

Accepted Answer

Starting a crowdfunding campaign for the first time can be daunting, with a lot of different things that need to be taken care of which can improve the success of your campaign.

Here, we’ll highlight some of the best things you can do to optimize your campaign for success.

Campaign Goal

Q: Making Donations - Frequently Asked Questions

** Will I get a tax receipt? Each campaign is different. If the campaign is tax deductible, it should be stated clearly in the campaign description. Most campaigns that provide tax receipts only provide U.S tax receipts. How will my donation appear on my bank statement? Each campaign will be different depending on the title of the campaign, but it will begin with “TCF*”, and then followed by the title of the campaign. Could I give an anonymous donation? Yes, just be sure to check off the anonymous box on the donation form. I forgot to click anonymous, what should I do? Email support@thechesedfund.com, provide your name, email, and the title of the campaign you donated to, and we will change it for you. Are there any credit card processing fees? Yes, the credit card processor charges 3% + 0.30 cents from every donation. These charges are made direction by the processor at the time of the donation, The Chesed Fund does not charge any fees for fundraising. Q: Are verified campaigns tax deductible? A: There is no direct correlation between a campaign's verification status and its tax deductible status. Tax Deductible status is determined by the IRS, while The Chesed Fund's verification process attempts to ascertain that all the facts in a campaign are true, regardless of whether you'd receive a tax deductible receipt if you donated to that campaign.

Setting a goal that is too ambitious will turn people away. People have an expectation of how much things should cost, and don’t want to contribute to a campaign that is collecting more than they feel is necessary. Similarly, people want to be part of a success, and seeing that a campaign has collected $500 and has $150,000 left to go, doesn’t instill them with much confidence.

Try to elaborate on how you arrived at the campaign goal, and what the money will be going for. For example, “the surgery costs $75,000, and since insurance doesn’t cover it, I have to pay out-of-pocket”.

Campaign Title

The title of your campaign is the first thing people see, and it often is the factor that can convince them to read further. So it’s imperative that you create a compelling title that is clear and convincing.

Avoid generic phrases like “Please Save Me”, and make them as personal and specific as possible, for example, “Save 8-Year-Old Moshe’s Life” or “Abuse Victim is About to be Homeless!” Keep your titles consice. They should be similar to a news article length. 5 to 10 words is a good guideline, anything longer and people will lose interest.

Campaign Description

People connect to

Question 6

How Long Will it Take For Funds to Reach My Bank?

Accepted Answer

It can take up to 14 business days for funds to process through the system and reach your bank. This is due in part to protect Stripe (the credit card processor) from fraudulent charges and disputed donations.

As long as you have filled out your banking information correctly when creating your account, payments will automatically be deposited to your account with no further action required on your part.

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