Mission Possible: Deploy Your #GivingTuesday2020 Donations Fast

It’s not a mystery to anyone in the non-profit world: Giving Tuesday is a big deal—a $511 million deal in 2019, in fact¹—that requires months of preparation. This holiday season, your organization will be on the front line every day, helping fill the unmet needs in your community. Although your mission hasn’t changed, your delivery methods—of meals, groceries, financial assistance and more—probably have.

This year, distributing relief can be easier and more efficient than ever with Mastercard® and Visa® Prepaid Cards, available in physical and virtual formats. Plus, our platform lets you self-manage how funds are deployed, including the power to activate cards on the spot.

If your organization hasn’t used prepaid cards in the past, take a couple of minutes to check out all of the benefits for you and your recipients.

4 smart ways gift cards can work for non-profits

You’re a master of stretching every dollar. You’re passionate about your cause. And your team always goes the extra mile. This year is expected to be busier than ever, so let us do some of the heavy lifting with our disaster and relief assistance prepaid card solutions. Here’s how we can help:

• Faster relief distribution
  Dispersing relief directly to individuals by issuing, printing and mailing paper checks can take a few weeks. If you need faster delivery, opt for prepaid cards instead—virtual versions can typically be sent to inboxes in just a few minutes. And if your recipients prefer plastic cards, they can have them in their mailboxes soon, too.
• Spending flexibility
  In many communities, food banks and donation centers have been extending and expanding their services. It’s great to see such generosity—but other unmet needs remain. That’s where our cards solutions can help. Mastercard and Visa Prepaid Cards are accepted everywhere the network’s debit cards are accepted, both online and in-store. This flexibility allows people to pay for what they want and need, such as personal care items and household essentials.
• Individual or bulk delivery
  If you have valid physical or email addresses, you can send gift cards directly to your recipients. That part’s easy—our gift card solutions really come into play when you need to distribute relief in person. Just keep a bulk supply of plastic Mastercard and Visa Gift Cards that can be loaded and activated during the distribution process.
• No bank account required
  Anyone with an email or physical address and a touch-tone phone can receive and use a Mastercard and Visa Gift Cards or merchant gift cards. That’s great news if your community includes people who are unbanked or underbanked. Prepaid cards put relief directly in their hands without check-cashing fees—maximizing the value they receive—and can be spent almost instantly.

3 pro-level tips for using co-brandable prepaid cards

These days, many non-profit organizations receive gift cards as donations. However, some groups may be less experienced with using prepaid cards to distribute their own funds. That’s why we’re including a few extra must-know details to help your relief assistance card program be successful.

• Put one person in charge
  Choose one person to as a go-to for keeping up with Mastercard and Visa Prepaid Cards through our platform; it’s your single source for easy card ordering, tracking, reporting and more. Don’t worry, though—specific orders and inventory counts can be managed by relief program, individual department or other criteria—but you’ll benefit by seeing all card relief activity in one place.
• Keep card access secure
  We’ll help you keep track of card orders, of course. But if you have cards on hand for distribution, treat access to them like petty cash: carefully. Physical cards should be kept under lock and key. And for added security, online orders require two-factor identification. Plus, you can use our detailed reporting to help manage your company-wide gift card program.
• Order early when you can
  With peak seasonal fundraising activities such as #GivingTuesday2020 on the calendar, you can start planning your fund deployment options early. For example, add your logo to a physical Mastercard or Visa Prepaid Card, and make sure plenty of cards are produced with time to spare. Or, if you deliver digitally, review your payment options to ensure that funding is readily available.

Let us help you

Since March 2020, we’ve delivered over $250 million in relief aid on behalf of non-profit organizations. You can count on our size and scalability to help you deploy your funds as quickly as possible. Plus, we understand that you need to stay focused on your mission—that’s why our disaster and relief assistance prepaid card experts are here to help.

Bonus tip! Share comfort & joy with employees, too

2020 has been hard for so many people, and your team has come through time and time again. Show your employees and volunteers how much you appreciate them with our incentive reward options, including Mastercard^®and Visa^® Prepaid Cards, single-merchant gift cards, and exclusive themed cards that create a unique experience. Learn more about giving reward cards this holiday season.

¹ https://www.wholewhale.com/tips/givingtuesday-stats-and-facts/