Frequently asked questions

• What is NeighborShare?

  NeighborShare is a platform that helps local nonprofits introduce households in need to people who are eager to help. It brings emergency assistance to households whose already fragile financial situations have been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• How does NeighborShare work?

  1. NeighborShare partners with trusted nonprofits.

  2. Our partner nonprofits validate needs within the communities they serve. Each nonprofit posts profiles on our platform based on shared criteria: urgency and size of need, and if alternative resources are available (like government aid and food banks). Our platform can be a last resort.

  3. Donors select household(s) to support.

  4. Donations go directly to the sponsoring nonprofit and will be used to support a household in need. The sponsoring nonprofit hopes to help the household you select, but funds cannot be formally earmarked in order to protect the tax treatment of your donation. In certain cases, the nonprofit may choose to direct the funds to a similar household at their discretion (for example, if the initial household’s needs are already filled).

• How does NeighborShare select and validate partner organizations?

  Partner organizations are selected based on a set of vetting criteria including mission alignment, strength of their reputation and reach, and operational capability. Direct links to our partners are available on this site. We encourage you to learn more about them.

• How much of my donation goes directly to recipients?

  Stripe, the payment processor used on this site, charges 2.2% + $0.30 per transaction. 100% of the rest of your donation goes to the partner nonprofit to support households in need.

• How are funds distributed to recipients?

  Each partner nonprofit decides how to distribute the funds based on their understanding of how best to serve their communities. For example:

  1. The Carver Foundation and Family Centers do so by writing checks directly to recipients.

  2. ABCD, Alpha Community Services, and Open Door Shelter do so by paying households’ bills directly. Any leftover funding goes to other households in need within their communities.

  3. Domus distributes funds via a combination of the methods described above.

• What if the family I want to help is already covered?

  Our partner nonprofits have taken care in sharing the stories of households in need and are committed to updating those stories as needs are fulfilled. If the household’s need is met through other means, however, the partner nonprofit will direct your donation to another household in need.

• Do transfer programs work?

  Transfer programs have been studied at length (for example, see research conducted by Innovations for Poverty Action and the World Bank) and those studies by and large conclude that low-income households, like all households, know best how to support vital needs for their own families.

• How do you prevent fraud?

  The identity and needs of each recipient will be carefully verified before any funds are distributed by our trusted nonprofit partners.

• Is my contribution tax-deductible?

  Yes. Since you are contributing directly to our partner 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, your gift is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

• Can I donate anonymously?

  Not at this stage of the pilot.

• How can a nonprofit organization sign up to be a partner on the NeighborShare platform?

  If you are interested in working with us, please write to help@nbshare.org. We would love to talk with you about how to broaden the impact of this program.