Question 1

What does Aid Registry cost our charity?

Accepted Answer

Nothing. There are no platform fees, subscriptions, or contracts. Donors cover the cost of the items plus shipping, sales tax, and card processing, so the full value of what you asked for reaches you.

Question 2

How does it work?

Accepted Answer

Claim your charity's page, list the specific items you need, and share your campaign. Donors fund those exact items, and we purchase them and ship them to the delivery address on your page.

Question 3

Who can join?

Accepted Answer

U.S. nonprofits with tax-exempt status recognized by the IRS. When you sign up we match you against IRS records, and a person on our team reviews every charity before its page goes public. We don't onboard charities outside the U.S. yet.

Question 4

How long does setup take?

Accepted Answer

A few minutes. Search for your organization, confirm your EIN, and your profile is pre-filled from IRS records. Then add the items you need and publish.

Question 5

Where do the items ship?

Accepted Answer

To the delivery address you set on your page: your office, warehouse, shelter, or an active site. We buy the items from retailers and have them shipped straight to you. If something you asked for is out of stock, we'll check with you about an equivalent.

Question 6

How do we record what we receive?

Accepted Answer

When we order your items, we email you what we bought, its value and when to expect it. Every order also has an itemized in-kind statement from Aid Registry, Inc. under Orders when you're signed in, to print or download as a CSV for your bookkeeper. Values are the prices donors funded; ask your accountant how to record in-kind contributions.

Question 7

What if a campaign doesn't fully fund?

Accepted Answer

You decide when you create it. At the deadline we can buy as much of your list as the funds raised allow (items donors picked first, then by your priorities), or automatically extend the deadline to give it more time. You can also run a campaign with no deadline, or an ongoing wishlist that ships whatever's been funded every two weeks. We'll email you a few days before any deadline.

Question 8

What's an ongoing wishlist?

Accepted Answer

A list of things you always need, like diapers, hygiene kits, or pet food, that never has to end. Each quantity is the most you can use in four weeks. Every other Monday we order what donors have funded and ship it to you: items donors picked, then a mix across your list, so you get an assortment rather than the same few items each time. Never more of an item than its four-week limit. Mark anything you only need once as one-time. Item changes go live right away.

Question 9

Can we run more than one campaign?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Run separate campaigns for different programs or drives, and duplicate a past campaign when the same need comes around again.

Question 10

Is there a step-by-step walkthrough?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our How-to guides, linked in the footer of every page, walk you through building a campaign or an ongoing wishlist and downloading your donor contacts, with screenshots along the way.

Question 11

Do we find out who donated?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for every donor who agrees. At checkout every donor is asked to share their name and email with you. You'll find them under Donors when you're signed in, ready to thank or export to your CRM. Donors who choose not to share are counted but kept private.

Question 12

Why not just use an Amazon or Walmart wishlist?

Accepted Answer

Retail wishlist checkouts are anonymous, so you never learn who gave and can't thank them. On Aid Registry, donors can share their contact details with you, every donor gets a tax receipt, your page shows your verified IRS status, and donors see photos when the items arrive.

Question 13

How do we sign in?

Accepted Answer

There's no password to remember. Enter your email on the sign-in page and we'll send you a secure login link.

Question 14

Where does my money go?

Accepted Answer

Your donation is made to Aid Registry, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and we use it to buy the exact items you picked and ship them to the charity. You also cover that share of shipping, sales tax, and a 3% card processing fee. Every cost is itemized before you pay.

Question 15

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Accepted Answer

Donations to Aid Registry, Inc. (a 501(c)(3), EIN 42-2224867) may be tax-deductible to the extent the law allows. You'll get a written acknowledgment by email after every donation. We can't give individual tax advice, so check with your tax advisor.

Question 16

How are charities verified?

Accepted Answer

Every charity is checked against IRS records to confirm its tax-exempt status, and a person on our team reviews it before its page goes public. Each profile shows its EIN and IRS details so you can see what we saw. Verification confirms IRS status only. It isn't an audit or an endorsement.

Question 17

How do I know the items arrived?

Accepted Answer

When a campaign is fulfilled, the charity posts a celebration with photos and a thank-you, and we email everyone who gave. On an ongoing wishlist, the charity posts a photo each time an order arrives, and we email the donors whose gifts paid for it.

Question 18

When do items from an ongoing wishlist ship?

Accepted Answer

Wishlists are ordered every other Monday (a very small order waits for the next one, so shipping isn't wasted). Your donation joins everything else given since the last order, and we spread it across the charity's list, filling whatever has had the least so far, up to what they can use in four weeks, and ship them straight to the charity. If the list is already covered, your gift goes toward the order when needs reopen. The campaign page shows the next order date.

Question 19

Do I need an account to donate?

Accepted Answer

No. You can give as a guest. Creating an account lets you see your giving history in one place.

Question 20

Who sees my name and email?

Accepted Answer

You choose at checkout. If you tick "share my name and email", the charity can see them so they can thank you and keep you updated. They never see your payment details. Separately, you can hide your name from the public supporter list and appear as "Anonymous".

Question 21

Can I get a refund?

Accepted Answer

Donations are final once submitted. If a campaign ends early or can't be completed, we apply the funds as the campaign's settings describe, or to a similar charitable purpose. If an item becomes unavailable, we may substitute one of equal or greater value.

Question 22

What's the optional donation to Aid Registry at checkout?

Accepted Answer

It's a separate, optional gift that helps keep the platform free for charities. You can change it or set it to $0. It never reduces what goes to the charity.

Frequently asked questions