Frequently Asked Questions

GETTING STARTED

Is Celebration Donation a nonprofit organization?
Celebration Donation’s mission is to encourage and inspire group-giving to charity during any celebration or special event.  When we started to discuss this idea, we strongly believed that Celebration Donation should be a nonprofit.  It just made sense.  We are about giving to charity.  It’s a natural fit to be a nonprofit for nonprofits.

Is Celebration Donation “tax-exempt” – meaning I will receive a tax receipt for my donation?
Yes. We are a tax-exempt nonprofit organization. When people donate to a charity through Celebration Donation, they will receive a tax receipt via email for their kind gift.  Celebration Donation became a tax-exempt 501c(3)-approved nonprofit in October of 2006.  Our Tax ID number is 20-3485320.

Why should I use Celebration Donation to plan my party or event?
It’s such a wonderful way to celebrate and share the gift of giving.  It’s an opportunity to raise money as a group for a charity… your charity of choice.  It will help your charity gain some needed funds during these tough economic times.  Your Guests will have the option to donate – and to make the donation public, private (for the Party Planner eyes only) or anonymous.  Celebration Donation is a great way to make giving “contagious”.  Everyone has the chance to catch the giving fever!

Why use Celebration Donation vs. other party planning sites?
Why not?  It’s an easy way to encourage and inspire friends and family to raise money for your charity.  What differentiates Celebration Donation from other party planning sites is the donation capability.  In order to use Celebration Donation, you must choose a charity.

Can I use Celebration Donation and not choose a charity?
No.  The Party Planner must choose a charity in order to create a Celebration Donation party.  Having the Party Planner choose a charity is what differentiates us from other party planning sites.  If you are not interested in choosing a charity, then Celebration Donation is not the site for you.

Does it cost any money to use Celebration Donation?
Creating your party on Celebration Donation is free – allowing you to save money (e.g., on purchasing and sending invites).  What differentiates Celebration Donation from other party planning sites is the ability to raise money for charities.  The only fees associated with Celebration Donation are the  “agreed upon” Administrative Fees for each donation.  These Administrative Fees cover the basic costs for credit cards, banking and server-related charges.  We are not in it for the money.  We are in it to give people a new way to raise money for charities – in a fun and effective way.  All the “work” is done online.  It’s that simple.

Why is there an Administrative Fee per each donation?
This Administrative Fee is needed so the site can continue to be available and grow. The only fees associated with Celebration Donation are the Administrative Fees that cover the basic costs for credit cards, banking and server-related charges. When you (as a Party Planner) create your Celebration Donation invitation, you will have to agree to the Administrative Fee Agreement – which basically outlines why we are included a fee with each donation transaction. Your guests will be able to RSVP and have the OPTION to donate to the chosen charity. 

Do my Guests have to donate to the charity?
No. Your Guests will have the option to donate – and to make the donation public, private (for the Party Planner eyes only) or anonymous.

Do my Guests need to create an account (register) to see their invitation, to donate or to RSVP to an invitation?
No.  Your Guests will be able to RSVP to the invitation and have the option to donate to the chosen charity without having to register as a Member.

Can I get a charity listed on Celebration Donation?   How?
Yes. Celebration Donation will continue its efforts to include more charities.  If you are interested in having a charity included, please let us know by sending an email to suggestacharity@celebrationdonation.org.  All charities listed on Celebration Donation must be 501c3 approved and meet our quality standards.  Review “Request a Charity” under the “Contact Us” section for more details.


POLICY AND TERMS & CONDITIONS

Is my personal information protected when I use Celebration Donation?
Yes.  We will not share personal information with any groups or services.  Your information is safe with us.

What copyright and trademarks does Celebration Donation claim?
Celebration Donation is a registered trademark – and we are in the process of filing for our copyright claim.


USER ACCOUNTS

Do I need to create an account (register) to send a Celebration Donation invite?
Yes.  Party Planners have to register to use our site to send a party invitation.  There are no fees or hidden agendas.  We do not share our registered users’ information with any groups or services.  Registering allows us to better understand our Users.  As we continue to update and build the site, we want to keep our Members in mind and update our services to best meet their needs.  One of our goals is to allow everyone (Party Planners, Guests, eCard Users) to have a wonderful experience when using Celebration Donation for parties, special events and/or sending eCards.

Do I need to create an account (register) to send a Celebration Donation eCard (e.g., Give a Gift)?
No.  You are welcome to register, however, we wanted to keep it a simple process for the eCard user.  While a party invite is more involved, an eCard can be a quick creation – choosing the card, choosing the charity, donating to the charity, including the email address of the recipient and sending.

I forgot my password or I want to change my password.  How can I change my password?
If you forgot your password, you will need to click on “Forgot password?” which is located near the Log In button on the top right corner of the site. Follow the directions given on the site and an email will be sent with a new password.

If you want to change your password, you will Log In and then click on “My Profile” which is located on the top right corner of the site.   Once you are on the “My Profile” page, you will click on “Password and Security” and follow the directions.

How can I update my account information?
If you want to update your account information, you will Log In and then click on “My Profile” which is located on the top right corner of the site.   Once you are on the “My Profile” page, you will click on “My Personal Information” which will give you access to your current personal information.  Once you revise, click “Update” to save the information.

Can I view all the parties I’m invited to in one location on the site?
Not at this point in time.  Once we gain additional funding, we plan to update/build the site and this is definitely an area of interest.

How can I permanently delete my Celebration Donation account?
If you want to permanently delete your Celebration Donation account, you will Log In and then click on “My Profile” which is located on the top right corner of the site.   Once you are on the “My Profile” page, you will need to click on the “Cancel My Account” button.

I permanently deleted a party from my email, how do I get it back?
Currently you would need to contact the Party Planner to resend the invite to your email address. Once we gain additional funding, we plan to update/build the site and this is definitely an area of interest.

Is there a Save the Date?
Currently we do not have a Save the Date feature. Once we gain additional funding, we plan to update/build the site and this is definitely an area of interest.


ADDRESS BOOK

Can I import my contacts or address book?
Currently you cannot import your contacts or address book. Once we gain additional funding, we plan to update/build the site and this is definitely an area of interest.

Where is My Address Book located? 
Click on “My Profile” which is located on the top right corner of the site.   Once you are on the “My Profile” page, you will click on “My Address Book” which is located on the top right side of this page.

Are there any suggestions on how to build My Address Book?
Our suggestion – add your Guests to your Address Book prior to creating the invite.  This way you will have First Name, Last Name and email address for each Guest.  To create your Address Book, we suggest you open two browser windows – one with your email account information (e.g., Yahoo!, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) and the other with the Celebration Donation Address Book page.  Cut and paste between the two browsers to get all the needed addresses into your Celebration Donation Address Book. Until we gain funds for the next development build, this is the best we can offer!


INVITATION

What can I do if my Guests do not receive my invitation email?
First check the email address to make certain it was entered correctly.  If the email address is correct, have your Guests check their Spam folder.  Sometimes invitations get caught in your Guests’ spam or junk filters.   As a Party Planner, you always have the capability to resend the invitation to any Guest.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

How long does it take for invitations to reach my Guests?
It can take any where from a minute to hours for the invitation email to arrive in your Guests’ inbox.   If it has been more than 4 hours and some of your Guests still haven’t received their invitation email, refer to the information in the above question: “What can I do if my Guests do not receive my invitation email?”

Does Celebration Donation offer any themed invite templates?
Yes.  There are a variety of themed invite and eCard templates available once you click on “Plan a Party” or “Give a Gift”.  Many generous designers have created these designs for us, from the goodness of their hearts! 

Can I create an invite template for my party?
We currently do not have a customized invite option, however, this may be a future build.  If interested, we welcome the opportunity to showcase your wonderful designed templates!  We want to give our Users as many designed template options as we can – and the best way to gain more invite templates is from our Users and Designer friends.  If interested in creating an invite template for Celebration Donation, please send an email to invitetemplate@celebrationdonation.org.

How do I save changes to my invitation?
There are two ways to save changes to your invitation.  If you are in the process of creating your invitation, you can click on the “Save as Draft” button and the saved invitation will be under “My Parties” (on the “My Profile” page).   If you already have saved or sent the invitation, you will Log In and then click on “My Profile” which is located on the top right corner of the site.   Once you are on the “My Profile” page, you will click on “My Parties” which will give you access to your upcoming parties.  Click on “Edit” for the party.  Once you revise, click “Save Updates” and follow the site directions.

What if I want to change the information after I sent out the invitation?
You can change information on a sent invitation.  You will Log In and then click on “My Profile” which is located on the top right corner of the site.   Once you are on the “My Profile” page, you will click on “My Parties” which will give you access to your upcoming parties.  Click on “Edit” for the party.  Once you revise, click “Save Updates” and follow the site directions to resend to Guests.

How can I add more people to a sent invitation?
You can add more people to a sent invitation.  You will Log In and then click on “My Profile” which is located on the top right corner of the site.   Once you are on the “My Profile” page, you will click on “My Parties” which will give you access to your upcoming parties.  Click on “Edit” for the party.  You will go through the invite pages until you get to the “Invite List” to add your Guests – then follow the directions given on the site and send.

Can I re-use a Guest list from an old party?
Not at this point in time.  Once we gain additional funding, we plan to update/build the site and this is definitely an area of interest.

Is there a limit on how many Guests I can invite to an event?
No, there is no limit to the number of Guests per invite.

Can I send myself a test invitation?
To test the invitation, you always can send the invite to just you – then edit the sent invite located on the “My Parties” page (on the “My Profile” page) to add your Guests.  You will go through the invite pages until you get to the “Invite List” to add your Guests – then follow the directions given on the site and “Resend”.

Can Guests see who else is invited?
Yes.  The Guest list is included on the “Who’s Coming?” section of the invitation.  Invited Guests can click on each section to view Guests status (e.g., Yes, Maybe, No, No Answer).

Can I make my party public – therefore anyone can add their name to the Guest list?
No.  If there is interest in having this function available, please email us at siteupdate@celebrationdonation.org.

Can I print the invitation?
Yes.  Click on the “Print Details” button on the invite and following the site directions.

How does the RSVP work?
When a Guest RSVP’s to a party, the Guests info will appear on the invitation under one of the “Who’s Coming?” columns.  This allows the Party Planner and Guests to review RSVPs when viewing the invite.

How can I view the date Guests “opened” the invitation?
This feature is not available at this point in time.  Once we gain additional funding, we plan to update/build the site and this is definitely an area of interest.

How do I resend an invitation?
You will Log In and then click on “My Profile” which is located on the top right corner of the site.   Once you are on the “My Profile” page, you will click on “My Parties” which will give you access to your upcoming parties.  Click on “Edit” for the party.  You will go through the invite pages, following the directions given on the site and click “Resend”.

If I add new Guests to an invitation, is the email sent to all existing Guests as well?
That will be your choice.  When you “edit” the invite to add the new Guests you will be given an option to “Send to All” or “Send to New”.

Can I export the Guest list?
This feature is not available at this point in time.  Once we gain additional funding, we plan to update/build the site and this is definitely an area of interest.

Can I set a time to send a “reminder” email for the party?
Yes.  When you are creating your party invite, you will be able to customize the reminder email timing located under the “RSVP Settings” on the “Create Invitation” page.  Currently the default is sent to 1 day before the party.  You will also have the option to choose which Guests you would like to receive the automatic reminder email – Guests who responded “Yes’, Guests who responded “Maybe”, and Guests who have not responded.

As a Party Planner, can I change a Guest’s response?
This feature is not available at this point in time.  Once we gain additional funding, we plan to update/build the site and this is definitely an area of interest.

Can I print the Guest list?
This feature is not available at this point in time.  Once we gain additional funding, we plan to update/build the site and this is definitely an area of interest.

Can I see Celebration Donation parties I’ve been invited to in my account?
This feature is not available at this point in time.  Once we gain additional funding, we plan to update/build the site and this is definitely an area of interest.

Can a Guest forward the invitation to a friend?
Yes – but only if the Party Planner gives permission by clicking the box for “Allow guest to forward the invitation” located under the “RSVP Settings” on the “Create Invitation” page.

Can I prevent a Guest from forwarding the invitation?
You can prevent ALL Guests from forwarding the invitation (by not granting permission on the “RSVP Settings” page).  However, you will not be able to select only one Guest.

I changed the date (or location) for my party, how do I tell my Guests?
You will resend an updated invitation.  You will Log In and then click on “My Profile” which is located on the top right corner of the site.   Once you are on the “My Profile” page, you will click on “My Parties” which will give you access to your upcoming parties.  Click on “Edit” for the party.  You will go through the invite pages and follow the site directions to move forward and click “Resend”.

How do I cancel my party?
You will Log In and then click on “My Profile” which is located on the top right corner of the site.   Once you are on the “My Profile” page, you will click on “My Parties” which will give you access to your upcoming parties.  Click on “Cancel Party”.  An email will be sent to all Guests that the party was canceled and a thank you for any contributions made to the charity. 

Can I create a “non-party” or phantom party?
Yes, but in a creative way.  While this feature is not available at this point in time (and definitely an area of interest for our next build) you can create a phantom party by indicating in the title and/or copy of the invite that the party is not a real party, but a way to raise money for your chosen charity.   The “party” date can be the end date for this fundraising effort.


ADMINISTRATIVE FEE

Why is there an Administrative Fee per each donation?
This Administrative Fee is needed so the site can continue to be available and grow. The only fees associated with Celebration Donation are the Administrative Fees that cover the basic costs for credit cards, banking and server-related charges. When you (as a Party Planner) create your Celebration Donation invitation, you will have to agree to the Administrative Fee Agreement – which basically outlines why we are included a fee with each donation transaction.  Your guests will be able to RSVP and have the OPTION to donate to the chosen charity. 


DONATION

Do my Guests have to donate to the charity?
No. Your Guests will have the option to donate – and to make the donation public, private (for the Party Planner eyes only) or anonymous.

Can I choose more than one charity for my guests to donate to?
Not at this point in time. .  If there is interest in having this function available, please email us at siteupdate@celebrationdonation.org.

When do the contributions move forward to the chosen charity?
Celebration Donation will forward the total amount raised from your party to the chosen charity within 30 days of the official “close” date for the party.   We will cut checks once a month to all the charities that received funds.

If I cancel the event/party, what happens to the donations?
All donations processed/confirmed before the party was canceled will move forward to the chosen charity, which is outlined in The Administrative Fee Agreement.  An email will be sent to all Guests that the party was canceled and a thank you for any contributions made to the charity. 


CHARITY

How can I “search” for a charity?
There are a two ways to search for a charity.  You can search by clicking on the “View Charities” on the navigational tool bar.  You can also search for a charity as you create your party invitation or eCard.  There are various filters to help you find your charity – by location (country, state, city), by category and/or by keyword.

Can I get a charity listed on Celebration Donation?   How?
Yes. Celebration Donation will continue its efforts to include more charities.  If you are interested in having a charity included, please send an email to suggestacharity@celebrationdonation.org.  All charities listed on Celebration Donation must be 501c3 approved and meet our quality standards.  Review “Request a Charity” under the “Contact Us” section for more details.


MESSAGE BOARD

Is there a Celebration Donation Message Board?
This feature is not available at this point in time.  Once we gain additional funding, we plan to update/build the site and this is definitely an area of interest.

Can I share photos from my Celebration Donation party?
This feature is not available at this point in time.  Once we gain additional funding, we plan to update/build the site and this is definitely an area of interest.


CUSTOMER SERVICE

How do I reach Customer Service?
We definitely want to hear from you if you have any questions or comments.  Please click on “Contact Us” and choose a topic and send us a message.  We will get back to you as soon as we can.