How your money gets to a project
Plain answers to the questions a donor should ask before typing in a card number: who is actually receiving this, what does it cost, when does the project get it, and is it deductible.
Last updated September 10, 2026
1. Who receives your gift
Every donation made on Projects is a gift to DeoWorks, a California nonprofit organization recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (EIN 26-4650396). You are not paying the project organizer directly. DeoWorks receives the money, holds it, and disburses it to the project you chose as described below.
DeoWorks is what California law calls a charitable fundraising platform. The disclosures on this page, and the short version shown before you complete a donation, are required by California Government Code section 12599.9.
2. Who the projects are
Projects on Projects are posted by churches, registered nonprofits, businesses, and individuals. Each organizer states which of those they are, and a DeoWorks moderator reviews every project before it is listed. The recipient type is shown on the project page and in the donation form because it decides whether your gift is tax-deductible (section 6).
Before sending money to a project that says it is a nonprofit or church, DeoWorks checks that the organization is in good standing with the IRS and, where applicable, the California Attorney General's Registry of Charities and Fundraisers. DeoWorks may decline to list, or decline to pay out to, any project at its discretion.
3. Fees
DeoWorks does not take a cut. No portion of your gift is retained by DeoWorks for its own use. The only deduction is the card processing fee charged by our payment processor, Stripe, currently 2.9% + 30¢ per card transaction. Stripe keeps that fee even if a gift is later refunded.
When you donate you can choose to cover the processing fee. If you do, we add enough to your charge that the project receives your full intended amount. If you do not, the fee comes out of your gift. Either way the whole amount you are charged is your contribution to DeoWorks.
| You choose to give $100 | Charged to your card | Stripe keeps | Project receives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without covering fees | $100.00 | $3.20 | $96.80 |
| Covering fees | $103.30 | $3.30 | $100.00 |
The fee shown at checkout is an estimate at Stripe's published rate of 2.9% plus 30¢. The project is credited with the exact net amount Stripe reports to us; small rounding differences stay with the project.
4. How and when the project is paid
DeoWorks disburses funds to each project's designated payee at least monthly, by check, bank transfer, or another method the organizer has set up. Gifts received in one calendar month are normally sent by the end of the following month. Refunds and payment disputes that arrive before a payout are deducted from it.
Organizers see a running statement of what has been received for their project and what has been paid out. DeoWorks keeps records of every gift and every payout.
5. When a project cannot receive the money
DeoWorks keeps discretion and control over all donated funds. That is what allows gifts routed to charitable projects to be deductible, and it means that in unusual cases your gift may not go to the project you chose. This can happen if:
- the project is removed for violating our terms or is found to be inaccurate;
- the organizer cannot be reached, has not provided payout details, or fails our verification;
- the project is cancelled by its organizer; or
- the recipient organization is no longer in good standing.
In those cases DeoWorks will first try to redirect the funds to a project with a similar purpose. If your gift is under $500.00 and was made within the last 60 days we will email you first and offer a refund. Funds that cannot be redirected are used for DeoWorks's charitable purposes.
If a project raises more than its stated goal, the excess is still disbursed to the project unless the organizer asks otherwise.
6. Tax deductibility
If the project is run by a church or a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, your gift to DeoWorks is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. No goods or services are provided in exchange for it.
If the project benefits a business or an individual, your payment is still received by DeoWorks and passed on, but the IRS does not treat contributions earmarked for a non-charitable recipient as deductible. Your receipt will say so.
DeoWorks issues a receipt for every card gift. It is emailed to the address you give at checkout and is always available under My commitments. Receipts for deductible gifts include the acknowledgment language the IRS requires for contributions of $250 or more. Please consult your own tax adviser about your situation.
7. Refunds and disputes
Donations are gifts and are generally not refundable. We will refund a gift if you contact us at giving@deoworks.org within 14 days because of a mistake: a wrong amount, a duplicate charge, or a project you did not intend to pick. Refunds go back to the original card. Stripe does not return its processing fee on a refund; DeoWorks absorbs that cost rather than charging the project.
If you dispute a charge with your bank instead of contacting us, the gift is frozen while the bank reviews it and removed from the project's total if the bank sides with you. Please reach out to us first; it is faster for everyone.
If a refund is issued after money has already been paid out to a project, DeoWorks may deduct it from that project's next payout.
8. Limits and payment methods
We accept credit and debit cards through Stripe. The maximum single gift is $25,000; for anything larger, or to give by check or bank transfer, email us and we will arrange it directly. Card details are entered into Stripe's secure form and never touch DeoWorks's servers.
9. Volunteer time and prayer
Time and prayer commitments are promises between you and the organizer, not payments. No money changes hands and nothing on this page applies to them. The value of volunteered time is not tax-deductible.
10. Questions and complaints
Write to giving@deoworks.org or DeoWorks, 992 Hanson Ct. Milpitas, CA 95035. California residents can also contact the Attorney General's Registry of Charities and Fundraisers at oag.ca.gov/charities.