Frequently Asked Questions
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Empowered.org General FAQ
Empowered.org is an online platform for groups looking to create social change around the world. Our site is designed to facilitate positive social impact by facilitating growth in organizations, saving them money, and helping them operate more efficiently. We help groups and social movements build and grow online communities by providing the tools to organize and mobilize more efficiently, thus promoting your cause and fundraise more effectively. This means everything runs easier and results in more support for your group, helping you grow organically.
Empowered is easy and simple to use! Is your organization already on the site and you want to start a group? First sign up with Empowered to create your own profile. Then join your organization by searching for it. After you have become a member and are granted group admin access by your organization admin, you can select “Create Group” to create a group page. Now you have your own group page that anyone can see, with many useful tools like creating volunteer activities, managing volunteers, and fundraising. Anyone who may be interested can now easily support your cause, either by signing up as a volunteer or making a donation. Want to join a group that is already on your organization page? Easy. Just click the “Join” link at the top right of the page and enter your info to create an account. Now you can search for groups to support by using the search function. When you find one you’re interested in, click on “Become a Group Member” on the group page, and a request will be sent to the group. Once they accept the request, you are now part of the group’s online community!
If your organization is not yet listed on Empowered, please apply today!
Empowered is free for all members and groups to sign up, with unlimited use of all tools and functionalities. Empowered.org also makes it possible for you to pass your online merchant fees to donors during checkout. These transaction fees are collected directly by the merchant processor; 3.5% +$0.30 per credit card transaction, $1.00 for ACH transactions, and free manual check uploads. To keep Empowered alive, we receive a small commission from our merchant processor out of what they collect. This process ensures that Empowered will never have any set up costs or monthly fees... EVER! For customization outside of current functionality, additional costs may apply.
Empowered.org is not a non-profit, but instead it operates as a social enterprise. All of the fees processed are reinvested into improving our platform and contributing to nonprofit development projects.
Questions for Groups/Organizations Getting Started
Empowered is here to help all working to make a difference, from local grassroots movements to multinational organizations. Our platform gives you a true presence online. Most importantly, our flexible features mean that Empowered.org can grow with your group, Empowering you to build and develop your online community. This means you’ll be able to clearly edit your group’s activities and spread the word to whoever you choose. And, you’ll enhance your group’s ability to fundraise with “Donate” buttons on your volunteer activities and fundraising campaigns, personal fundraising pages for individual group members, and tools to spread the word to new donors anywhere. Perfect for any size group, with grow with you and ensure that things run smoothly and effectively.
Empowered.org is open to any and all organizations in 190 countries, regardless of charitable status. We are unique in that you do NOT have to be a registered non-profit to benefit from the services that Empowered has to offer. Simply put, the site is for anyone working to make a difference in the world.
Creating a group on Empowered.org if your organization is already a member is quick and simple! Just click on the “Get Started” link at the top of the page, fill out the appropriate information, and there you have it: your group has its own personal webpage for developing your online community. From here you can manage volunteers, fundraise, and more. If you do not see your organization on the site and you believe that your organization could benefit from having a multi-chaptered setup, please fill out the appropriate organization application so that we may discuss your needs and provide you with the setup that best fits your organization.
“Groups” are intended for smaller, less complex movements and are typically a part of an “Organization”. “Organizations” are geared toward layered, multi-chaptered movements that coordinate multiple groups. For example, a single Soup Kitchen in Oakland would benefit from a Group setup because it is less complex, working out of a single location as a single group. But an organization that ran Soup Kitchens throughout all of Northern California would probably benefit from an “Organization” setup, so that each location can be managed as its own group, and all the groups would be part of the umbrella organization. Can I Customize my Group/Org URL? No Problem! On your Group Home Page roll your cursor over the “Tools” button and click “Edit Details.” In the second box under URL, you can change your Empowered URL. The default setup is www.empowered.org/GROUPNAME, but you can change it to anything you want.
Yes, any interested person can search for and explore your group page. However, in order to sign up for volunteer activities or events, or to fundraise for your group, a person must make an account and register as a member of your group. Group Administrators will receive email requests from people trying to join the group, which you can Accept or Deny. Group member requests can also be automated, so that new members are automatically accepted or denied
Using the Platform
Creating volunteer activities, fundraising campaigns, and events is easy on Empowered. From the group home page, simply click one of the blue links on the right that say “+ Create a new XXX.” Then just fill out the info, and you’re done. Now people can see what upcoming events and activities your group has planned, and what fundraising campaigns it is currently working on.
Managing these features is easy as well. Just click on the appropriate gray tab at the top (either “Volunteer Activities”, “Fundraising Campaigns”, or “Events”). On the new page that loads, you can create, delete, or edit details for any of these features, any time you wish.
The admin tools are located in the “Tools” drop-down tab on the Group Home page. These tools allow you to edit Group Details, upload Logos and Banners, Share Files with group members, and view information on volunteers, donations, donors, and other reports. They are simple to use, just roll over the “Tools” button, and click on the link you are interested in from the drop-down menu.
Groups and Members
Yes, the Empowered.org platform gives you complete control over who can become members and volunteers of your group. This means groups and activities can become as large (or not) as you like. When a new person requests to become a member of your group, you will receive a request email from the site, on through this email you can choose to Accept or Deny this new potential member. Same goes for volunteer activities: as group members try and volunteer for activities, you will receive requests which you may accept or deny. All of these features can be automated, so members and volunteers are automatically accepted or denied.
Managing these features is easy as well. Just click on the appropriate gray tab at the top (either “Volunteer Activities”, “Fundraising Campaigns”, or “Events”). On the new page that loads, you can create, delete, or edit details for any of these features, any time you wish.
The admin tools are located in the “Tools” drop-down tab on the Group Home page and visible to designtated group admin. These tools allow you to edit Group Details, upload Logos and Banners, Share Files with group members, and view information on volunteers, donations, donors, and other reports. They are simple to use, just roll over the “Tools” button, and click on the link you are interested in from the drop-down menu.
Absolutely! Contacting members is easy. Just go to the “Members” page by clicking the gray tab at the top. Then using the “Tools” drop down menu, select “Email Members.” From here you can email all members, or choose specific ones to contact. Using the same “Tools” tab on the Members page, you can also send Surveys to members to collect info, ask about experiences, get feedback, etc. To contact Volunteers or Fundraisers for a specific Activity or Campaign, simply go to the Activity/Campaign page (click the gray tab at the top for either “Volunteer Activities” or Fundraising Campaigns” and then click on the specific activity or campaign you want). From here, just use the “Tools” drop-down menu to email volunteers/fundraisers or send surveys.
No Problem! On the Group Home page, roll over the “Tools” button and select the “Share Files” link. Hit “Upload,” and select a file to upload. Now the file will be listed on the Files section of the Group Home page (on the bottom left) for any member to download.
Editing, Updating, and Maintaining My Group/Org Page
You can easily edit group info by going to the Group Home page, rolling over the “Tools” button, and selecting “Edit Details” from the drop down menu. Same goes for organizations: just go to the Organizations Home page, roll over the “Tools” button, and select “Edit Details.”
Please notify info@empowered.org to make sure that donor receipts will be enabled for your organization.
You can easily enable fundraising by going to the Organization Home page, rolling over the “Tools” button, and selecting “Edit Details” from the drop down menu. From there, you will be able to “Create a Fundraising Campaign” from the toolbar on any Group Home page.
Yes! Please visit the “Edit Details”, “Edit Styles” and “Upload Banner” tools in the toolbar to customize your page for your own branding.
Select the “Photos” tab from the gray tabs on the top. From here you can add new photos, and manage photos by grouping them into different albums. Just click either the “Add New Photo” or “Manage Photo Albums” link. Photos uploaded to the site here will be easily available for the community to see.
Questions for Members/Volunteers
Empowered.org is an online platform to give groups and social movements an online presence, helping them grow their online communities, organize activities, manage volunteers, and fundraise. Groups and organizations create their own pages on through which they can create and organize volunteer activities, start fundraising campaigns, and more. Individuals who are interested in being part of a group or social movement need only make an account and join the group! From here you can volunteer or raise funds, and each individual gets his/her own personal page. Use this page to edit info
Empowered.org is an online platform to help groups and social movements organize, mobilize, and fundraise effectively. We provide the tools to help groups build and grow their online communities. We are simply a tool for these groups and organizations to use to establish and maintain and online presence, as well as offering unique online tools and features. Simply put, we are here to augment and accelerate groups and social movements.
Getting started on Empowered.org is quick and simple. At the top right of the page select the “Join” link, enter the necessary information, and your account is created. From here you can use the search function the look for groups or activities that interest you. Once you find something that looks good, select the “Become Group Member” or “Volunteer” button (you must be a group member to volunteer for an activity; the Volunteer button will automatically send a Group Member request). Once the group accepts your request, you are part of the group and a member of the online community. Now you are free to volunteer for activities, fundraise for campaigns, and work with the group to make a difference.
Simply use the Search Box at the top of the page to search for Groups, Organizations, or Activities.
You do need an account to join a Group or volunteer for an Activity. Creating an account is fast and easy, just click “Join” at the top right of the page, enter the necessary information, and your account is created. Now you can join groups, volunteer, and fundraise.
If you have found a group that you are interested in, selected “Become Group Member” and your request was accepted, this makes you a member of the group. You will receive group updates, be listed as a member, and can be contacted by leaders and administrators of that group. Once you are a member, you can volunteer for specific activities and opportunities you are interested in by selecting the Volunteer button. In short: after becoming a member of a group, you then select specific opportunities to volunteer for, or specific campaigns to fundraise for.
Your Personal Page
Once you create an account on Empowered.org, you will have your own personal page. Your Dashboard/Profile Home will display groups and organizations which you are a part of, as well as any upcoming volunteer activities, past volunteer activities, active fundraising campaigns, and past fundraising campaigns. To your Dashboard just roll over the top right where it says “Hi YOUR NAME” and select “Go To Dashboard” from the drop-down menu. You will also have your own personal fundraising pages for campaigns you are working on. Just click on the gray “Fundraising Pages” tab at the top. Give links to active campaigns to friends and family to gain support for your cause. You will also have a profile to talk about and display any information about yourself you wish to share, such as your passions and the city/region in which you live. Go to the top right, roll over the “Hi YOUR NAME” button, and select “View Profile.”
While viewing your profile or dashboard, select the “Edit” button at the top/center of the page, located beneath your name and next to your picture, to update and edit details about your profile.
Go to your Dashboard to view this information. At the top right of the screen roll over the “Hi YOUR NAME” button, and select “Go To Dashboard.”
Fundraising is simple. Just give the URL to a specific, active campaign to friends, family, or anyone else you are reaching out to for support. By clicking this link they will go to your personal fundraising page for that campaign where they can find more information about the group and the campaign/activity for which you are raising money. There is a big, easy to use “Donate” button on your page, should they choose to make a donation and give support.
There are a number of easy ways to do this. On your Dashboard there are Share Icons to share the fundraising page either through email, Facebook, or Twitter. Or you can select gray tab that says “Manage Fundraising Pages,” select the specific campaign you wish to share, and then provide the link to friends by copying the URL from your browser and pasting it wherever you wish to share it. There are also share icons for email, Facebook, and Twitter located beneath the “Donate” button on each campaign page.
Yes, easily. Just use the Share Icons, located on the Dashboard or at the top of the Fundraising Campaign page beneath the “Donate” button. Immediately after signing up for a campaign or activity, the site will also prompt you to share with your friends and family via Facebook, Twitter, or email.
Member/Volunteer Donations
Donations made through Empowered.org are processed by either PayPal or Google Checkout. The money is deposited directly to the account of the group or organization, giving them immediate access to these funds. Empowered.org never holds the money, it goes straight from donor to the cause they are supporting.
It does not cost any extra money for supporters to donate to a cause. Empowered.org does charge the group/organization 1.5% of all donations processed through Paypal on the site (no fee for Google Checkout), plus merchant fees, and we do offer donors the chance to cover these costs on behalf of the organization they are supporting.
Absolutely. We connect donations directly to the merchant processor of the group (PayPal or Google Checkout). These processors are held to the highest security standards, so rest assured: donations are 100% safe and secure.
This depends. Groups with official 501(c)(3) non-profit status should be able to help make sure your donation is tax deductible; however, groups without such status may not be able to. Because each group is different, we ask you consult with your specific group leader to make sure.
This is simple, just make use of the site! Sign up for volunteer activities and fundraising campaigns, and provide links to these activities and campaigns to friends and family. And be sure that if you sign up for something, you show up! Just do your best do stay engaged.
Groups provide contact information on their Group Home pages. Just go to the Group Home page to see this information. Groups also typically display information on who they are and the work they are doing on their Group Home page. They may also provide a link to their official website where more information may be available.
Questions for Donors
Once you have found a campaign or activity that you wish to donate to (either by searching the site or from a link provided by a friend or family member), just click on the big orange “Donate” button to make a donation and support the cause!
No, you do not need an account to donate.
Absolutely. We connect donations directly to the merchant processor of the group. These processors are held to the highest security standards, so rest assured: donations are 100% safe and secure.
This depends. Groups with official 501(c)(3) non-profit status should be able to help make sure your donation is tax deductible; however, groups without such status may not be able to. Because each group is different, we ask you consult with your specific group leader to make sure.
Donations made through Empowered.org are processed by the merchant (Serve First in the US). The money is deposited directly to the account of the group or organization, giving them immediate access to these funds. Empowered.org never holds the money, it goes straight from donor to the cause they are supporting.
The money goes straight to the account of the group or organization your friend is working to support.
If the organization to which you are donating has opted to pass on their transaction fees, you will be charged an additional 3.5%+$0.30 per credit card transaction, and 1.5%+$0.30 per ACH transaction. Many organizations choose to do this so that they receive 100% of their donations. If the organization has it set so you can chose to pass this on, you will be given the option to allow 100% of the donation to be received, or have the organization incur these transaction costs.
The small comission that Empowered.org receives from the merchant from the transaction fee on donations is reinvested into the platform. The money we take only covers our costs.
Once a donation is processed, a receipt is sent immediately via email from Empowered.org. Donors can print this for records and use it as a receipt whenever needed. If someone didn’t receive such an email, please let us know at donations@empowered.org and we will be happy to resend it.
Groups/organizations offer contact info as well as additional information on their group homepage. Here you may find email, phone numbers, and links to official websites, depending on what kind of information the group has provided.
All offline donations in the form of cash, check or money order should be given to the appropriate group directly (either in person or via mail). For mailing information, please contact the specific group leader to see where to send your donation. Note: If you are donating to a specific individual, we will make sure that donation amount is reflected on their personal fundraising page.
Please contact the specific group administrator with donations issues; their contact information is on the group homepage and they should have the correct answers to your questions. If the group admin cannot help with your issue, feel free to contact us at: donations@empowered.org with any additional queries.