Village Playhouse Donations

Campaign Details

To our valued patrons,

The Village Playhouse is pleased to have been able to provide you with quality theater at an affordable price for over 40 years. Since our first production in 1978 we have strived to present high quality theater that everyone can enjoy. We can only do that with your continued support.

Everyone has been hit hard during recent events, with the Village Playhouse being no exception. For our company to stay operational, we rely on producing shows. Each of the six productions we mount each season must cover two months of our rent and general operating expenses. Without that income, we must rely on the generosity of our patrons to make up the difference.

At this point in time, we have had to cancel our April 2020 production of A Good Farmer and our June 2020 production of the 35^th Annual Original One Act Festival. Both productions have been put on hold indefinitely. They are shows that we look forward to producing in the future, once we are able to open again safely.

As we are unsure when we will be able to return to producing full shows, we are planning a reduced season of small fundraising events. Please watch our website for details on these events as they occur. The first event will be a monologue competition held in early July.

For each month we are dark, our goal is to raise $1200 to cover our rent and general expenses (such as our insurance). Even though we are not producing shows we are still using the space we rent at Inspiration Studios for storage and (socially distanced) meetings and rehearsals.

The Village Playhouse is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization, therefore all donations are tax deductible. Please email treasurer@villageplayhouse.org if you need a donation receipt.

Thank you for your support. This goes out to all our patrons, volunteers, actors, and everyone who has put a piece of themselves into the shows and other ventures that we have done. Our aim is to continue to provide quality entertainment, in a form that is appropriate during these trying times.

Village Playhouse

About the Organization

The mission of the Village Playhouse is simple – to provide a place for creativity and learning to our volunteers and the community we serve. Since our first production in 1978, we have been a place for people to come together and find new ways to express themselves. Our goal is to help our volunteers push the boundaries of what they thought was possible and to stimulate the community we serve with thought-provoking productions.

1500 S 73rd St
WEST ALLIS, Wisconsin 53214
UNITED STATES

Website

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1 What about payment processing?

We use PayPal for payment processing on GivingGrid.com. It's both safe and secure.

Everyone knows PayPal.
PayPal fees are 2.59% + $.49 per transaction. Certified 501c3 nonprofits can get a reduced rate of 1.99% + $.49 directly through PayPal. GivingGrid cannot help with that.
All donations go directly into your account, less PayPal fees.
Funds are typically available within 1-2 days.
Great for organizations based outside of the U.S. PayPal is available in most countries around the world, so fundraisers can be set-up almost anywhere and donations can be accepted from most countries (and their currencies) throughout the world. Currently, GivingGrids can be set-up using US Dollars, British Pounds, Euros, Canadian Dollars and Australian Dollars.

2 What are your fees?

Zero! GivingGrid doesn't charge you any fees!

With GivingGrid you only pay third party credit card processing fees directly to the payment processor. Those range from roughly 2-3%, plus a small transaction fee. And, if you’re set up as a 501c3 nonprofit with PayPal, you only pay 1.99%, plus a transaction fee.

So how does GivingGrid pay for its operating expenses and keep the lights on?

We apply a unique method where the donor is given the option to add a small contribution for us, in addition to their donation. Think of it as a tip. If they think we're providing a valuable service, they give us a little something. If not, they have the option to lower it or make it zero and give us nothing. No matter what, the fundraiser never gets hit with a fee from us and GivingGrid assumes all the risk! Sound fair?

3 How do we get the money we raise?

Simple! The money you raise goes directly into your PayPal account. From there it's up to you. GivingGrid never touches the funds.

If you have any questions about getting the money you've already raised, please contact PayPal. Click the link below to contact them:

PayPal Support

4 How do I contact PayPal?

PayPal Support Page

5 What if our goal isn't met?

Of course it's always much better (and fun) when you hit or crush your goal, but you get the funds you raise either way. GivingGrid does not offer an "all or nothing" option.

6 After clicking Launch, why isn't my GivingGrid showing up?

It could be because you set a "Start Date" in the future. Go to your Settings and check the Start Date. Settings > Additional Settings > Set Start & End Dates. If that's the problem, just adjust it to today if you want it to show now. You should also make sure you not receiving any error messages, due to missing required fields or incorrect input.

If neither of these things are the problem, click contact us and we'll look into it ASAP and get back to you.

7 Do you allow personal fundraisers?

No, unfortunately we no longer allow personal fundraisers.

However, if you have fundraised with us in the past and want to run another campaign, please reach out to us. We may be able to make an exception...

8 Do we have to be a 501c3 nonprofit?

Nope! Any organization with a valid EIN or Tax ID number can use GivingGrid to raise funds for a good cause, but donations are only tax deductible when made to certified 501c3 nonprofits.

We no longer allow personal fundraisers. However, if you have fundraised with us in the past and want to run another campaign, please reach out to us. We may be able to make an exception...

9 How can I change the email address (user ID), password or name assigned to our account?

First, make sure you're logged in. Then click on your name in the upper right-hand corner of the screen on a PC or Mac and then click on "Account." If you're on a phone, click on the menu button and then click on "Account."

10 What if I don't know my password?

If you don't know your password, you'll need to reset it by clicking the "Login" button and then look for "Forgot your password?" Click the link.

11 Can we get help marketing our campaign?

Sure! We highly recommend you head over to Fundraising Central. Fundraising Central is our comprehensive guide to marketing and managing your GivingGrid. It's filled with all kinds of advice and techniques for making your campaign successful and hitting your goal.

There are also some great marketing tools available to you, after you launch your campaign. First, a big pop-up with all kinds of options will come up automatically when you launch and if you're not quite ready, you can always go to "My Promo Page," which you will find in your settings for all launched campaigns. It's a big orange button.

12 Can I put our GivingGrid, Wall of Love or Urgent Help for Animals on our website?

Yes for Standard GivingGrids and Wall of Love, but not for Urgent Help! We don't offer it for Urgent Help, because the typical campaign is over in just a few days.

Make sure you're logged in and go to Settings > Additional Settings > Run on Your Website and follow the instructions. Everything is synced, so a donation made on your website updates everywhere else. One thing to note, if you don't allocate enough space, we'll automatically show a very cool widget. Details are in your settings.

13 Can I run my GivingGrid campaign on my Facebook page?

The short answer is no. You can't run your live GivingGrid campaign on Facebook (like you can on your website), but you can post the link to your campaign to your Facebook page. That will also display an image from your campaign and when someone clicks on the post, they'll be taken to your live campaign.

14 How do I get at my donor data?

Make sure you're logged in, click the "Reports" button at the top of the screen and your donor data will appear. You can also download it as a .csv file by clicking the "Download Donor Data" button.

Here's an example:

15 How do I enter offline donations?

Offline donations can be made on all of our platforms,except for Blaze. Make sure you're logged in and go to Settings > Additional Settings > Manage Offline Donations. We recommend that you do not enter any offline donations until you've had several online donations. That way potential donors won't be confused by the fact that you've raised money, but there aren't any squares taken.

Note: This feature allows you to increase the total amount raised on your campaign, but it does not record any information or input donor information, photos or messages into the squares on the grid.

Important: Once you enter an offline donation, it is not reversable and you cannot edit the amount, so be careful. Do not enter cents, only whole dollar amounts.

16 How do I change the fundraising goal?

For Standard GivingGrids
Make sure you're logged in and go to Settings > Fundraising Goal & Grid Type. Next to your goal above the preview grid, click the edit link. Change your goal in the pop-up and click submit.

For Wall of Love
If you have a goal (it's optional), just go to General Settings, change it and click save.

For Urgent Help
Go to General Settings, change it and click save.

Note: be careful how you use this function. Don't get in the habit of raising your goal, just because you're close to hitting it or have already passed it. That's great and people want to see you beat it big-time! If you keep raising it, donors will start to wonder why you even have a goal and lose interest. One increase would be the maximum we'd recommend. It's primarily there to lower your goal if you were a little too ambitious and set it too high.

For 1,2,3
You change your goal by changing the number of squares in General Settings. Once you get your first donation, you are locked in and can no longer change the goal.

17 What is the minimum donation amount?

The minimum is $5.

18 Can I add or change photos, videos or text after I launch my campaign?

Yes you can! You can easily add, change or delete any of those things even after launching. Make sure you're logged in and click on "Settings" for the campaign you'd like to change. You'll see all the options.

19 How do I add squares?

For Standard GivingGrids, make sure you're logged in and go to Settings > Fundraising Goal & Grid Type. This is to do it manually. There's also an automatic feature (on Blank Squares) you can turn off or on in your settings. We recommend you leave it on and let it happen automatically when needed. Then you'll never run out of squares. Anytime 75% of your squares are taken, another ring of squares is added.

If your GivingGrid is a Blanks Squares grid, there's a big button near the top that says "Add More Squares." Click it and it will add another ring of squares.
If your GivingGrid is a Preset grid, you simply add a new ring from "Fundraising Goal & Grid Type" in your Settings. After your first donation, you can't add squares the same way. A new option appears near the bottom of the page, to add individual squares.

For Urgent Help campaigns, make sure you're logged in and go to Settings > Grid Settings and click the Add Squares button. This is to do it manually. There's also an automatic feature you can turn off or on in your settings. We recommend you leave it on and let it happen automatically when needed. Then you'll never run out of squares. Anytime 75% of your squares are taken, another ring of squares is added.

Please note: Once you receive your first donation, you can still add squares, but you cannot delete them.

For Wall of Love, it's all automatic, unless you turn it off in your settings. Anytime 75% of your squares are taken, another ring of squares is added.

You cannot add squares to a 1,2,3 campaign.

20 How do I set or change campaign start & end dates?

This feature is available on Standard GivingGrids, Wall of Love, Urgent Help and 1,2,3. Make sure you're logged in and go to Settings > Additional Settings > Set Start & End Dates.

This feature is not available with Blaze.

21 Why does a square show it's on hold?

Someone clicks on a square and gets this message:

"This square is currently on hold for another supporter for X MORE MINUTES. Please pick another square or if this is the square you've got to have, you can check back in a little bit. Maybe they won't take it before their time is up? You can also keep clicking this check again button. Maybe they'll cancel it before their time is up?"

GivingGrid works just like when you buy theatre or event tickets online with reserved seating. When someone clicks on a square we hold it for them for 15 minutes to complete the donation. If they don't complete their donation in 15 minutes or if they click on another square, that square becomes available again.

22 Can I put our nonprofit or company website address on our GivingGrid of Wall of Love?

Yes you can and we encourage it! It adds credibility to your campaign. You do that in Settings > Organization Information.

We recommend only linking to your homepage.

23 Can I delete a specific GivingGrid, Wall of Love or Blaze campaign?

You can delete any GivingGrid, Wall of Love (WOL) or Blaze campaign in your account that has not had any donations. Simply go to your dashboard and click the "delete" button for the GivingGrid, WOL or Blaze campaign you'd like to remove. To get to your dashboard, make sure you’re logged in and click your name (the drop-down menu) in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Unless there are special circumstances, you cannot delete GivingGrids, WOLs or Blaze campaigns that have had donations. Once someone donates to a campaign, we're obligated to leave it available, so they can view or share their donation. If you believe there are special circumstances, please contact us.

You can also simply stop your campaign from accepting donations by changing the end date for the campaign. Make sure you're logged in and go to the campaign. Then go to Settings> Additional Settings > Set Start & End Dates. You'd then want to enter an end date of yesterday and click save.

24 Can I remove my account?

To remove your account, please contact us. Unless there are special circumstances, we cannot delete accounts that are connected to GivingGrids that have had donations. Once someone donates to a campaign, we're obligated to leave that GivingGrid available, so they can view or share their donation. Therefore, the account also needs to be left intact.

25 Can I use the same URL/website address I've used on other campaigns?

Unfortunately, no. Each campaign must have a unique website address.

26 Why has my account been suspended?

While we do not share specific information as to why an account has been suspended, it could be for many reasons, including but not limited to:

Originating from a country not currently supported by GivingGrid.
Suspected fraud.
The nature of a campaign (i.e., offensive, abusive, making false claims, inappropriate for GivingGrid, etc.).
Violates our "Terms of Use."

27 What's the difference between a Standard GivingGrid and a Wall of Love

The simple difference between the two is that with a Standard GivingGrid the donor can upload a photo with their donation and with Wall of Love they post a heart and a message with their donation. No photo. Some campaigns work great with photos and other are better without, so you have both options.

We don't recommend Wall of Love for animal campaigns, because people love uploading photos of their fur kids.

28 What's a "Peer to Peer" or P2P campaign?

Here’s Google’s definition of peer to peer fundraising:

“Peer to peer” fundraising is a method of fundraising that leverages your supporters to fundraise on your behalf. It's also known as social fundraising, team fundraising, or p2p fundraising. Peer to peer fundraising is a great way to get new donors and reach new networks of people.

With GivingGrid P2P you put the power of your supporters to work for you! It’s so simple and you can activate it from your settings!

See a quick demo.

29 Can I get unlimited support?

GivingGrid is a free service and our entire income comes from optional tips provided by donors. We do our very best to provide speedy customer support to everyone, but we do have limits. While we rarely reach these limits, we cannot continue to provide support to users who have an excessive amount of customer service requests or are abusive or disrespectful of GivingGrid support personnel.

We hope you understand.

30 How can I send updates to our donors?

Keeping your donors up-to-date is super important! How would you feel if you donated money to a cause and never heard from them again? With GivingGrids and Wall of Love, you’re not only raising money, you’re expanding your supporter base. Stay in touch with these guys and do several “updates to donors” throughout your campaign and even after it ends. 30% of donors either donate a second time (as you near your goal) or refer people. That’s huge!

To prepare and send an update to donors, go to Settings > Emails > Send an update to all your donors. You have some great editing capability, so you can add photos, links, bold text, etc. Make sure you click the Preview button to see what it will look like before you send it. If you want to send it right away, click the Send Update button below it, but we recommend sending a test first. If you’re not quite ready to send, make sure you click save at the top or bottom of the page. It will be there when you come back.

This auto feature is not available with Blaze. You would have to download your donor data and do it yourself.

31 Am I responsible for income taxes on my personal campaign?

Donations made to most personal campaigns are generally considered to be "gifts" which for the most part, are not taxed as income in the US. However, there may be exceptions. The best way to ensure that you follow the tax laws is to consult with a tax professional.

*** As of 3/7/2023, personal campaigns are no longer allowed. If you have fundraised with us in the past and want to run another campaign, please reach out to us. We may be able to make an exception...

32 Can I tell people they don't have to tip GivingGrid?

We hope you don't want to do that...

During the donation process we make it very clear to the donor that these tips are optional. That being said, these tips are our only source of income. We rely on them to keep the lights on and provide you and your donors with the support you need.

If you still feel the need to write something in your campaign that in any way suggests to donors that they don’t need to tip us or not to tip us, we won’t stop you and we’ll still allow you to use our service. However, we will not be able to provide you or your donors with any support and there will be no exceptions. We hope you understand.

33 Can I ask people on our GivingGrid, Wall of Love or Blaze campaign to go donate directly on our website or another fundraising site?

Yes and no. You are welcome to include a mailing address in case someone wants to mail you a check. There are still some people who don't want to donate online. What we don't allow is the direct solicitation encouraging people to donate online elsewhere. In other words, what you can't do is put a link to your website (or others) donation page (including Venmo or other payment services) on your campaign and ask people to go there and donate. It's confusing and why would you want to do that anyway?

If you still feel the need to include links or write something in your campaign that in any way suggests to donors that they can go elsewhere to donate, we won’t stop you and we’ll still allow you to use our service. However, we will not be able to provide you or your donors with any support and there will be no exceptions. We hope you understand.

34 Do you allow organizations outside of the U.S. and Canada to start a fundraiser?

Yes we do, but not all countries at this time. We also allow GivingGrids to be set-up using Pounds, Euros, Canadian dollars, Australian dollars and New Zealand dollars via PayPal. Simply choose the currency you want in your payment processing settings during set-up.

35 Are GivingGrids available in currencies other than US Dollars?

Yes, GivingGrids can also be set-up using Pounds, Euros, Canadian dollars, Australian dollars and New Zealand dollars. through PayPal, assuming we offer our service in your country. Simply choose the currency you want in your payment processing settings during set-up.

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