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FAQ GivingTuesday
Every act of giving has a story. What's yours?
You could win up to $10,000 for your favorite nonprofit organization.
POST YOUR STORY ON TWITTER OR INSTAGRAM USING
#MYGIVINGSTORY
The contest is now closed and voting has ended. The finalists (the stories with the most votes) are now with the panel of judges who will determine the winners and award the prizes.
OR
EXPLORE THE #MYGIVINGSTORY GALLERY
MyGivingStory is open to legal residents of the U.S., who are age 13 and older. Written entries must be at least 150 words. Video entries must be at least 30 seconds. Entries must be original, unpublished works. Only one entry per entrant.
The chosen nonprofit organization named by the entrant as the recipient of the prize grant must be qualified as a 501(C)(3) organization in good standing both at the time of entry and at the awarding of prizes. Eligibility and satisfaction of criteria will be verified for each of the contest finalists. Void where prohibited or otherwise restricted by law. Winners will be solely responsible for all taxes and expenses related to the contest.
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Rules X

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER THE PROMOTION

1. Promotion Period: The #MyGivingStory 2019 Contest & Sweepstakes (the "Promotion") starts at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time ("EDT") on November 1, 2019 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EDT on December 3, 2019 ("Promotion Period").

2. Eligibility: Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, who are 13 years of age and older as of date of Entry. Employees of GivingTuesday, 92nd Street Y, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (the "Sponsors"), Votigo, Inc. (the "Administrator"), their respective affiliates, parents, subsidiaries, divisions, suppliers, distributors and advertising, promotional and judging agencies (collectively "Promotion Parties") and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to participate or win. Void where prohibited and subject to all federal, state and local laws. For the Contest, Entry is made on behalf of a qualified, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (the "Nonprofit") named on the entry form. Entrants are providing a Contest Entry on behalf of the Nonprofit. The Contest Prizes and the Sweepstakes Grand Prizes (as defined below) will only be awarded to a Nonprofit in good standing both at the time of entry and at the awarding of prizes.

3. How to Enter: During the Promotion Period, visit http://mygivingstory.givingtuesday.org/ (the "Website") and follow the instructions to complete all required fields of the on-screen registration form to receive one (1) entry into the Sweepstakes and one (1) entry into the Contest (the "Entry"). Limit one (1) Entry per person/email address throughout the Promotion Period.

Entrants must pay normal Internet access and data usage charges that may be imposed by their online or mobile service providers. Automated Entries are prohibited, and any use of such automated devices will cause disqualification. Multiple online Entries from the same person/email address or the same person using different email addresses are not permitted and will be automatically eliminated. Incomplete, incorrect, corrupted, or untimely Entries are void and will be disqualified. All Entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be returned, and Sponsor will not verify receipt of Entries.

By submitting your Entry, you agree that your Entry conforms to the Entry Guidelines and Content Restrictions listed below (collectively, the "Guidelines and Restrictions") and that Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may remove your Entry and disqualify you from the Contest if it believes, in its sole discretion, your Entry fails to conform to the Guidelines and Restrictions. By submitting your Entry, in addition to rights granted below, you: (a) hereby waive any so-called moral (e.g., creative rights) in your Entry; (b) represent and warrant that you have the right to grant the rights granted in these Official Rules; and (c) represent and warrant that your Entry and its use as contemplated in these Official Rules does not and will not violate, misappropriate, or infringe upon any law or regulation or the rights of any third party, including any copyright, trademark, or any rights of publicity or privacy, or any other intellectual property or proprietary rights.

4. Entry Guidelines and Content Restrictions:

Entry Guidelines:

Content Restrictions: Entries may not contain or reflect any of the following:

5. Prize and Approximate Retail Value ("ARV"):

Contest Prizes: Contest First Prize (1): US$10,000 The ARV of the First Prize is US$10,000.Contest Second Prize (1): US$5,000. The ARV of the Second Prize is US$5,000. Contest Third Prize (1): US$2,500 The ARV of the Third Prize is US$2,500. Contest #GivingTuesdayKids Prize (5): US$1,000. The ARV of the #GivingTuesdayKids Prize is US$1,000. Contest #YoDonoPorque Prize (2): US$1,000. The ARV of the #YoDonoPorque Prize is US$1,000. Contest Most Nominated Nonprofit Prize (4): US$2,000. The ARV of the Most Nominated Nonprofit Prize is US$2,000. Contest Honorable Mention Prize (2): US$1,000. The ARV of the Honorable Mention Prize is US$1,000.

Sweepstakes Prizes: Sweepstakes Grand Prize (8): US$500. The ARV of the Sweepstakes Grand Prize is US$500. Sweepstakes First Prize (33): Promotional item. The ARV of the Sweepstakes First Prize is $10.

All monetary prizes will be awarded in the form of a check.

6. Winner Determination:

Contest Winner Determination:
Public Voting to Select the Contest Finalists: Beginning November 1, 2019 at 12:01 a.m. EDT and ending December 10, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. EDT (the "Voting Period") all legal US residents residing in the 50 United States, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia who are at least 13 years of age or older at the time of voting will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite Contest Entry by visiting the Website and following the on-screen instructions to register and vote for an Entry. Limit, one (1) vote per person, per entry per day. Sponsor reserves the right to nullify any votes made through use of robotic, macro, automatic, programmed, proxy votes or like voting methods and to disqualify from voting the responsible individual, in Sponsor's sole discretion. Any attempt by any voter to vote more than the number of times authorized herein using multiple/different names, email addresses, identities, and/or any other fraudulent mechanism or method, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, shall give Sponsor the right to void those votes and disqualify that voter. Entrants / Nonprofits and their family/friends and officials are prohibited from obtaining votes by any inappropriate means, including, but not limited to, offering prizes or other inducements to members of public, paying a third-party service to vote for or obtain votes for a particular Entry, collaborating with other individuals or groups to trade votes, or otherwise acting in contravention of these Official Rules, as determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion, and Sponsor reserves the right to nullify any such votes, and to disqualify the responsible Entrant and his/her Entry from the Contest. Votes sent from foreign IP addresses may be disqualified, in Sponsor's sole discretion. At the end of the Voting Period, the twenty (20) Entries with the most votes will be deemed the potential Contest Finalists, subject to verification (the "Potential Contest Finalist"). In the event of a tie, the tied Entry that received the most votes between December 1, 2019 at 12:01 a.m. EDT and December 10, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. EDT will be determined the Potential Contest Finalist.

Judging to Select the Contest Winners: At the end of the Voting Period, all eligible Entries will be judged by a panel of judges selected by Sponsor based on the following judging criteria: Originality / Creativity (50%), Relevance to the Contest Theme (25%) and Quality (25%) (the "Judging Criteria"). The one (1) Entry with the highest total score based on the Judging Criteria will be deemed the Contest First Prize winner pending verification. The one (1) Entry with the second highest total score based on the Judging Criteria will be deemed the Contest Second Prize winner pending verification. The one (1) Entry with the third highest total score based on the Judging Criteria will be deemed the Contest Third Prize winner pending verification. The five (5) entries submitted by people between the ages of 13 and 17 with the most votes will be deemed the #GivingTuesdayKids Prize winners. The five (5) Spanish language Entries with the most votes will be judged according to the criteria outlined above. The two (2) entries with the highest total score based on the Judging Criteria will be deemed the #YoDonoPorque Prize winners. The four (4) Nonprofits who were nominated the most times throughout the Promotion period will be deemed a Contest Most Nominated Nonprofit Prize winner. The two (2) Entries selected by the GivingTuesday team will be deemed the Honorable Mention Prize winners. In the event of a tie, a tiebreaker will be based on the highest score for Originality / Creativity. If still tied, the Entries with the tied score will be reviewed head-to-head by the judges until a finalist is selected. Limit one Contest Prize per Entry/Nonprofit.

Sweepstakes Winner Determination: Eight (8) Sweepstakes Grand Prize Winners (two per week) will be selected in random drawings on the following dates throughout the Promotion Period: 11/8/19, 11/15/19, 11/22/19, 11/29/19. Random drawings will be conducted from among all eligible Sweepstakes Entries received by 11:59 p.m. EDT the day prior to the selection date. Thirty-three (3033) Sweepstakes First Prize Winners will be selected in thirty-three (33), random, daily drawings from among all eligible Entries received by 11:59 p.m. EDT the day prior to the drawing throughout the Promotion Period (11/1/19-12/3/19). Drawing will be conducted by the Administrator, an independent judging organization whose decisions are final on all matters relating to this Sweepstakes.

7. Winner Notification: Potential winners will be notified by email/phone on or about December 17, 2019 by the Sponsor. All Contest Winners will be required to sign and return via email, an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity release within seven (7) days of notification attempt or status of potential winner will be forfeited. Return of prize notification will result in disqualification and prize will be forfeited. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for Promotion Parties to use winner's name, Entry, picture, and likeness for promotional purposes in any and all media throughout the Universe in perpetuity without further compensation except where prohibited by law. Odds of winning the prize are dependent upon the number of eligible Entries received throughout the Promotion Period.

8. General Rules: By participating in this Promotion, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Official Rules and instructions and by all decisions of the Promotion Parties, which are final and legally binding in all matters relating to this Promotion. By participating, entrants and winner agree to release, discharge, indemnify and hold harmless the Promotion Parties from and against any claims, damages, or liability due to any damages, or losses or injuries to any person (including death) or property of any kind resulting, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, misuse or use of prize (if applicable) or participation in any Promotion-related activity or participation in this Promotion. Entrants further agree not to pursue any right, claim or action against the Promotion Parties in connection with their participation in this Promotion. No responsibility is assumed for lost, misdirected or late Entries. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of an entrant, the authorized account holder of the email address used to enter will be deemed to be the entrant. An "authorized account holder" of an email address is the natural person in whose name the email address has been issued by the Internet Access provider for that email. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Promotion or Website; violates the Official Rules; or acts in a disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROMOTION IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Promotion Parties are not responsible for technical, hardware or software malfunctions, telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, garbled or delayed electronic communications whether caused by the sender or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Promotion which may limit the ability of an individual to participate in or accept a prize in the Promotion, or by any human error which may occur in the processing of the Entries in this Promotion. Promotion Parties are not responsible for any typographical error in the printing of these Official Rules, administration of the Promotion or in the announcement of the Promotion Grand Prize. Promotion Parties are not responsible for damages to user’s system occasioned by participating in the Promotion or downloading any information to participate in the Promotion. If, for any reason, the Promotion is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Promotion, then the Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel the Promotion and select the winners from among all eligible Entries received prior to cancellation.

9. Dispute Resolution: By entering this Promotion, entrants agree that 1) Any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the Promotion or the prize shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; 2) Any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, and shall not include any punitive, consequential or other damages, including costs associated with entering the Promotion but in no event include attorneys' fees; and 3) Under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain any award for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental or consequential damages and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. All dispute resolution shall be made by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. These Official Rules shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the state of New York without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the state of New York. Any legal proceedings arising out of this Promotion or relating to these Official Rules shall be instituted only in the federal or state courts located in the state of New York, and the parties consent to jurisdiction therein with respect to any legal proceedings or disputes of whatever nature arising under or relating to these Official Rules.

10. Privacy Policy: Entrants' personal details may be used by Sponsor in accordance with their privacy policy located at https://www.givingtuesday.org/privacy-policy

11. Winner List: For a list of winners, email support@votigo.com with the subject "MyGivingStory Winners" after January 15, 2020.

12. Sponsor/Administrator: The Sponsor of the Promotion is Unleash Global Good LLC (dba GivingTuesday), ℅ 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10128. The Administrator of the Promotion is Votigo, Inc., 1630 30th St., STE A #593, Boulder, CO 80301.

Privacy Policy X
Judges X

Beth Kanter

Beth Kanter is internationally recognized thought leader in networks, digital transformation, philanthropy, wellbeing in the workplace and training. Beth was Visiting Scholar at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation from 2009 to 2013 and is the author of the award winning Networked Nonprofit Books and The Happy Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact without Burnout.

Judy Fridono

Judy Fridono is the Founder and Executive Director of Puppy Prodigies, a non-profit organization that has been offering canine-assisted programs since 2006. The guardian of surf therapy dog Ricochet, Judy is dedicated to helping individuals grow in mind, body and spirit through the unconditional love and acceptance only a dog can provide. Task trained service dogs, certified and registered therapy dogs, and trained emotional support dogs help kids with special needs, people with disabilities, wounded warriors and veterans with PTSD.

Khloe Thompson

Khloe Thompson is a young girl with a heart of gold. She was 8 years old when she noticed an issue with homelessness in her community. In 2015, Khloe started her Khloe Kares Foundation, a charity that caters to the homeless and has provided more than 5,500 handmade "Kare Bags" containing basic necessities like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, lotion, feminine hygiene products and washcloths. Khloe believes that, "No matter how old you are, you can make a difference!"

Raquel Salas Rivera

Raquel Salas Rivera is a Puerto Rican poet, translator, and literary critic. In 2018, they were named the Poet Laureate of Philadelphia. The following year they became the inaugural recipient of the Laureate Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets. Raquel is the author of seven chapbooks and five full-length poetry books. During 2020, they will be La Impresora’s first poet in residence in Santurce.

Samantha Gomolka

Samantha Gomolka is a military spouse of 15 years and a mother of three. She is a Co-Founder of Giving Tuesday Military, a global initiative under Giving Tuesday, with the goal to complete 1 Million acts of Intentional Kindness on December 3, 2019. Samantha and her husband have founded the nonprofit organization Project 33 Memorial Foundation to honor the lives of Special Operation soldiers killed in action since 9/11/01. She is currently employed as a Physician Assistant in the field of Dermatology. Samantha is a passionate advocate for National Guard families, and is the 2019 recipient of the Armed Forces Insurance National Guard Spouse of the Year award.

Tereza Litsa

Tereza Litsa is a social media manager and trainer at Lightful, helping charities improve their social media skills. She is passionate about social media and how it can be used in the tech for good sector in a more impactful way. Her posts have been featured in sites such as Nptechforgood, NTEN, ClickZ, CharityComms, Social Media Week and she has delivered training and webinars for many organisations on all things digital. Tereza is also the host of the #ReclaimSocial podcast.
FAQ X
1. How to Enter & What to Write
2. Nominating Organizations & Prizes
3. Submitting & Editing Your Story
4. Voting & the Gallery of Stories
5. Questions from Organizations
6. About #MyGivingStory
1. How to Enter & What to Write
Who should enter the #MyGivingStory contest?
Anyone 13 years and older, youth, adults, seniors, and the young-at-heart. English and Spanish speakers. Nonprofit clients, employees, board members, volunteers and donors. You!
How do I participate? What is the timeline for the #MyGivingStory Contest?
1. NOVEMBER 1, 2019, 12:01 AM EST - CONTEST OPEN
Submit your essay with optional image or a video. Once you have entered, make sure to share your story on social media and encourage your networks to vote as often as possible (and ideally every day) until December 10th. When sharing your story on social media, be sure to use the hashtag #MyGivingStory. The more you share, the more votes you'll get, and the more likely you'll be to win!

2. DECEMBER 3, 2019, 11:59 PM EST - END OF STORY SUBMISSION PERIOD
Voting will remain open for one additional week, so continue to reach out to your network.

3. DECEMBER 10, 2019, 11:59 PM EST - END OF VOTING PERIOD

4. DECEMBER 11, 2019 - FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
The 20 entries with the most votes will be sent to a panel of judges to select the winners.

5. DECEMBER 17-23, 2019 - WINNERS ANNOUNCED
What kind of story should I write?
Respond to the prompt– "Every act of giving has a story. What's yours?" –in whatever way is meaningful to you. Think about what or who inspires you to give back. Have you given time, donated money or goods, or shared skills that made a meaningful impact? What is the first time you remember giving? Is there a moment or event that changed your understanding of generosity? Who is the most generous person you know and how has that person influenced you? Feel free to be creative! Remember that your story does not have to be about the nonprofit organization to which you will direct the donation if you win. We are looking for personal stories about what motivates you to give–in any form!
What tips do you have for creating a winning entry?
We've learned a lot about what makes a winning essay based on previous years. Stories between 500 and 600 words (we ask for a minimum of 150 and a maximum of 1,200 words) received the most votes. Stories that presented a polished, thoughtful, and complete narrative resulted in higher engagement and overall story success. The stories that were most popular were those that generally followed Greek and Shakespearean drama, which contains five key components: the exposition (setting the stage), rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Adding an image and/or video substantially improved votes, although those with an organizational logo as the primary visual did not work as well as those with photos. All of this said, the most important thing is that you have fun with it. Make your entry creative, personal and joyful. Get inspired by previous successful stories on the "Past Winners" tab above.
What other tips make it more likely for my entry to win?
Enter as early as you can so that you have plenty of time to solicit votes. Promote your story through social media and motivate your networks to vote for your entry. Remember that the finalists that get sent to the judges are the 20 entries with the most votes. Tell your chosen nonprofit organization about your story, including the fact that you named them as the recipient. Ask them to help motivate their followers to vote for your story. Follow @GivingTuesday on social media to get updates and hear more about the contest.
What are the judging criteria?
The judges will evaluate the top 20 stories based on Originality/Creativity (50%), Relevance to the Contest Theme (25%), and Quality (25%).
I am going to enter a story about someone else who has spent many years giving back. Do I need to put my information in the contact information or his?
What a beautiful idea! You should go ahead and use your information since you are the writer of the story.
2. Nominating Organizations & Prizes
What are the prizes?
There are several streams of prizes:
  1. From among the 20 finalists with the most votes, the judges' rankings will determine the winners of 1st Place ($10,000 for your chosen nonprofit organization), 2nd Place ($5,000 for your chosen nonprofit organization) and 3rd Place ($2,500 for your chosen nonprofit organization).
  2. The four nonprofit organizations that are nominated by the most story submitters will each receive $2,000 grants. (Note that this will not impact individual stories' eligibility to be a finalist or winner of one of the larger prizes.)
  3. The five stories submitted by people between the ages of 13 and 17 with the most votes will receive the #GivingTuesdayKids award and $1,000 for their chosen nonprofit organization.
  4. The five Spanish-language stories with the most votes will be reviewed by judges. The two finalists with the highest scores will receive the #Yo Donoy Porque award and $12,500 for their chosen nonprofit organization.
  5. Two stories that touch the GivingTuesday team will each receive an Honorable Mention and $1,000 for their chosen nonprofit organization.
  6. Eight times throughout the voting period (twice per week), an entry will be selected at random to receive a $500 grant for their chosen charity. (Note that this will not impact individual stories’ eligibility to be a finalist or winner of one of the larger prizes.)
  7. Every day during the submission period (November 1st to December 3rd), an entry will be selected at random to receive a custom GivingTuesday gift.
What nonprofit organization should I nominate as part of my submission?
For a chosen charity to receive the grant, it must be officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization or working with a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)(3) status. Other than that, we encourage you to choose one whose work and impact is meaningful to you. It can be related to your story, but doesn’t have to be. We recommend telling your chosen organization that you named them as the potential recipient of a grant. Share your story with them, too, and encourage them to help you spread the word and generate votes.
How will I know if I win?
Finalists will be announced through the website and social media on December 11th, and then highlighted throughout the following weeks. The prize winners will be announced on social media in late December. If you win, we will also email you directly at the email you provide when registering. Sweepstakes winners will also be notified via email.
Does my story have to relate to the nonprofit I choose to support?
Not at all! Your story can be about giving in any form at any time.
Can I submit my own nonprofit and share why I began it?
Absolutely! We look forward to hearing it!
Do the #YoDonoPorque Spanish-language entries have to benefit Spanish-speaking organizations?
Not at all! With English or Spanish entries, the writer may choose any nonprofit to receive the grant should their story win a prize in the contest. We simply welcome stories in both languages.
3. Submitting & Editing Your Story
I'm having trouble uploading my video or photo. What should I do?
Oh dear! Thank you for trying. First, check that your video or photo size is within the limits of what we are able to accept. Photos must be no larger than 20MB and in one of the following formats: .jpg, .jpeg, .png. Videos must be under 100MB, under 5 minutes, and in one of the following formats: AVI, MOV, WMV, MP4, MPEG, FLV, 3GP, and 3G2. Next, check your internet connection. Are you able to access and update web pages and other online content? Finally, try from a different computer. Many workplaces have size limits on transferring files, even if they are within the limits of the contest. Several people have solved this problem by submitting from their non-work computers. If you are still having trouble, email us at mygivingstory@givingtuesday.org
I submitted a story a few days ago and I can't find it in the Gallery of Stories. Are you able to confirm that you received it? Or shall I re-submit it?
If you did not receive an automatic email confirmation, it probably did not go through. If you cannot find your submission in the online gallery, it probably did not go through. The stories appear almost instantly. We would love to have you participate, so if you are willing to submit again, please do. If you still have trouble, email us.
Can I edit my story after I submitted it?
Unfortunately, there is no way for you to make edits once you have submitted your story. If you send us the edits at mygivingstory@givingtuesday.org, we will do our best to get it updated from the back end.
My story was submitted for me before I was finished. Can I edit/update my unfinished story?
You have two options in this situation. You can ask us to delete the one that you submitted and then re-submit. If you don't want to do that because you have already received votes, you may email us the new text and we'll update it from the back end (although we can't change pictures, only text). Email us at mygivingstory@givingtuesday.org and we will respond as quickly as possible.
Can I add an image or video to my story after I have submitted it?
We are not able to add an image or video after you hit submit. The only option is to have us take down your original submission and re-submit it with the image or video. Note that, if we do this, your entry will lose any votes you have already received. Email us at mygivingstory@givingtuesday.org if you would still like to do so.
Can I delete my entry?
If you are sure you want to do this, we will delete it for you. Email us at mygivingstory@givingtuesday.org and tell us which story it is by sharing the email confirmation your received or the title of your submission. If you don't mind sharing, we would be curious to understand why you decided to delete it.
How can I display a different screenshot from my video?
Unfortunately, you can't. The moment, or screenshot, from your video that will be displayed in the Gallery of Stories is taken from a few seconds into the video. It is the same for all entries.
4. Voting & the Gallery of Stories
How are the stories ordered in the gallery?
The order of display is random and rotates regularly and for each visitor. If you want people to be able to go directly to your story, share your unique link. Otherwise, visitors can enter the title of your story into the search bar just above the gallery.
How does someone vote for my story or for their favorite story?
To vote, people can go to the online gallery of stories, click on the story they like, and simply click the green Vote box on any particular story. If you share the unique link to your story (see below for how to find that link), it will take visitors directly to the pop-up window with your story, where they can click on the Vote box.
I want to vote for an organization I know. How do I find it in the gallery of stories?
You can find a particular story, organization, or even an issue you care about by entering what you are looking for in the search bar. (Note that this isn't a perfect system, as it depends on what words entrants use in their stories.) If you still can't find what you are looking for, email us at mygivingstory@givingtuesday.org. While you are in the gallery, please read through and vote for as many stories you like. Just click on the Vote button in the upper right corner of any story. And remember that you can come back every day to vote again!
How often can someone vote?
Each voter can vote for as many stories as they like in a given day, and can come back each day and vote for more stories and/or vote again for the same ones. The only limit is that each voter can vote for any particular story only once each day.
The system is telling me that I already voted, but I didn't today. What should I do?
Are you sharing a computer? If so, you will need to select the logout button on the top right of the homepage each time.
Why do people have to give their emails to vote?
The email registration to vote is a way for us to validate votes and be sure it is not a robot somewhere voting a million times for one story. We do value everyone's privacy. We will not sell these emails or use them for any unrelated purposes. It is possible that we might send an email at some point to all the voters to say thank you and to encourage them to share their favorite stories on social media.
How do I find a link to my story so my friends can vote?
To get voters, you can share the unique link to your story. The link should be in your confirmation email. If you can't find it there, follow these steps: 1) Go to mygivingstory@givingtuesday.org; 2) Scroll down to the gallery of stories; 3) Use the search tool or scroll down until you see your story; 4) Click on you story and it will open in a pop-up window; 5) Click on the "Share" button in the upper right corner; 6) Click on the arrow icon; 7) Your unique link will appear; 8) Share that link via your social media profiles, in emails, and on your website. (Note that people can also vote for your story without this direct link if they go to the online gallery of stories and browse or search for your story.)
Is there a way to see how many votes my story has received?
Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to provide updates on voting tallies during or after the contest. As you are thinking about voting, remember that the vast majority of votes are generated by people sharing their stories with their own networks via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and emails. Ask you friends, family and colleagues to vote regularly (every day if they can!) and to share it with their networks as well.
5. Questions from Organizations
If someone wants to name our organization as the recipient of a prize, is there anything we need to do as an organization to be eligible?
Nope! Before receiving the grant, we will ask for proof of 501(c)(3) status and a W-9, But, until then, there's nothing to do except recruit other storytellers, vote and encourage your supporters to do the same—and, of course, soak up the love!
If my organization wins, how will you know how to contact us?
Great question! We will start by emailing the storyteller (who must provide their email when they enter the contest) and Googling your organization to look for an appropriate contact on your website to email. Between these two contacts, we generally find the right person. We also tweet about it and tag the organization when we can find the organization's Twitter handle. If none of that works, we will pick up the phone and call.
How can my organization win the Most Nominated Nonprofit award?
Each storyteller gets to name the nonprofit organization that will receive the grant award if their story is selected. The story itself doesn't have to be about your organization, so long as they name you when filling out their entry. The five organizations that receive the most nominations will each receive a $2,000 grant. The best way to win is to spread the word to your staff, board members, donors, clients, etc. and encourage them to submit their stories, making sure that they name your organization as the recipient. This can also be a great way to engage your supporters and gather stories on your organization's impact.
Which of the stories submitted about my organization is the one eligible for the grand prizes?
All submissions that meet the basic eligibility criteria are eligible for the grand prizes (one for $10,000, one for $5,000, and one for $2,500). Each story is counted as a separate entry, and its votes count only for itself. The 20 stories with the most votes as of December 10th will be sent to the judges. The voting system allows voters to vote for as many stories as they like and to come back and vote every day.
6. About #MyGivingStory
Where does the prize money come from?
#MyGivingStory is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The actual award checks will be written from Unleash Global Good LLC (dba GivingTuesday). The #MyGivingStory campaign was created through a partnership between these two organizations, and in conjunction with GivingTuesday.
What if I have ideas or suggestions about #MyGivingStory?
Don't hesitate to email us at mygivingstory@givingtuesday.org!
What if this FAQ didn't answer my question?
Email us at mygivingstory@givingtuesday.org.
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