FAQ For Businesses
Q: How does this program work for businesses?
A: If your business centers on the home (home design, building, housewares, etc.), we are asking you to include a line item on your billing statements to your clients for a 1% donation, to be donated to organizations that serve the homeless community through The One Percent Project fund of the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF). This amount would be presented to your clients as an optional donation.
If your company has a monthly invoicing process, your clients can opt-in by paying the total invoice, or opt-out by paying the sub-total prior to the 1% donation line item. If you run a retail business, the option to donate would be presented at the point of sale.
These 1% donations would be managed by OCF who works in partnership with non-profits across the country – not just in Oregon.
Q: What portion of donations are passed along to non-profits?
A: One hundred percent of your donation will go directly to non-profits providing homeless services through grants recommended by The One Percent Project.
Q: Is The One Percent Project a Section 501(c)(3) organization?
A: No. The One Percent Project is not a non-profit; it is a fundraising initiative started by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design with the objective of alleviating some of the fundraising work for selected non-profits’ staffs. With a reliable base of external funding, organizations can spend more time concentrating on serving their communities.
Q: How frequently will OCF distribute funds to organizations?
A: The One Percent Project directs OCF to distribute funds on a quarterly basis.
Q: Why wouldn’t I give my donation directly to the non-profit?
A: We encourage any action to end homelessness and know that many companies have forged relationships directly with non-profits. Our partnership with OCF helps ensure that funds are going to vetted non-profit organizations who are making measurable impact in their communities. By pooling our donations together as an industry, we can measure the impact of our funding more easily and build a larger base of donations that our non-profit partners can rely on for consistent funding.
If you have a non-profit you would like to have vetted for inclusion in The One Percent Project, please email info@theonepercentproject.org with the name and location of the organization, details about the organization, and how your donation would be used to support them.
Q: I don’t live in Oregon so why am I donating through the Oregon Community Foundation?
A: The One Percent Project started in Portland, Oregon, where the local design community and OCF began a partnership to support non-profits helping the homeless population. As the reach of this program continues to spread nationally, OCF is well-equipped to support organizations and communities outside of Oregon, as they commonly support non-profits in communities nation-wide. For example, OCF partners with Columbia Sportswear on its Tough Mother Funder campaign to support COVID-19 relief efforts in the local communities of every Columbia Sportswear Store in the US.
If you have a non-profit in your community you would like to have vetted for inclusion in The One Percent Project, please email info@theonepercentproject.org with the name and location of the organization, details about the organization, and how your donation would be used to support them.
Q: What specifically does Oregon Community Foundation’s vetting process look like?
A: OCF confirms the organization’s tax-exempt status, reviews its program descriptions, board members, and budget information.
Q: How do we use our invoices and/or customer transactions to facilitate donations without the money exchanged counting as income?
A: It is important that opting in to 1% donations be communicated as optional for your clients. You (or your accountant) would run these funds through your balance sheet, rather than your income statement. For each client transaction it is important to clearly document the purpose, method of collection, total amount collected, and use of the donation (donated to OCF). It is also important to clearly document the total funds sent to OCF as part of regular accounting practices. Funds can be sent to OCF via check (please note The One Percent Project fund in the memo) or through the OCF website in whatever financial timeline works with your accounting practices (monthly, quarterly, or annually)
Q: How should I communicate this to my clients?
A: Below are templates and logos for your use. Tweak as you see fit!
For your contract:
We are participating in The One Percent Project. On your invoice you will see a line item for 1% of the total invoiced amount on top of our [goods/services] which will be automatically donated to The One Percent Project Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation and then granted out to nonprofits dedicated to ending homelessness. This is an optional donation. [Your company name] is not taking any additional compensation or commission for its own benefit in exchange for the collection of this donation. If you pay your invoice in full, we will donate the 1% amount to The One Percent Project Fund of OCF.
Letter to clients:
Hi [client],
I write because our team is reinforcing a commitment to our community: helping those who do not have a place to call home. We’ve decided to incorporate this support directly in to our business operations because we can no longer observe the stark contrast between the lovely spaces we create and the tent camps that pepper our city in increasing numbers. We are asking you to join us and we are making it easy.
The home design community is rallying around The One Percent Project to inspire businesses and individuals to donate a portion of their profits to vetted, local non-profits leading the fight to end homelessness. The goal is to build a meaningful and durable base of funding for non-profits so they can concentrate on the important work they are doing, knowing that their community supports and appreciates them.
With your next invoice, you will see that we have added a 1% fee on top of our design fees to be donated to this cause. This is an optional donation. The fee will be donated directly to The One Percent Project which is facilitated through the Oregon Community Foundation. We work with OCF to provide the funds to non-profits based on the greatest need. [If not in Oregon you can Insert specific non-profit you are donating to. Note, OCF can also facilitate those donations - see above]
If you would like to opt out of this donation, please reply to this email with “opt out” before [date]. If we do not hear from you, we’ll add the line item to your bill. We also appreciate any feedback so please reply with your thoughts if you have them!
We are not just leaning on our clients for this support. At [firm name], 1% of our net profits will be donated to The One Percent Project in addition to the pro-bono hours we spend on design-related community projects. For example [list something you’ve done if you have something to list!]
If we all commit to 1%, we can create a ripple of funding for these much-needed services.
Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or if you would prefer to opt out.
Best,
[X]
For your website:
As arbiters of home, it is our duty to fight for shelter for everyone. 1% of our net profits go to fighting homelessness via The One Percent Project.
Download logos for web or print use here