HELP! Total Newbie was told I needed to accept Bitcoin for charity

[SSHOPE]

Hi All -
I am really lost at sea here. I have a new 501c3 charity and one of my (very few but wonderful) supporters told me that it would be beneficial to accept Bitcoin for donations.
I can barely run the website, thanks to godaddy's homegrown site- I manage, but I know there is a community out there that will help my organization if I can learn how to reach them. I need to know which wallet is best (to link directly to a standard bank), which sites bitcoin users are most comfortable with as an interface with the website, etc. Anything to help. My charity is the Silver State Hope Fund (if anyone want to investigate before choosing to answer me).
It would mean a great deal if you would help me with some suggestions. If there is a way we can repay you - we will. We can list supporters on the website, we can give you tax write-off receipts in exchange for your time, etc.
Plus - helping a new charity is good karma!
Thanks to all!
T.
Update: EIN # -46-4972833

[achow101]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

You could also use a payment processor like Coinbase or BitPay to accept Bitcoin and immediately convert it to fiat.

[icem3lter]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

It looks like OP is trying to scam in the name of charity Utterly disgusting.
He will probably reply posting his Bitcoin address and adding a sob story,
Watch.

[achow101]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

It looks like OP is trying to scam in the name of charity Utterly disgusting.
He will probably reply posting his Bitcoin address and adding a sob story,
Watch.

Provided that he posts the address on the website, I highly doubt that. This is their website: http://www.silverstatehope.org/home.html and you can look up the name on the IRS site here: https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/mainSearch.do?mainSearchChoice=pub78&dispatchMethod=selectSearch. The organization is located in Las Vegas Nevada.

[Chronikka]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

It looks like OP is trying to scam in the name of charity Utterly disgusting.
He will probably reply posting his Bitcoin address and adding a sob story,
Watch.

Provided that he posts the address on the website, I highly doubt that. This is their website: http://www.silverstatehope.org/home.html and you can look up the name on the IRS site here: https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/mainSearch.do?mainSearchChoice=pub78&dispatchMethod=selectSearch. The organization is located in Las Vegas Nevada.

Yes it definitely appears to be a valid organisation, although if the OP could post the EIN for their charity we could verify that immediately. According to their facebook page they just recently opened: https://www.facebook.com/Silverstatehopefund

To answer the OP, the simplest thing to do would be to open an account with https://www.coinbase.com/ or https://www.circle.com/en. Both of these websites will provide you with an online Bitcoin wallet. Its not the most secure because you're relying on a third party, but if you're only interested in immediately converting donated BTC to dollars, these websites will be your best friend. Both of them allow you to link a bank account to your Bitcoin wallet. You can convert to USD and withdraw the funds directly to your bank.

In order to integrate it with your website you would only need to post a donation address for BTC somewhere on your webpage. This would be your wallet address provided by Coinbase/Circle depending on which you choose. Any donated money is automatically in your account and ready to be converted/withdrawn. You never need to touch the BTC yourself, and you won't need to integrate any Bitcoin wallets with your website. For what you're asking, I believe this will be the simplest solution for you.

[sase007]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

You could also use a payment processor like Coinbase or BitPay to accept Bitcoin and immediately convert it to fiat.

Yes this is a good idea.

There would be a problem of it being hard to get back giftaid (if you are based in the UK or a country with a giftaid scheme).

This would mean that it may be hard to do, but coinbase.com do offer conversion directly to many currencies: GBP, USD, EUR...

[SSHOPE]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

It looks like OP is trying to scam in the name of charity Utterly disgusting.
He will probably reply posting his Bitcoin address and adding a sob story,
Watch.

Sorry for any confusion - I came here to ask for help, not money.
And as I have an organization specializing in reproductive rights - it is probably safe to assume I am female.

[notlist3d]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

It looks like OP is trying to scam in the name of charity Utterly disgusting.
He will probably reply posting his Bitcoin address and adding a sob story,
Watch.

Sorry for any confusion - I came here to ask for help, not money.
And as I have an organization specializing in reproductive rights - it is probably safe to assume I am female.

You don't have to do much a QR code or write out address to donate.  That is it as far as website so a photo uploaded or wirting on website could do it.

Just make sure to keep it in a wallet that is safe.  In all honesty I'm not sure how much offering BTC donations is going to help. If you are a true 501c3 most will want to pay via check to make tax deductions easy.   I don't see Bitcoin expanding your charity much.

[sase007]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

It looks like OP is trying to scam in the name of charity Utterly disgusting.
He will probably reply posting his Bitcoin address and adding a sob story,
Watch.

Sorry for any confusion - I came here to ask for help, not money.
And as I have an organization specializing in reproductive rights - it is probably safe to assume I am female.

You don't have to do much a QR code or write out address to donate.  That is it as far as website so a photo uploaded or wirting on website could do it.

Just make sure to keep it in a wallet that is safe.  In all honesty I'm not sure how much offering BTC donations is going to help. If you are a true 501c3 most will want to pay via check to make tax deductions easy.   I don't see Bitcoin expanding your charity much.

Unless he could get a direct payment from Coinbase. Then he would be able to withdraw it quickly and easily, and, If he were to use mobile authentication, then there is less chance of hacking.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

It looks like OP is trying to scam in the name of charity Utterly disgusting.
He will probably reply posting his Bitcoin address and adding a sob story,
Watch.

Well looks like you were wrong right down to the pronoun.  OP if you use an exchange like Coinbase it would be best not to keep coins or cash on it, as there have been many scams with Bitcoin exchanges in the past.

[subcypher]

I built a website to teach people how to get into Bitcoin. Maybe something there will help you out. Also, I'm open to freelance work if you need help.

[notlist3d]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

It looks like OP is trying to scam in the name of charity Utterly disgusting.
He will probably reply posting his Bitcoin address and adding a sob story,
Watch.

Sorry for any confusion - I came here to ask for help, not money.
And as I have an organization specializing in reproductive rights - it is probably safe to assume I am female.

You don't have to do much a QR code or write out address to donate.  That is it as far as website so a photo uploaded or wirting on website could do it.

Just make sure to keep it in a wallet that is safe.  In all honesty I'm not sure how much offering BTC donations is going to help. If you are a true 501c3 most will want to pay via check to make tax deductions easy.   I don't see Bitcoin expanding your charity much.

Unless he could get a direct payment from Coinbase. Then he would be able to withdraw it quickly and easily, and, If he were to use mobile authentication, then there is less chance of hacking.

I'm not referring to them having a problem I think donators are ones it is harder for.  I have not tired to donate BTC and claim a tax deduction for it on a 501c3.   I personally like donations in check or some form I have for if I ever get audited (hopefully never) but if I do it's easy to show donations.   

I just am not sure on reporting a BTC donation 501c3.   They might give reciept or something with dollar value making it possible.  But they really need to go to lawyer and accountant to see proper way to handle BTC donations and how best to be able to be a tax deduction.

I was part of a computer club that got 501C3 and I can tell you it is a pain just to get.  But I think you will get charged some consulting fees to see how to handle these donations.   So I really don't think you should go for it unless you have some big donators pushing for it. 

[sase007]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

It looks like OP is trying to scam in the name of charity Utterly disgusting.
He will probably reply posting his Bitcoin address and adding a sob story,
Watch.

Sorry for any confusion - I came here to ask for help, not money.
And as I have an organization specializing in reproductive rights - it is probably safe to assume I am female.

You don't have to do much a QR code or write out address to donate.  That is it as far as website so a photo uploaded or wirting on website could do it.

Just make sure to keep it in a wallet that is safe.  In all honesty I'm not sure how much offering BTC donations is going to help. If you are a true 501c3 most will want to pay via check to make tax deductions easy.   I don't see Bitcoin expanding your charity much.

Unless he could get a direct payment from Coinbase. Then he would be able to withdraw it quickly and easily, and, If he were to use mobile authentication, then there is less chance of hacking.

I'm not referring to them having a problem I think donators are ones it is harder for.  I have not tired to donate BTC and claim a tax deduction for it on a 501c3.   I personally like donations in check or some form I have for if I ever get audited (hopefully never) but if I do it's easy to show donations.   

I just am not sure on reporting a BTC donation 501c3.   They might give reciept or something with dollar value making it possible.  But they really need to go to lawyer and accountant to see proper way to handle BTC donations and how best to be able to be a tax deduction.

I was part of a computer club that got 501C3 and I can tell you it is a pain just to get.  But I think you will get charged some consulting fees to see how to handle these donations.   So I really don't think you should go for it unless you have some big donators pushing for it. 

I suppose instead they could place something like an account number and sort code. This would mean that people could make direct transfers in whatever form they like: Online Banking, Mobile Banking, entering alocal branch, using an ATM... ETC....

More people have a bank account than use bitcoin , it is also possilby easier to send money too.

[notlist3d]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

It looks like OP is trying to scam in the name of charity Utterly disgusting.
He will probably reply posting his Bitcoin address and adding a sob story,
Watch.

Sorry for any confusion - I came here to ask for help, not money.
And as I have an organization specializing in reproductive rights - it is probably safe to assume I am female.

You don't have to do much a QR code or write out address to donate.  That is it as far as website so a photo uploaded or wirting on website could do it.

Just make sure to keep it in a wallet that is safe.  In all honesty I'm not sure how much offering BTC donations is going to help. If you are a true 501c3 most will want to pay via check to make tax deductions easy.   I don't see Bitcoin expanding your charity much.

Unless he could get a direct payment from Coinbase. Then he would be able to withdraw it quickly and easily, and, If he were to use mobile authentication, then there is less chance of hacking.

I'm not referring to them having a problem I think donators are ones it is harder for.  I have not tired to donate BTC and claim a tax deduction for it on a 501c3.   I personally like donations in check or some form I have for if I ever get audited (hopefully never) but if I do it's easy to show donations.   

I just am not sure on reporting a BTC donation 501c3.   They might give reciept or something with dollar value making it possible.  But they really need to go to lawyer and accountant to see proper way to handle BTC donations and how best to be able to be a tax deduction.

I was part of a computer club that got 501C3 and I can tell you it is a pain just to get.  But I think you will get charged some consulting fees to see how to handle these donations.   So I really don't think you should go for it unless you have some big donators pushing for it. 

I suppose instead they could place something like an account number and sort code. This would mean that people could make direct transfers in whatever form they like: Online Banking, Mobile Banking, entering alocal branch, using an ATM... ETC....

More people have a bank account than use bitcoin , it is also possilby easier to send money too.

But your trying to reinvent the wheel.  There are already sites out there like gofundme, that have mastered this sector.  They can put a link to gofundme on website and gofundme allows someone to donate in USD through multiple things including credit cards.   

If I was OP I would not put a ton of time into this. I would make a paper wallet and post it in donations as options.  But I would be surprised if much comes to it compared to regular way's of donating to 501C3's.  And I still would ask an accountant when I was in a group that went 501c3 there was all kind of documentation for just about anything.

[romero121]

The easiest way would be to simply post a donation address and its qr code on the website.

It looks like OP is trying to scam in the name of charity Utterly disgusting.
He will probably reply posting his Bitcoin address and adding a sob story,
Watch.

Sorry for any confusion - I came here to ask for help, not money.
And as I have an organization specializing in reproductive rights - it is probably safe to assume I am female.

It doesn't mean you are doing bitcoin for the benefit of a charity. Initially when you get in as a newbie, during registration it would ask you for a vvery very small charge as charity funding for the first time registration. Everyone here will earn and learn. So just learn if not interested in earning

[Duomo]

Sorry, this seems really suspicious and I would stay away from this at all cost. The information provided might be valid but how do anyone know this individual is a legitimate representative of the organization, no one ones. 

[SSHOPE]

Thank you for your suggestions.
I already have the site set up to take donations via Paypal = which automatically gives a tax receipt to donors. I am not sure there are enough BTC users who would even donate, but as I originally said, a supporter suggested that if BTC is the wave of the future, accepting this type of currency might  bring in new supporters.
I thank everyone for the discussion as if has taught me a great deal. It sounds, since there have been several discouraging posts, that even BTC users do not see it as a viable future currency (which makes me wonder - Why not? - but that is another discussion).
Several people have assumed I am somehow trying to pull the wool over your eyes - which is, additionally, interesting as I only asked for advice to potentially set up a donation portal on a website. If I was *not* in charge of the website, then asking for the advice would be useless. If I *am* who I say I am (the founder/president of a 501c3 charity - and it took about 9 months to achieve that status along with a great deal of my own money for not only filing fees, but the website, printing costs, internet security costs- to try to keep my own house from being burned down because reproductive justice in the U.S. is a dangerous proposition), then I should have chosen a safer charity to align myself with.
I would suggest that rather than seeing everyone with such distrust, that you might stop to think about the reality - because behind the keyboard is an actual person, trying to help other actual people. Trying to find new avenues to help them.

I again - thank people for the discussion and advice!
T

[NorrisK]

I would suggest that rather than seeing everyone with such distrust, that you might stop to think about the reality - because behind the keyboard is an actual person, trying to help other actual people. Trying to find new avenues to help them.

Unfortunately, this forum and bitcoin in general has been plagued by countless scams trying to steal money from people. Most of these happened by newbie users, as it is easy to hide your identity that way.

It is unfortunate for you, if you try to do something good for others, but the standard level of awareness on this board is SCAM.

You did get explained how to put bitcoin donations as an option on your website, just don't expect many donations from here.

[Jet Cash]

Check to see if any of your banks will accept Bitcoin on behalf of charities. I believe that Barclays in the UK will do this. Maybe you have some forward thinking banks in your country.

[notlist3d]

Check to see if any of your banks will accept Bitcoin on behalf of charities. I believe that Barclays in the UK will do this. Maybe you have some forward thinking banks in your country.

Chances of this is very very slim.   I think if they do BTC it's going to be hard to claim a tax benefit from it.  It would need to be a big charity for that to be worth it.  I just don't see most doing BTC, I think check's will be most common.

If I was them throw a BTC address up on website that is a paper wallet or something secure. (I would say hardware but said paper as I don't see many using it).  But throw it on site and see if it takes off.  With so many scams I just don't see lots of BTC donations coming in.  A website saying were X charity and put false data or someone else's data is just to easy to do.