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Donors
Frequently Asked Questions About
Donating to FORGE
1. Who benefits from my donation?
Who do I help? - FORGE is a diversified
rural loan fund. Loans are made to couples starting home based businesses,
woman-owned businesses, new immigrants, community-based organizations,
low-income individuals as well as ongoing businesses. In addition, you
support FORGE. FORGE's overhead cost is 13% of total funds (2001).
2. Can I designate my donation to a
specific area or program? Yes!
If you want to donate to a specific need, we have these specific needs:
- Operating fund - FORGE operating fund is
supported by interest from loans, technical assistance funds, and
donations. With interest rates so low, FORGE's income from interest
has been dropping.
- Matching funds - FORGE has opportunities
at different times to match charity, foundation and government funds
with matching funds. For example, USDA offers a revolving loan fund to
agencies like FORGE on a 1-3 match.
- Loan Loss fund - Loan losses are a part of
doing business. Although our default rate is less than 3%, there are
times when the agency must absorb the losses. The loan loss fund helps
to meet that need.
3. What other types of donations do
you accept? We accept stocks,
bonds, other financial instruments, office equipment and supplies as well
as real estate just to name a few.
4. Why would I want to donate to
FORGE? If you are interested
in sustaining families in the Ozarks, then FORGE is one of the first lines
of defense. FORGE works with families and businesses in rural communities
across the Ozarks in order to keep jobs in those communities.
5. Will I get a receipt for tax
purposes? Yes, you will
receive a donation receipt. We are a 501 (c)(3) non-profit agency.
6. Will my name be sold to a
mailing list? We don't sell
our mailing list. On occasion we do exchange mailing lists with agencies
with missions similar to our own. You may choose not to be on an exchange
list.
7. How much money may I donate? That is your decision. If you are planning to
donate $500 or more you may want to consider making an investment in FORGE.
In an investment, you still control the money. You are simply lending it to
us to support our revolving loan fund. If you desire additional
information, you can go to the investors page on
our web site or call us at 1-479-738-1585 and we will discuss your
investment interests with you.
8. Will my name be made public? That is up to you. You may choose to be
anonymous. We do, however, love to print our donor names in order to
encourage others to consider our cause.
9. How do I know that FORGE is a credible
non-profit agency to give to?
Check us out! There are several ways to learn about a non-profit:
First, every
non-profit is required to submit a 990 report to the IRS.
Second, annual
reports, audits, etc., can be helpful in determining the creditable of an
agency.
Third, contact the
Arkansas Attorney General (FORGE is based in Arkansas) who maintains
information on non-profits in the state and any complaints received.
Fourth, contact
the Attorney General of the state you live in and check for any complaints.
The current economic and political
climate has put all of us on notice. We have to be careful how we handle
our resources. FORGE has chosen to be proactive in this matter by
registering with states that accept registration for charitable
solicitations within their state boundaries. For a current list of states
that FORGE has registered in, go to State
Registrations. If your state is not listed, please let us know.
Resources
State
Registrations
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