Transparency within the non-profit industry has always been important, but here at Spare Key, we believe transparency is more important than ever. Donors want more control over their hard-earned dollars. They want to know their donation is actually making a difference. That it’s directly impacting those who need it most.
What does transparency look like within Spare Key and our Help Me Bounce platform?
For us, transparency is knowing that every dollar you donate to a family on Help Me Bounce is going to a family that is dealing with a medical crisis. Transparency is knowing that the money you donate goes directly to the family you choose AND that it goes directly to the servicer of the bill you have chosen to donate towards.
But how does Spare Key make that happen?
One of the main requirements of having a campaign on HelpMeBounce.org is having the approval of a Social Worker or Medical Professional. As a part of the application process, this individual must confirm the family is in fact experiencing a medical crisis. We do not ask for any specific medical information but do require that verification before a family can publish their campaign on Help Me Bounce.
Once funds are raised for a family on Help Me Bounce, the next step to full transparency is ensuring that those funds go exactly where they’re intended – directly to the family’s bills that have been affected by their medical crisis. This means manually reviewing each withdrawal request for use of donated funds to ensure that those funds are going directly to the servicer for the type of bill the donation was originally intended. Spare Key never puts donated dollars directly into an individual’s personal account; these funds are always paid out to the servicer of the bill.
For example, if you donate to the “Medical Bills” funding goal for a family on Help Me Bounce, an email goes out to the family letting them know they’ve gotten a donation. That donation is immediately available for withdrawal. When the family is ready to use those funds, they submit a withdrawal request. This request provides the servicer information, dollar amount to withdraw, and documentation of the bill, invoice, or statement. I then review the withdrawal request to ensure that the statement they provided is for a medical bill for the family. I reach out to the family if I have any questions. Otherwise, I mail a check with a letter to their medical company explaining who we are and giving instructions that the check should go towards that family’s bill.
Another key factor in full transparency on Spare Key’s Help Me Bounce platform is that families receive 100% of their donation. If you donate $50 to a family on Help Me Bounce, the family receives the full $50. We accomplish this by covering any and all processing fees that are not covered by donors using our own operating funds.
100% transparency. 100% confidence. 100% of your donated dollars on Help Me Bounce go directly to the families that desperately need it.
I am proud to work for a nonprofit that provides this level of transparency. It’s even more rewarding to have a direct hand in processing these payments, on a daily basis, for families across the nation. I notice every single time I mail a check out for a family in a new state. As we continue to spread awareness for Help Me Bounce, the states where we make a DIRECT impact on families grows as well. It’s inspiring to see. I look forward to continuing to help more families than ever “Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Found” by donors across the nation.
Alexia Sebesta
Chief Administrative Officer