Frequently Asked Questions about SumOfUs

Jump to:

Donations »
Financial information »
Privacy and data protection »
Campaigns »
Our Staff »

 

What is SumOfUs?

SumOfUs.org is a new world-wide movement for a better global economy.

Here’s what we stand for:

• Governments that answer to citizens – not corporations
• Fair treatment of workers and the right of every human being to make a living, safely and ethically, for themselves and their family;
• The right of ordinary consumers to products that are produced and marketed ethically, sustainably and transparently;
• The right of communities to manage and protect their own environment and natural resources;
• Business models that put people and the planet first instead of being driven by shortsighted greed.

SumOfUs combines the power of online tools and technology to quickly, and effectively mobilize millions of people to use their power to influence corporations.

Like similar online groups Avaaz.org and 350.org, SumOfUs uses technology to campaign and communicate globally both online and offline.

For more information about SumOfUs please visit our ‘About Us’ page.

Donations

How can I donate?

It’s super easy to donate to SumOfUs. You can donate by clicking here: sumofus.org/donate

You can donate by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Paypal.

You can also donate by check/cheque in any currency by making it out to SumOfUs and sending it to PO Box 1128, New York, New York, USA 10156.

What happens if I change my mind about my donation?

We understand that circumstances change and you may wish to cancel your donation. We operate a no-questions-asked refund policy for any member that wishes to withdraw their donation. If you’d like a refund, please send us a message

I made a mistake donating! How can I change my donation?

Don’t worry, it’s really easy to change or amend your donation. Please send us a message and we’ll get right on it!

Are my donations to SumOfUs tax deductible or eligible for schemes like UK gift aid?

As a 501(c) 4 organisation, small donations (under $1000) aren’t tax deductible or eligible for schemes like the UK’s Gift Aid. For more information on tax deductibility where you live, please contact your local tax authorities.

If you are domiciled in the United States we can take tax-deductible contributions over $1,000. Please send us a message for more information about this option.

Do you accept direct bank transfers?

At the moment, we don’t accept direct bank transfers, but we are working on making that available to members. In the mean time, you can donate via credit card or Paypal sumofus.org/donate

What currencies do you accept?

At present, we accept USD, EUR, AUD, CAD and GBP for Visa and Mastercard donations.

We accept donations made in any currency via Paypal.

Do you accept donations by telephone?

Unfortunately, we don’t accept donations by telephone at the moment, but we are keeping this under review. In the mean time, you’re able to make a donation via credit card or paypal sumofus.org/donate

Can I donate via Paypal?

Yes, we do accept donations via Paypal, just follow this link and you’ll be able to send us your donation through your Paypal account.

https://action.sumofus.org/a/donate-to-sumofus-general/

What credit and debit cards to you accept?

We accept Visa and Mastercard from most global banks. If you’re based in the United States, we also accept American Express and Discover.

You can donate by credit here: sumofus.org/donate

Financial Information

Where is SumOfUs registered?

SumOfUs is a registered 501(c)4 social welfare nonprofit incorporated in the District of Columbia, United States.

What is a 501(c)4 non-profit?

A 501(c)4 organisation is a type of tax-exempt nonprofit organization in the United States. In the US both 501(c)3s and 501(c)4s are qualified as tax-exempt organizations under tax law. However (c)3 organizations may only do charitable work (as defined by the tax authorities) while c(4)s can also engage in lobbying of public officials and work with trade unions, which is a key part of our work challenging corporate power. Because we are not a 501(c)3, contributions to SumOfUs are not tax deductible.

Is SumOfUs audited?

Yes. SumOfUs is regularly audited by professional auditors in the United States. We have always received what is called a “clean opinion,” namely that no irregularities have ever been found and that we follow all relevant accounting rules and procedures.

How are you funded?

SumOfUs doesn’t accept any contributions from governments or corporations: we are mainly funded by people like you. We are also funded by a small number of foundations and trusts. Please see this chart for more detail on the proportion of grants to independent small online donations from 2012.

 

Our goal is to be increasingly funded primarily by small individual contributions. This funding model means we are able to stay independent, keep pressure on governments and corporations, and respond quickly to crisis situations.

How do you spend your money?

Below is a breakdown of how we spend our money. We are a very lean organization and staff so we minimize overheads and spend the vast majority of our money on running campaigns.

 

What happens when you raise more money than you need for a given campaign?

Our members are extremely generous with their donations and we sometimes raise more money than we need for a particular action or request. In this circumstance, any additional money is used to fund a range of core program activities at SumOfUs, such as our staff and the technology that allows us to run and win our campaigns.

We operate a no-questions-asked refund policy for any member that wishes to withdraw their donation.

Privacy & Data Protection

I want to unsubscribe.

It’s really easy to unsubscribe, just follow this link and click ‘unsubscribe’. http://sumofus.org/unsubscribe/

How are you protecting my data?

SumOfUs uses industry standard security measures to protect the information collected by this Site.
For more information please visit our ‘Privacy Policy’.

How do you use my credit/debit card details?

When you contribute to SumOfUs online, we collect credit card information from you. That information is used solely for processing your contribution; it is not stored by SumOfUs; and is never disclosed to anyone, for any other purpose other than for processing your contribution.

How can I change my contact details, email address or postal address?

Please send us a message with the information you’d like to change and we’ll do the rest.

How did you get my email address!?

We only send emails to people that have taken actions on our website. If you’d rather not receive emails from us you can unsubscribe at any time here: http://sumofus.org/unsubscribe/

Campaigns

What are you currently campaigning on?

You can see what our current campaigns are by visiting our ‘Campaigns’ page.

How do I remove my name from a petition?

It’s really easy to remove your signature from a petition. Please send us a message and we’ll remove your name quickly.

Where can I send a suggestion for a campaign?

Please send campaign ideas to us by sending us a message.

I have information I’d like to share with the team about a campaign, how do I do that?

If you have information you’d like to share with the staff team you can by sending us a message.

Our Staff

How many staff do you have?

We currently have close to thirty people in 7 countries and we’re expanding all the time. To find out more about our staff team please visit our ‘Who we are’ page.

Can I work for you? Are you recruiting?

We are always on the lookout for talented people in a range of specialties from tech to campaigning, and from communications to administration. Please visit our ‘Jobs & Internships’ page to see our latest vacancies.