Editorial Guide
1. Brand attributes
Nonprofits get to the heart of many important matters, serving the needs of and advocating for millions of people.
That’s why nonprofits are at the heart of Give Lively.
Give Lively serves the nonprofit community with the values of humanity, joy, conscientiousness and collaboration. We embrace these values every day through intention and action, and they describe the tone and personality of the Give Lively brand.
Nonprofits should not sacrifice their means to satisfy their missions.
Give Lively is a tech company reimagining the future of nonprofit fundraising. We believe that nonprofits, no matter their size, should not sacrifice their means to satisfy their missions, so we build powerful and practical fundraising solutions that are free for nonprofits and intuitive for donors.
We're especially proud to support values that inspire nonprofits to tackle tough challenges and complex issues like gender and racial equality, reproductive health and LGBTQ+ rights, social and environmental justice, education, domestic violence, immigrant services and more.
We have embraced similar values as guides for the use of our technology. We reserve our membership for organizations that use our platform and products to:
- advocate for equity regardless of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation or military status through their activities, programs and operations;
- promote and uphold the rights of women;
- promote and uphold the rights and existence of everyone regardless of their sex, gender, gender expression or sexual orientation, including transgender and gender nonconforming people;
- promote and uphold the rights of historically underrepresented groups, including Black, brown, AAPI and Indigenous people;
- promote and uphold environmental and social sustainability practices, especially with regard to renewable energy; land, water and air rights and use; and the growing climate emergency;
- imagine and nurture futures for their communities free of assault weapons, weapons of war, high capacity magazines, automatic weapons or any mechanism that can convert a firearm into an automatic weapon;
- use speech to advance inclusiveness and peaceful engagement online and offline.
We are human, joyful, conscientious and collaborative.
We aim to be a friendly, supportive, inclusive, helpful force for good. The tone and personality of all our editorial content reflects this. It is amplified by our commitment to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
We are a catalyst.
We guide, steward and advocate for nonprofits. By not charging nonprofits for our digital fundraising tools, we activate the Give Lively Effect, our superpower: a proven way of democratizing and leveling the fundraising playing field, guiding nonprofits into the digital age, helping them hit their fundraising goals and freeing them to devote more resources to their critical work.
We are technologists.
We are tech-forward and building tools for good, with actual humans in mind. Our dedicated team collaborates directly with nonprofits to develop products and features that serve their needs and disburden them of for-profit fundraising software. Our solutions are practical, intuitive, flexible and – best of all – free.
We aim to be a valuable partner.
We are genuine.
We are non-salesy and aware of our size and limitations. Our tools are not a silver bullet for all nonprofit organizations but we are convinced – and have been reaffirmed – of their utility.
We are dynamic.
We are responsive to the needs of nonprofits, bringing an adaptive mindset to problem-solving. We question, evolve and strive never to think or say “That’s just how we’ve always done it.”
We are purpose-driven.
Our actions are well-intentioned, our decisions values-based and we act with urgency, aware that we serve important causes
We are reliable.
Our engineering and support are efficient and consistent. Nonprofit organizations can trust us to be grounded in reality – stable and resourceful.
We are accessible.
Our tools, culture and interactions are people-centered and team-driven. Our product development is democratic and nonprofit-conscious. We aim to be a connective force.
We are driving change.
Our tools can be transformative for nonprofits. We challenge the status quo with a business model that is a game-changer. We are small but mighty, punching above our weight in an industry of giants.
We are compelling.
We are motivated and motivating in all we do – pragmatic and logical, decisive and action-oriented, imaginative yet directional.
We are transparent.
Neither nonprofits nor donors will find any red tape or institutional feel here.
We build tech to benefit people.
We design practical solutions.
Our platform is comprehensive, powerful and adaptable.
We build intuitive products.
Our accessible tools are simple to set up and easy to use for donors, fundraisers and nonprofits alike.
We leave room for flexibility.
Nonprofits can build from an à la carte menu of our modular digital fundraising features, which can scale as needed.
We don’t charge nonprofits.
Give Lively was established for nonprofits, not to turn a profit. While our digital fundraising solutions may be free, they are premium and high quality.
2. Brand, solution and product descriptions
About Give Lively
Give Lively is a tech company reimagining the future of nonprofit fundraising. Founded in 2015 on the belief that nonprofits, no matter their size, should not sacrifice their means to satisfy their missions, we build powerful and practical fundraising solutions that are free for nonprofits and intuitive for donors.
Our dedicated team collaborates directly with nonprofits to develop tools that serve their needs and disburden them of for-profit fundraising software.
Our free mobile-ready tech includes online appeals, event- and peer-based campaigns, donation by text, paying via digital wallets and much more.
Nonprofits using Give Lively have raised more than $1 billion for their critical work, saving $100 million in tech fees and charges since our start in 2015. Free nonprofit membership is required.
Give Lively taglines
“We build and support powerful, practical and easy-to-use fundraising solutions that are free for nonprofits and intuitive for donors.”
About the Give Lively Foundation
The Give Lively Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization established in 2016 that serves the public in tandem with Give Lively LLC (www.givelively.org) by facilitating charitable gifts to nonprofits across the United States.
Online Fundraising Solutions & Products
Solutions
Give Lively products are divided into three categories, called solutions. Each solution encompasses a broad type of fundraising activity: Digital Fundraising, Event Fundraising and Peer-Based Fundraising.
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- Description with product names: Give Lively’s free Digital Fundraising solution includes three smart, mobile-ready products: Campaign Pages, Donation Widgets and Text-to-Donate. Applied together or separately, and in coordination with other Give Lively fundraising solutions, they employ imagery, videos and impact stories to strengthen a nonprofit’s digital appeal.
- Long description: Applied together or separately, and in coordination with other Give Lively fundraising solutions, our three smart, mobile-ready Digital Fundraising products employ imagery, videos and impact stories to strengthen a nonprofit’s digital appeal.
- Short description (preferred): Our three smart, mobile-ready Digital Fundraising products employ imagery, videos and impact stories to strengthen a nonprofit’s digital appeal.
- Short description (alternative): Our Digital Fundraising products strengthen a nonprofit’s digital appeal through imagery, videos and impact stories.
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- Description with product names: Give Lively's free Event Fundraising solution consists of three practical and flexible products: Event Ticketing, Text-to-Donate and Live Display. Used together or separately, as well as in conjunction with other Give Lively fundraising solutions, they help nonprofits translate the excitement of live and virtual events into fundraising success.
- Long description: Used together or separately, as well as in conjunction with other Give Lively fundraising solutions, our three practical and flexible Event Fundraising products help nonprofits translate the excitement of live and virtual events into fundraising success.
- Short description: Our three practical and flexible Event Fundraising products help nonprofits translate the excitement of live and virtual events into fundraising success.
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- Description with product names: Give Lively’s free Peer-Based Fundraising solution comprises three empowering products: Peer-to-Peer Fundraising, Team Fundraising and Leaderboard. Taken together or separately, and in parallel with other Give Lively fundraising solutions, they turn passion into prosperity by allowing a nonprofit's supporters to rally family, friends and colleagues on its behalf.
- Long description: Taken together or separately, and in parallel with other Give Lively fundraising solutions, our three free Peer-Based Fundraising products turn passion into prosperity by allowing a nonprofit's supporters to rally family, friends and colleagues on its behalf.
- Short description: Our three free Peer-Based Fundraising products turn passion into prosperity by allowing nonprofit supporters to rally family, friends and colleagues on its behalf.
Products
Give Lively has eight fundraising products, each one an integral part of one or more Give Lively solutions. Each product can be used on its own or, more powerfully, in conjunction with other Give Lively fundraising products.
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Part of the Digital Fundraising solution.
- Long description: Launch fundraising campaigns in minutes with beautiful, customizable and responsive donation pages that are as easy and satisfying for nonprofits to build as they are for donors to use.
- Medium description: Launch fundraising campaigns in minutes with beautiful, customizable and responsive donation pages.
- Short description: Launch beautiful, customized and responsive donation pages.
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Part of the Digital Fundraising solution.
- Long description: Collect contributions directly on your website with our simple-to-embed, customizable donation widgets. Seamless integration and one-tap mobile wallets translate the streamlined donation experience into more fundraising success. There are two Donation Widget variations:
- The Simple Donation Widget has a streamlined design and can be added anywhere.
- The Branded Donation Widget allows for the use of branding, imagery, videos and stories, as well as built-in social sharing to strengthen any fundraising appeal.
- Medium description: Our simple-to-embed, customizable donation widgets make it easy to collect donations directly on a nonprofit’s website.
- Short description: Collect donations directly from your website.
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Part of the Digital Fundraising and Event Fundraising solutions.
- Long description: Our easy, mobile-first method for capturing contributions when donors are on the go. Donors text a custom code and give via a secure fundraising page.
- Medium description: Our easy, mobile-first method for capturing contributions when donors are on the go.
- Short description: Encourage secure giving via mobile devices.
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Part of the Event Fundraising solution.
- Long description: Create user-friendly pages to sell event tickets, sponsorships and more. Unlimited, search-optimized, customizable pages come complete with tailorable payment tiers, a map, personalized thank-you emails and a progress meter.
- Medium description: Create user-friendly pages to sell nonprofit event tickets, sponsorships and more.
- Short description: Sell fundraising event tickets and sponsorships.
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Part of the Event Fundraising solution.
- Long description: Inspire donors to give generously by tracking and presenting contributions in nearly real time, especially at fundraising events. Watch the dollars flow to your cause!
- Medium description: Inspire donors to give generously by tracking and presenting contributions in nearly real time, especially at fundraising events.
- Short description: Track and show donations in nearly real time.
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Part of the Peer-Based Fundraising solution.
- Long description: Leverage the fundraising power of community. Start a movement in a snap by empowering your supporters to collect donations on your behalf through their own personalized campaign pages.
- Medium description: Leverage the fundraising power of community by empowering your supporters to collect donations on your behalf.
- Short description: Empower supporters to raise money on your behalf.
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Part of the Peer-Based Fundraising solution.
- Long description: Let your supporters find strength in numbers and make fundraising more fun as part of a team. This is a platform for groups of people with shared values who wish to make collective appeals to the generosity of friends and family.
- Medium description: Let your supporters find strength in numbers and make fundraising more fun as part of a team.
- Short description: Make collective appeals through peer-to-peer teams.
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Part of the Peer-Based Fundraising solution.
- Long description: Encourage friendly competitive giving with a ranked view of your peer-based fundraising activity.
- Medium description: Ranked views of a nonprofit’s peer-based fundraisers encourage friendly competitive giving.
- Short description: Showcase peer-based fundraising activity.
3. Editorial conventions
Capitalization
- Product, solution, program and other proper names are always capitalized and fully spelled out.
- Non-products are always treated as common nouns.
(more to be found in the “Key Terms” below):
- Campaign Page: This is the name of the product and therefore both words are capitalized. Contrast this with “Event Ticketing page,” where “page” is lowercase since it is not part of the product name.
- Core Profile: Your Core Profile acts as the foundation for your fundraising efforts. It controls your account’s basic settings and can act as a fundraising page. It is capitalized.
- Simple Donation Widget and Branded Donation Widget: Since these are variations of a product (Donation Widgets), they are capitalized.
- Event Fundraising: This Give Lively solution is capitalized, though the generic act of event fundraising is not.
- Event Ticketing page: The “page” is lowercase since it is not part of the product name.
- Fundraising page: A lowercase common noun that describes a page where any fundraising products are used.
- Impact story: This term is lowercase since it is a feature but is not itself a product or solution.
- Leaderboard: This Give Lively product is capitalized.
- Live Display: This Give Lively product is capitalized.
- Peer-Based Fundraising: This Give Lively solution is capitalized, though the generic description of peer-based fundraising is not.
- Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: This term is capitalized because it is a product name. Reference “User” section for more variations.
- Peer-to-peer fundraiser: A person who uses any of the products within the Peer-Based Fundraising solution. This term is lowercase.
- Peer-to-peer fundraising: The action of using any of the products within the Peer-Based Fundraising solution. This term is lowercase.
- Short code: Note that we use “short code” and not “short-code” to describe the Give Lively 44321 text code associated with Text-to-Donate.
- Team Fundraising: This Give Lively product is capitalized.
- Thank-you message: This term is lowercase since it is a feature of both Campaign Pages and Event Ticketing pages but is not itself a product or solution.
- Text-to-Donate: This term is capitalized. Give Lively’s Text-to-Donate product should not be confused with text-to-give.
- Ticket tiers: Note that Give Lively does not capitalize “ticket tiers.” For nonprofits using the Salesforce NPSP, the custom objects “Ticket Tiers” that are created when a Give Lively event syncs into Salesforce as a Campaign are capitalized.
Punctuation
- Do not use the Oxford comma or serial comma.
- Use hyphens in product names: Text-to-Donate and Peer-to-Peer Fundraising.
- Use an en dash ( – ) when needed as a substitute for a comma, colon, semicolon or parentheses and to emphasize information.
- Use sentence case in article titles.
Key terms
- Changelog: A running log of new releases, improvements and fixes to Give Lively features, products and solutions.
- FAQs: Answers to general frequently asked questions, as well as specific queries posed by donors, peer-to-peer fundraisers, partners and Reports Portal users. Member nonprofits are directed to the Resource Hub (see below).
- Free: Free means free. We do not charge nonprofits for use of our fundraising platform – no setup fees, no platform fees, no membership or subscription fees, no annual or monthly fees, no hidden Give Lively fees.
- Integrations: Voluntary third-party applications that, when connected with Give Lively, allow for some information to be shared between systems and expand the capabilities of the Give Lively platform. At present, Give Lively taps into thousands of third-party services through direct integrations (with Salesforce and Double the Donation), Zapier automations and several payment options. Learn more on our integrations overview page.
- Resource Hub: The one-stop shop for member nonprofits. It contains technical information and instruction about how to use our fundraising technology. Donors, peer-to-peer fundraisers, partners and Reports Portal users are directed to our FAQs (see above).
- Stripe Transfer & Stripe Direct Charge: Give Lively utilizes a “Stripe Transfer” to send batches of funds generated by Giving Basket donations. This is different from the “Stripe Direct Charge” typically used when disbursing individual donations generated from Give Lively fundraising pages. Learn more about how Giving Basket transfers are logged by Stripe. This term is capitalized.
- Tech partners: Our tech partners contribute directly to the functioning of our digital fundraising platform. Some examples of Give Lively partners are Stripe, PayPal, Plaid, Salesforce, Double the Donation, Twilio, Heroku, AWS and Mandrill. Contrast this with “partners” (see “Users” category below).
- The Give Lively Effect: Our founders identified an opportunity. They recognized a way to make strategic, efficient and impartial decisions about how to support the nonprofit community. They saw a mechanism for sustainably leveraging their resources to help meet the development needs of a very broad group of potential beneficiaries. Learn more about the Give Lively Effect.
- Values: Give Lively holds dear to a set of core values against which every nonprofit membership application is personally reviewed to ensure alignment. Our member nonprofits use our products, solutions and platform to make the world a better place by elevating marginalized voices, striving to meet the needs of the underserved, imagining a safer future for their communities and advocating for equality.
- Donors: People who donate through any fundraising page powered by Give Lively.
- Member nonprofits: Nonprofits that apply for Give Lively membership and are approved. They gain full and free access to all of our digital fundraising products. This term is lowercase and is preferably “member nonprofits,” not “nonprofit members.”
- Nonprofit admins: The person (or people) that manages a member nonprofit's account. This term is lowercase.
- Peer-to-peer fundraisers: The people, also sometimes known as individual fundraisers, who use the products associated with the Peer-Based Fundraising solution (Peer-to-Peer Fundraising and Team Fundraising). This term is lowercase.
- Partners: Charity Navigator is an example of a partner. With them, we relaunched their Giving Basket, powered by Give Lively. Recognizing the strengths of Give Lively’s practical and easy-to-use fundraising solutions, Charity Navigator asked us to turn our secure and intuitive platform to the advantage of the Giving Basket. We believe this partnership is an opportunity to positively benefit the thousands of organizations donors support with access to a rich and rewarding philanthropic experience. Contrast with “Tech partners” (see “General” category above).
- Reports Portal users: Administrators of nonprofits that receive funds through Charity Navigator’s Giving Basket, powered by Give Lively.
- Downloadable CSV: A CSV file is a plain text “comma-separated values” donor data file that can be downloaded for data management.
- The donor data export is available via the Nonprofit Admin Portal.
- Giving Basket recipients can download a CSV with detailed donor data via the Reports Portal. Nonprofits also have the ability to see summary donor data via on-screen reports (see below).
- Line item: Through the Giving Basket, a donor may make one or more contributions at the same time (in one single “order”). In the case of multiple donations, they may all be to one nonprofit or to several nonprofits. When a donor makes multiple contributions, even if they are all to one nonprofit, each donation is cataloged as a separate line item in the larger order.
- Reports Portal: The secure online portal where admins of nonprofits that are not Give Lively members can see their organizations’ Giving Basket donor data.
- Nonprofit Admin Portal: Give Lively nonprofit membership includes 24/7 secure access to the Nonprofit Admin Portal, a back-end management system where nonprofits create and edit fundraising pages, configure settings and download donor data.
- On-screen reports: Giving Basket recipients can see summary donor data from contributions disbursed via check and direct deposit inside the Giving Basket Reports Portal. Nonprofits also have the ability to see more detailed information via a downloadable CSV report (see above).
- User Portal: The secure online portal where anyone who has donated to a nonprofit through digital fundraising technology powered by Give Lively can see their data.
- Give Lively for Salesforce: The app found in AppExchange that facilitates the integration between Give Lively and Salesforce.
- Instance: A cluster of servers hosting numerous Salesforce customer orgs. This term is lowercase.
- Object: Salesforce's term for what is essentially a table in a given org's database. For example, the Contact object is a table of all contacts (e.g. donors/customers) known to a given organization. This term is lowercase.
- Opportunity: A Salesforce object representing potential/realized/failed business opportunities. Nonprofits using Salesforce typically track donations as opportunity records. This term is lowercase.
- Org: A private allocation of Salesforce's cloud infrastructure, hosting a customizable database for a given customer/organization. This term is lowercase.
- Salesforce: A cloud-based, object-oriented database originally intended for business-to-business (B2B) sales, now widely adopted for a range of purposes. Eligible nonprofits may claim ten free licenses for perpetual use.
- Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP): Give Lively offers a Salesforce integration specifically designed to complement the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP). Once installed, it automatically syncs Give Lively data to Salesforce on an hourly basis. The NPSP is an-easy-to-use fundraising and constituent management application on the Salesforce platform built specifically with the needs of nonprofits in mind.
- Beta:
- Open beta signifies that a product or feature is stable and has passed enough internal testing for all nonprofits to use. That said, there may be unanticipated hiccups. Give Lively offers this feature or product as is, without warranty, as per our Terms of Use.
- Closed beta applies to features or products available only to nonprofits that request them. These features must be manually enabled by the Give Lively team.