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Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about The Cause, giving, and partnership. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact us.

General Questions

What is The Cause?

The Cause is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that exists to help Christian leaders who serve the underserved. We provide fiscal sponsorship for our partners so they don’t have to start and maintain their own nonprofit organizations, which frees them from many administrative responsibilities. Beyond that, we provide our partners with strategy and spiritual/emotional care through the context of community.

Fiscal sponsorship allows your project to operate under our existing 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, giving you the ability to receive tax-deductible donations and access grant funding—without having to form your own nonprofit.

Here’s how it works in practice:

  • You focus on your mission, programs, and day-to-day work.

  • We handle the backend, including donation processing, bookkeeping, compliance, and issuing tax-deductible receipts

  • All funds designated for your project are held in your project’s account within our organization.

  • You maintain your own branding, vision, and leadership, while we provide the legal and administrative structure that keeps everything IRS-compliant.


It’s a partnership that lets you launch or expand your work quickly, with less paperwork and more support.

A 501(c)(3) is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization recognized by the IRS. This status allows the organization to receive tax-deductible donations, apply for grants, and operate for charitable, educational, or religious purposes without paying federal income tax.

When your project is fiscally sponsored under our 501(c)(3), it benefits from this same tax-deductible status—without you having to create a nonprofit of your own.

When we talk about our partners we are referring to the vetted individuals that apply for and are accepted into partnership with The Cause. They work all over the world bringing Kingdom transformation in beautiful, out of the box ways.

Our partner’s projects don’t have to be faith based but our partners are all Christian leaders.

Our HomeGrown leaders are individuals born in and deeply connected to the communities they serve, uniquely equipped with cultural insight, trust, and passion to create sustainable, grassroots change in the place they call home.

Real, lasting change starts with those who know their communities best. Our Homegrown Leaders were born and raised in the areas they now serve. They bring trust, cultural understanding, and deep passion to their work—but they need support to sustain their impact.

For Donors

Is my donation tax-deductible?

YES. All donations made to your project through our fiscal sponsorship are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Because your project operates under our 501(c)(3) status, donors will receive a tax-deductible receipt and all required documentation directly from The Cause.

We take donor trust seriously. IRS law stipulates that when a donor makes a contribution to a charitable organization, the charity (The Cause) has exclusive legal control of the assets contributed. When we receive a donation that is designated for a specific project those funds are placed into a restricted account for that project. 

We go above and beyond to make sure that every donation gets to the partner it’s designated for! However there are some situations where reallocation of funds is necessary, for example if a project is canceled, and in those rare cases we work with the partner and the donor to make sure that we are honoring the intent of the donation. 

Our team provides financial oversight, bookkeeping, and compliance, ensuring that every dollar is tracked and spent responsibly. Sponsored projects also submit regular updates so we can maintain transparency and accountability.

YES. Donors can designate their gift to any specific partner, project, or trip participant. When giving, simply go to the partner’s page on our website and make your donation. We are scrupulous about making sure that donations go directly to the partner, project, or trip they are designated for! 

 

Donations made to support short-term mission trips are used to further the overall mission and programs of our organization. While donors may express a preference for supporting a particular trip or participant, all contributions remain under The Causes full discretion and control. 

It is important to keep in mind that IRS law states that when a donor makes a contribution to a charitable organization, the charity (The Cause) has exclusive legal control of the assets contributed.  A donor may have the privilege of making a non-binding recommendation with respect to the distribution of the funds held, however, the charity is entitled to allocate funds at their discretion, including reallocating funds, including, but not limited to, in the event the recommended project is canceled.

Setting up a recurring gift is simple. On the online donation form, just select the option for recurring giving (such as monthly or quarterly) and complete your donation as usual.

Your gift will then be processed automatically according to the schedule you choose. You can update or cancel it anytime through the donor portal.

Recurring gifts are nonprofit’s bread and butter! Thank you for giving in this way!

We offer multiple convenient ways to support your chosen project:

  • Online Donations: Use our secure donation form to give one-time or recurring gifts via credit/debit card or ACH.

     

  • Check Gifts: Send a check payable to our organization, specifying your project in the memo line.

     

  • Wire Transfers or Bank Transfers: Contact us for instructions to make a direct transfer.

     

  • Stock or Securities Donations: We can accept gifts of stocks or other securities—please reach out for details.

     

  • Crypto Currency: If you would like to give Crypto pre tax we partner with an organization called every.org to receive it. We are happy to help you through that process.

     

  • Donate a Car: We partner with Cars for Charity who will pick up and sell the car and then give us the funds. Contact us to get this process started.

     

  • Donor Advised Fund: We receive donations from all kinds of donor advised funds.

     

All gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and receipts are provided for every donation.

You can send in donations to this address: 

The Cause

4225 Oceanside Blvd., Suite H-325

Oceanside, CA 92056


Make sure to have the made out to: “The Cause” with the specific partner/project in the memo line. 

Yes! Donations from a Donor-Advised Fund can be directed to your chosen project through our fiscal sponsorship. Simply request a grant from your DAF to our organization, specifying the project you wish to support.

As with other gifts, these donations are tax-deductible through your DAF, and we can provide confirmation for your records.

We are set up with most major donor advised funds, but if you have any questions please contact us!

NO – Donations are fully tax-deductible only when no goods or services are received in return. If you do receive something of value—such as merchandise, event access, or other benefits—only the portion of your donation that exceeds the fair market value of those items may be tax-deductible.

All donations made through our fiscal sponsorship are processed by us, and donors automatically receive a tax-deductible receipt via email. We also send out annual giving statements every tax season!

Receipts include the donor’s name, the amount given, the date of the gift, and confirmation that it was made to a 501(c)(3) organization.

Donors can access their full giving history and annual giving statements through our donor portal. The portal is secure and easy to use, letting you view past donations, download receipts, and track your contributions for tax or personal records. The link to the donor portal can be found at the bottom of your emailed receipts.

For Ministry Partners

Does my project have to be faith based to work with The Cause?

Our partner’s projects don’t have to be faith based but our partners are all Christian leaders.

Agree with our statement of faith (the Nicene Creed): While some of our projects are faith based and some are not, all of our partners are Christian leaders. 

Align with our mission and vision

Serve the Underserved: We only work with partners who serve the underserved. 

Have a clear project plan: Include goals, target audience, and intended use of funds.

Commit to transparency: Be willing to provide regular updates, financial reports, and impact information.

Follow legal and ethical standards: All activities must comply with local, state, and federal laws, as well as our organizational policies.

No! We work with partners from all over the world. We call partners who work in the country that they are from HomeGrown leaders.

Becoming a partner with The Cause Inc. involves a few straightforward fees:

  • Application Fee: A one-time fee of $275 to start the partnership process. This includes a background check

  • Administrative Fee: We take a percentage of each donation to help cover a portion of the cost to run The Cause. On average this percentage covers 30%-50% of our operating budget. The Cause actively fundraises so we can provide stellar administration, strategy, and care for our partners. We are happy to discuss this further on our initial partner call if you are interested in partnership.

  • Credit Card Processing Fees: Standard fees apply for online donations made by credit card.


These fees ensure your project receives full administrative and legal support while maintaining transparency and compliance.

Yes! Your project keeps its own name, look, and voice. We’ll create a dedicated partner page for you on our website, but you’re free to use your existing branding on your own site and any other communications you send.

If you need custom links, donation forms, or embed codes, we can create those for you so everything fits seamlessly with your brand and online presence.

We are also very clear that our partners own all their own intellectual property.

The timeline depends largely on your pace and motivation in completing the required steps. Once you begin the process, most applicants finish anywhere between 2 weeks and 2 months.

We review materials promptly on our end, so the biggest factor is how quickly you’re able to submit your information and respond to follow-up questions. If you’re ready to move fast, the process can move fast with you!

No! You do not need to be a legally incorporated nonprofit to become a partner. Fiscal sponsorship allows your project to operate under The Cause Inc.’s 501(c)(3) status, so you can receive tax-deductible donations and access grants without forming your own nonprofit.

This makes it easy to launch or expand your project quickly while we handle the legal and administrative requirements.