Global Village’s Payment Policies and Procedures guide
applies to everybody who commits to a GV trip, so please
read this carefully. We hope the following guide also proves
helpful for those of you who are fund raising the financial
support necessary to make your trip a reality. Be sure to
review the information here before beginning your fundraising
efforts. These guidelines are in place to ensure that
you have the opportunity to join others in the mission of
Habitat affiliates around the world to help build decent,
affordable houses in partnership with low-income families.
Deposit and balance
Once you are invited to join a Global Village team, you must
confirm your place on the team by submitting a nonrefundable
and nontransferable deposit to Habitat for Humanity
International in the amount of $350. The balance of the trip
payment (trip cost minus the $350 deposit) is due no later
than 45 days prior to departure.
Submitting payments
All payments toward your trip must be made in U.S. dollars
to Habitat for Humanity International, and designated to the
Global Village department (see coding info below).
Payments may be submitted by personal check, money order,
MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover.
You or your donors may submit funds by credit card online.
Go to www.habitat.org/gv and click on the link called “Donate in Support of a Global Village Trip”. You can also submit funds by telephone by calling the GV
customer service coordinator at (800) 422-4828, Ext. 7530.
To submit funds online or over the phone, you will need:
your credit card
your eight-digit Habitat ID number
GV event code for Nepal, which is GV9320.
Participants and donors who submit funds by credit card will receive an automatic e-mail acknowledgment that the payment was received.
Checks and money orders must be made payable to
Habitat for Humanity International and mailed to:
Habitat for Humanity International
Global Village department
P.O. Box 369
Americus, GA 31709-0369
Note: It may take up to two weeks for donations to post to
the team’s account.
Your deposit and any payments you submit toward the
cost of your trip will automatically be credited toward satisfying
your financial obligation only when coded as per the instructions.
Coding your donations
For a donation to be credited toward your trip, you personal eight-digit Habitat ID number and GV event code for Nepal (GV9320) must be included on all funds submitted to the
Global Village program on your behalf
.
For online credit card payments
Include your
eight-digit Habitat ID number and GV event code in
the fields provided.
For personal checks or money orders
Please write your eight-digit Habitat ID number above the
name and address in the upper left corner of the
check, and the GV event code on the memo line located
in the lower left corner.
If you are uncertain of your eight-digit Habitat ID
number or the GV event code, please contact your
team leader.
Funding your trip
• Fund-raising Web site
Point your Web browser to www.habitat.org/gv/create.html and in just a few minutes
you can create a personalized fund-raising Web page for
your trip. You can then direct potential donors to your
Web site where they can learn more about the Global
Village program, HFHI and your specific trip. More information is in this blog on the post called "Fundraising Ideas".
• Matching gifts
Contact your company’s matching gift
officer prior to submitting a matching gift form. Not all
companies’ matching-gift policies allow for the matching
of participation fees. If applying for matching gifts,
notify your team leader.
Note: Matching gift funds may only be used to offset the
final balance owed if they are received by GV at least 45
days before the trip departs.
• Tax deductibility
Funding raised toward the cost of a
Global Village trip also includes the cost of food, lodging and
transportation during the trip. Only a portion of the required
trip payment supports the charitable purpose of the hosting
Habitat program. Depending on the participant’s country of
origin, this trip’s cost may or may not be tax-deductible. Please
consult a tax adviser concerning your specific situation.
• Acknowledging donations
All donors who contribute
via check or money order payable to Habitat for Humanity
International, or make a credit card donation designated
to a Global Village team, are sent acknowledgment letters
by Habitat for Humanity International. Those who
donate online (via a personalized Web page or via the
link “Donate in Support of a Global Village Trip”) receive
a prompt e-mail confirmation that the donation was
received, and will also be mailed an acknowledgement
letter. Discourage your supporters from sending cash,
as Habitat for Humanity International cannot acknowledge
cash donations. Talk to the team leader about cash that is collected as a donation at fundraising events.
Donation checks payable to you
If a donor makes a check payable to you, but would like an
acknowledgment letter from HFHI, you may write “Payable
to Habitat for Humanity International,” along with your signature,
on the back of the check. Include the event code and
your eight-digit Habitat ID number on the front of the check.
• Funds raised in addition to the published trip cost—
One of the stated purposes of the Global Village program
is to raise funds for the building efforts of Habitat affiliates
worldwide. To remain consistent with our mission,
the Global Village department is not able to roll additional
funds over to a future GV trip. Habitat for Humanity
International will direct any additional funding you raise
(beyond the published trip cost) to support building
programs in the team’s host country.
• Fund raising for airfare
As of Jan. 1, 2008, funds raised at HFHI in excess of the trip cost may no longer be used to
cover all or part of a GV participant’s airfare. Participants
may still be able to claim their airfare as a tax-deductible
expense even if the funds are paid directly from the
participant to a vendor, as long as the trip is in pursuit of a
charitable purpose. Team members will need to contact a
tax adviser concerning their specific situation. Team members can, however, receive "miles" in an airline mileage program as a donation. No receipt, however, can be given to the donor.
Cancellation policy
No refunds are offered if you must cancel.
• Cancellation more than 45 days prior to departure
All payments excluding the $350 deposit may be transferred
for use on a future GV trip within one year of your original
trip date. All cancellation notices must first be given to
your team leader before notifying GV. All transfer requests
must be sent in writing to the Global Village sending coordinator.
Ask your team leader for more information.
• Cancellation within 45 days of departure
One hundred percent of your payments and donations will be
retained by HFHI to meet current obligations.
• If Habitat for Humanity must cancel
We will makeevery effort to conduct the trip as scheduled; however, if
Habitat for Humanity International must cancel, we will
attempt to place you on another team. If that is not possible,
you may receive a full refund. Global Village cannot
compensate participants for the cost of unusable airfare
or any other expenses resulting from the cancellation.
Your team leader will contact you to explain how to claim
your refund if Habitat must cancel your team’s trip.
• Delays enroute
If delays occur en route, or missed or
cancelled flights cause you to miss your rendezvous with
the team, the Global Village staff will do everything possible
to assist you in connecting with the team. However, Global
Village cannot be responsible for any expenses incurred due
to flight problems.
Special note: As of July 1, 2008, the Global Village program will provide a mandatory trip cancellation insurance for all teams. Information as to what is covered will be available after July 1. The cost of this insurance is included in your fees.
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