Frequently Asked Questions about DonorCentral

Register for DonorCentral and view your fund status and fund report anytime. Fund status reports are issued every six months, in mid-February and mid-August.

Your DonorCentral user name and password are assigned when you register for DonorCentral. Your password will be sent to you if you click on the DonorCentral "Forgot your Password" link. Your email address must match the one on file at the time you established the account. Alternatively, you can email or call Pam Tesler Howitt or (401) 274-4564 who may have your password if you did not change it. Please note that our staff only will release DonorCentral login information to the person(s) we have on file as authorized to receive this information.

Information in DonorCentral  customarily isupdated daily with the following exception: the section entitled "Available for Grants" reflects current available funds for grantmaking except for the first quarter of any new year, when projections are not posted until February 15. Market value information is updated quarterly.

The first time you access DonorCentral, you will be asked if you wish to change your password. If you have permitted someone else to access the fund, the password may have changed. If you believe you have the correct login information and are still experiencing problems, return to the DonorCentral home page and click on the “Forgot Password” link and your password will be emailed to you. Or, email Pam Tesler Howitt or call her at (401) 274-4564.

If you or another person attempt unsuccessfully to login more than five times, access will not be permitted again for 24 hours. This is precautionary. Should this happen, please call Pam Tesler Howitt at (401) 274-4564.

To contribute directly to an endowment, you can go to Contribute Online or mail a check to The Rhode Island Foundation, One Union Station, Providence, RI 02903, indicating the name of the fund to which the gift should be directed.

Ideally you will use DonorCentral to work with the fund you established. Grant recommendations may be made online. You also may use a Grant Recommendation Form.

Although there is no required frequency for recommending grants, the Foundation takes seriously its role of fostering philanthropy within Rhode Island. If possible, we ask that you let no more than two years elapse without recommending a grant from your donor advised fund. We are happy to help if you want advice about charities that match your specific interests. Also available is a variety of field-of-interest funds, allowing you to support a particular philanthropic concern while leaving it to our grantmaking experts to identify the most promising programs.

Yes. The minimum grant is $250.

Generally, grants must be made to organizations that the IRS recognizes as tax exempt, charitable organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or to governmental entities for a charitable purpose.  To comply with applicable IRS regulations, The Rhode Island Foundation’s Board of Directors retains the final responsibility for approving distributions from funds.

IRS rules also dictate that grants cannot be used to fulfill personal pledges or for any other purpose from which you would receive a personal benefit. Examples include ticket or table purchases to a fundraising dinner, greens fees for a charity golf tournament, or pledges made to an organization.

You cannot support an individual with a charitable contribution, as all grants through donor advised funds must be given to nonprofit organizations. You may support a particular organization that works with a population you feel warrants assistance from your fund, and make note of the kind of needs you would like to serve through the grant.

Our professional staff is a valuable resource that is available to you. They can work with you in identifying organizations involved in the causes you care about, including identifying opportunities for you to "co-fund" projects the Foundation is supporting. You also can make use of our Directory of Rhode Island's Nonprofits to identify organizations and causes of interest. Another useful tool is Guidestar, an online resource that seeks "to revolutionize philanthropy by providing information that advances transparency, enables users to make better decisions, and encourages charitable giving."

Grant recommendations received by Friday of any week are issued by the following Friday (major holidays excluded).

An individual with a donor advised fund can use the form to recommend grants from their fund.  Donors can recommend grants online through DonorCentral or use the online Grant Recommendation Form.