Frequently Asked Questions about Donations
to Special Olympics New York

Will I get a receipt for my donation?
Yes.  When you make your donation online, you will see a confirmation page and receive an email confirmation, either one of which may be used as an official receipt.

If you wish to donate via mail, please download this [ form ] and send in with your contribution. We will then send you a confirmation letter which you can expect within 1-2 weeks of your contribution.

Is my donation tax-deductible?
Special Olympics New York, Inc. is recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. 100% of your donation is tax-deductible. 

Our Federal Tax ID number or Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 23-7061382.
Click here to view our annual report and our most recent 990 Form.

My donation was not processed. Why?
If your donation failed after completing the transaction, it is likely that information provided, such as the credit card identification number did not match exactly with what is on file at your bank. For further assistance, you may contact us at 1 (800)836-6976 x 106, or email dhenders@nyso.org.

How can I be sure you are using my support wisely?  How much of my donation goes to support program activities?
Special Olympics strives to operate as efficiently as possible. A significant portion of our revenue comes from a broad base of donors, $10 and $20 dollars at a time. Every contribution makes an important difference. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, more people with intellectual disabilities have a chance to participate and experience the transformative powers of sports. More than 88% percent of our expenditures go to supporting program activities – including supporting local training and competition, developing education materials for our volunteer coaches, outreach to recruit more athletes, family support, and much more. Maintaining these high standards is a priority at Special Olympics.

What credit cards does Special Olympics accept?  How can I be sure my donation is secure?
We accept American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa and PayPal(Online).  Special Olympics takes every precaution to protect our donors’ information, please refer to our privacy policy.  Companies we work with to process credit card transactions are among the most reputable in the field, trusted by major charities.  SSL encryption and certificate services are utilized for communicating potentially sensitive data over the Internet.  This method is the industry standard security protocol, which makes it extremely difficult for anyone else to intercept the credit card information you send to us.  In addition to maintaining privacy and security controls over information you share with us,

Special Olympics works to accurately process your contribution information.
During business hours (M-F, 8:30am - 5pm EST) our staff is available to answer questions about your financial donation at 1 (800) 836-6976 x 106, or email dhenders@nyso.org.

May I donate in honor or memory of someone? Will you send a tribute card to the recipient?
Yes, donating in someone’s name is a meaningful way to celebrate a friend or remember a loved one. You can enter information in the “In Honor/Memorial” program. Special Olympics will send a note to the honoree or their family if you wish, letting them know that you made a donation to honor them.   Cards are processed each business day but please allow 1-2 weeks for your honoree’s card to arrive in the mail.

May I become a monthly contributor to Special Olympics?
Absolutely!  Monthly giving is one of the best ways you can support Special Olympics, providing a reliable revenue stream for trainings and competitions.  You can sign up using this secure online form.  Your first donation will be processed right away and then each month on approximately the first of the month for however many months you choose (2-60).  You will receive confirmation when your contribution was processed.  If you would like to make any changes to your monthly donation at any point or have any questions about monthly giving, please use the form below to request the changes or contact us at 1 (800) 836-6976 x 106, or email dhenders@nyso.org.

Does Special Olympics offer planned giving?
Special Olympics offers a wide range of planned gift options for you to choose from including bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, and retirement assets. Making a planned gift to Special Olympics helps ensure our ability to respond to the challenges we will face in the future.  To learn more about the various planned giving options available, please contact rsnyder@nyso.org.

I would like to get more involved with Special Olympics, how can I do that?
Whether you are looking for a way to play sports, be inspired or have an impact in your community, getting involved with Special Olympics is a great way to have fun and give back.  Learn about ways you can join our community of fans and athletes and find regional offices closest to you.

Will Special Olympics accept a matching gift from my company?
You can double or triple your support of Special Olympics athletes through your company's matching gift program. Find out if your company is among the thousands that will match your donation to Special Olympics, allowing your contribution to increase opportunity for exponentially more athletes with intellectual disabilities than you could imagine.  

I have sports trophies – can I donate them to Special Olympics?
Special Olympics athletes receive new, specially designed medals or ribbons as competition awards.  We do not accept donated trophies.

I want to make a donation to sponsor someone in a local event, like a Polar Plunge®, but I don’t see the option for that on your donation page.  How can I make sure my contribution is correctly credited to the event participant?

Most Special Olympics fundraising events like Polar Plunges® are managed locally, Special web pages set up specifically for Polar Plunges® and other pledge fundraisers.  Please visit our website’s fundraising calendar for a complete listing to see whether they have an event donation page.

I have a question about donating to Special Olympics that was not answered on this page.
Please contact us at 1 (800) 836-6976 x 106, or email dhenders@nyso.org. To help us answer your inquiry, please provide your complete information and how we can reach you. 

Is your site secure?
All of our donation forms are https secure and are embedded into our site design. Verisign Trusted with Blackbaud Donate with Confidence.

If you wish to go directly to the https secure form, the links are listed below.

Donations
https://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Simple/Donor.asp?ievent=478967&en=jjKNLYPGLiKSIZNQLgJLK3OIIkIZI9NTLqK0JbNVKtJ9H
In Honor of
https://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Simple/Donor.asp?ievent=479462&en=5oJzHIMjE4JIISNmE3LEIUODIiKMKZMxGeKJIVNEJsF
In Lieu of
https://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Simple/Donor.asp?ievent=479496&en=7gLDIOOrH6JMJYMuE5LJJVNFKkLQK5OFIjJUL5MMKuF
Monthly Giving
https://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Simple/Donor.asp?ievent=479477&en=6fIBJLOnE5JKLVNqH4JGJXOHLjJOJ2MBJgLRK3MIKtF
If you have a general question, comment, or suggestion, please contact us via info@nyso.org.