Frequently Asked Questions

 

Where is the charity headquartered?

Children of Bulgaria is incorporated in the State of New York. Our headquarters are in the city of Larchmont, NY that is located 30mis from New York City.

How do you find your projects?

We research institutions in various regions in Bulgaria that take care of children and assess their need for help. We aim to maximize the impact of your donations by selecting projects that will uplift the children’s education and/or support their physical needs. We also look to be geographically diverse. Lastly, our projects are with institutions that have a strong leadership which is essential in delivering the project on the ground.

Do you receive salaries?

No. Children of Bulgaria Board of Directors and Management are all volunteers and dedicate their time and efforts free of charge. Our motivation is the wellbeing of the children in Bulgaria. And since we are children of Bulgaria, we consider it our duty to give back to our country and its children.

What is your expense ratio?

98% of the collected donations go to support our projects. We attain that high benefit to cost ratio by purchasing directly from the vendors, as opposed to sending cash to the recipients, and by performing control checks to eliminate the possibility of fraud or misappropriation. We are always determined to get the most value out of the collected funds by negotiating prices, avoiding middlemen and minimizing our operating expenses to less than 2%.

Do you fund your charity events with donor’s money?

No. Our charity events have dedicated sponsors that fund the event. Children of Bulgaria hold typically 1 event annually. However, we skipped 2021, 2022 due to the COVID public emergency.

Do you fund projects individually or as a cash pool?

Children of Bulgaria has annual donation campaign dedicated to supporting a particular project/s. We carefully access the needs of the recipient and then announce the new annual donations’ goal. Then, we try to utilize all donations to the benefit of the announced project/s. Upon completion of the project, if there are any money left, we use these remaining funds for the next year’s project or in some cases we have small ad hoc projects that we prefer to execute.

Do you accept checks?

Yes. We accept checks that you can mail to our business address, Children of Bulgaria, Inc, 36 Harrison Dr, Larchmont, NY 10538.

Do you accept credit cards?

Yes, all major credit cards are accepted via Paypal. Please access all methods of payment here.

Do you accept venmo/paypal?

Yes, please access all methods of payment here.

Can we make payments on facebook?

Yes, please access all methods of payment here.

Can donors make gift for other donors?

Yes, you can make a gift on the behalf of another person. Just state their name when completing the transaction in the Name/Notes field. We also issue donation certificates if you like to send those as a gift to a 3^rd party.

Can donor’s employer match their donation?

Yes, you can double and even triple your donation. There are 23,000 employers in the US that offer matching gift programs for their employees. Some companies even match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses. And many employers also offer volunteer matching programs that match employee volunteerism with a corporate donations.

How does company matching work?

To find out if your company matches gifts check here and ask your HR department. Once you make the donation, the company will verify that Children of Bulgaria is part of their approved list and then send us a separate check to match your original donation. If we are not on the company’s list, they will send a link to you/us to complete the registration process. We can complete the registration process on your behalf. It’s a one-off exercise that you don’t have to do in consequent years. More so, it will benefit all employees in the company to enable them for Children of Bulgaria gift matching.

Do donors save from their taxes?

Donors in USA can deduct the donation from their taxes. Children of Bulgaria is a non-profit, tax-exempt public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS. We are not sure how it works in other countries but you get issued a receipt for your donation that you can attach to your tax filling.

Are you on social media?

Yes, we are on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

How many campaigns were completed so far?

As of 2022 we have completed 7 campaigns supporting over 10 different projects. Check our track record here.

How much did you raise in all campaigns?

Every campaign is different. Due to your continuous support and generosity, we have an annual donation goal of $100,000 that we hope to surpass.

What type of organizations do you help?

Our mission is to help educational, health and other institutions to create a better world for children in Bulgaria. Our projects vary but we typically support pediatric and maternity wards in regional hospitals, schools for disadvantaged children, boarding schools and other specialized children centers.

What type of items do you buy for the recipient organizations?

The items vary depending on the project and the recipient organization needs. It can be anything from school supplies to incubators and medical scanners. You can read more about our individual projects and delivery here.

Do you perform control checks on the materials you send?

We negotiate directly with the vendors and ask for competing prices. Upon delivery, we ask for detailed pictures, warranty on the name of the recipient and reception-transmission protocol signed by the director of the recipient institution. In some projects, we send local representatives to assess the quality of work. We execute all these control mechanisms before the final payment/disbursement to the vendors.

Where can donors see the financials?

Each campaign has published Financials on our website in Documents & Certificates section for that campaign.

Do you offer volunteer opportunities?

You can help by organizing donation campaigns in your organization, facebook or community. You can participate as a volunteer in our annual events. Throughout the years we had different proposals for help and we are ready to discuss your ideas. Please contract us or make a donation here.