Donations Guide
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is fueled by passionate Do-It-Yourself Fundraisers like you who go above and beyond to move us closer toward a world free of MS.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society defines a Do It Yourself Fundraising (DIY) activity as any fundraising activity by a third-party (defined as any non-affiliated group or individual – including volunteers and employees – where the Society has no direct responsibilities and little or no staff involvement or planning.)
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Impact of Donations
The money you raise with your DIY Fundraiser fuels groundbreaking research that gets us closer to a cure. Your fundraising also supports Society programs and services that ensure people with MS have access to the resources they need to live their best lives right now. Learn more.
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Fundraising Goals & Fees
There is no fundraising minimum for DIY Fundraising nor is there a fee to register your event – but that only means the sky is the limit! The more you raise, the bigger the impact, so we encourage you to aim high.
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Society Sponsorship
The Society cannot help with funding your event, which includes reimbursing for any event of fundraising expenses, funding or being responsible for any debts incurred.
We recommend that you speak with a financial advisor to determine how to move forward. Third parties are prohibited from opening bank accounts with the National MS Society’s EIN number. In the past, other third parties who have planned DIY events have elected to form their own 501(C)(3) organization or open a new bank account to be used exclusively for the event. However, you should work with your financial advisor to determine the best option for you.
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Cash & Check Donations
Checks must be made out to the “National MS Society.” If you receive a check payable to your team, write "National MS Society" above your team name. If it's made out to you, please endorse the check payable to the National MS Society. Download the MS Society Mobile app on your Android or iOS device and click on Enter Donations to upload a check.
Typically, your fundraising total will instantly update after uploading the check (some checks may take up to 3 business days). This is the quickest way for check donations to reflect in your fundraising account. After you upload the check, there is no need to mail the physical checks.
Or mail your donations (made out to National MS Society) with a completed Donation Tracking form to:
National MS Society ATTN: DIY MS
900 S. Broadway 2nd Floor
Denver, CO 80209Please be sure to write your name, the DIY Event name, and event year on the memo line of every check you turn in (e.g., "Jane Smith, Baking for MS, 2023"). Feel free to contact us at 1-800-344-4867, ext. 15214, or by email at diyms@nmss.org for further support!
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Matching Gifts
The Basics
A matching gift is a gift from a donor's employer that matches the donor's original gift, often dollar-for-dollar. You can significantly increase your fundraising by asking your donors to apply for matching gifts if their employer offers them.
How Matching Gifts Work
Donors must submit the appropriate information to their company regarding matching gifts for their donation. The company may reach out to us to confirm the donation was made and our staff will send confirmation to the donor's company.
Once we receive the matching gift check, we will credit the amount to your fundraising. Please remember, this process may take some time depending on how frequently companies pay out charitable donations. However, if we have received the matching gift paperwork by the fundraising deadline, we will include the pending donation in your fundraising total.
Steps to Submitting a Matching Gift
1) Search for Employer’s Matching Gift Program
To find out if your employer has a matching gift program, search below, ask your human resources staff, or visit your company's intranet.
2) Request a Matching Gift
Talk to your employer about their matching gift process. Generally, your human resources department is a great place to start.3) Send a Matching Gift Form
Refer to the instructions on the matching gift form. If you need to mail or email the form to us, please use the following information (please include the participant's name and event with your matching gift form):Email:
MatchingGifts@nmss.org
Mailing Address:
National MS Society
Attn: Matching Gifts
733 Third Avenue, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10017Our Tax ID# is 13-5661935.
Track Your Matching Gift
Check the "Progress" section of your Fundraising Center. It usually takes months before we receive matching gifts; however, even though they are not yet paid, you will receive credit for matching gifts for prize purposes.
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Donor Receipts – Tax Deductible Donations
Everyone who makes an online donation will receive an e-mail confirmation receipt for tax purposes. Donors who give $250 or more will receive a thank you letter and receipt by mail.
For donations less than $250, the IRS will accept the following as proof of a charitable donation: a canceled check, bank or credit union statement, or a credit card statement.
Note: If you are deducting expenses before sending net proceeds to the Society, you should not state or imply to your donors that any funds given to you are tax-deductible, and you should not use the word “donation” because it implies that they are tax deductible.
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Get Online
- Dive into your Fundraising Center
- Set a goal and aim high!
- Make a self-donation to kickstart your fundraising and show others that you’re leading the way.
- Personalize your page by sharing your story of why you participate. You can even create a custom URL!
- Add Fundraising Milestones which allow you to create mini goals to inspire your donors to give a little bit extra to reach your next milestone. Add competitive milestones, such as, “halfway to my goal,”, to the mission milestones we’ve included for you, to show donors how their support is making an impact. If you raised $200 last year, consider adding a Help me reach my last year’s best milestone at $200.
- Use the Power of Social Media
Share your story, videos and photos. Launch a Linked Facebook Fundraiser from your Fundraising Center. Learn how to use Facebook to power your fundraising. - Thank Your Donors
Click on the Donations tab where you can customize a thank you message for each donor and track who's been thanked. - Download the App
The apps are a powerful tool to help you raise funds and awareness for a world free of MS. There are exciting new features — like physical challenges to mobile check deposit — to help you go the extra mile in your fundraising and connect with your community.
- Add Fundraising Link to Your Emails
Include your fundraising link on all outgoing emails, and texts. Also, re-record your voicemail to include a mention about participating and a request to contact you about donating. - Donor Incentives
A new way to ask for donation amounts. You can set any kind of prize, item or giveaway for incentives. For instance, we had one participant offer to bake a cheesecake for anyone who donated $100 through incentives. We had another who offered to bake cookies for every $500 donation. Participants can even add photos to the incentive to make it more enticing! The possibilities are almost limitless. Incentives show up on your fundraising page right beneath your thermometer as an option for donors. To set them up, simply navigate to your personal page in your dashboard. - QR Codes
There are many ways to make a QR Code of a page — in Google Chrome on a desktop you can simply right click and find the option to create a QR code, or use a free QR code generator. Save and copy the image file and print it on posters for a tip jar, put it up at your team fundraising events, or save it directly to your phone and show it to friends and family when you see them to quickly scan with their phone and make a donation. (Bonus: When making a donation on a mobile device there are multiple payment options such as Venmo, Paypal, Apple Pay and more). Create a QR code here. - Video or Stream
You can also add a video to your fundraising page. This is a great way to make a personal ask, tell your story, or document your journey. You can pre-record a video and use the stream embed, or even live stream directly to your fundraising page!
- Dive into your Fundraising Center
