Frequently Asked Questions
What are the details of the Microsoft Settlement?
The Microsoft Corporation reached a class-action settlement with the state of California in late 2003. Under the terms of the settlement, Microsoft was required to pay out over $1 billion to Californians who purchased their software between 1995 and 2001; part of the settlement allowed individuals to donate their settlement payout to a non-profit organization of their choice. The settlement payouts come in the form of vouchers, which are very easy to use (convert to cash). For more on the settlement, check www.microsoftcalsettlement.com.
How do the vouchers work?
The settlement is paid in the form of technology vouchers which work like rebate coupons. Any purchase made after July 18, 2003 is eligible for a refund. By sending vouchers along with purchase receipts, an organization can simply receive a check. Nonprofits that have not made the full $10,000 in purchases since 2003 may hold on to their vouchers, which are valid until approximately Fall 2010. Future IT purchases can also be submitted to the administrator for a refund, essentially making IT purchases free, excepting tax and shipping costs.
What products are eligible?
IT purchases including software, hardware, and peripherals, but not including any enterprise or server purchases. Eligible products would include an Apple Powerbook laptop, a Dell desktop, or a tablet PC, any desktop or laptop software (Adobe Photoshop, CorelDraw, etc.), printers, scanners, monitors, keyboards, or pointing devices (mice, trackballs, etc.).
What products are not eligible?
Server hardware and software, enterprise software that is server or internet based. For example, QuickBooks desktop edition is eligible, Quickbooks Enterprise Edition is not. PDAs and other handheld devices, internal or external storage devices, custom software, and any software that is Web-based (such as Salesforce.com).
Who is behind DonateDirect™?
DonateDirect™ is a division of Settlement Recovery Center, LLC (SRC), a company that was formed in October, 2003 to help businesses and individuals maximize their recovery from the California Microsoft anti-trust settlement. SRC created DonateDirect™ to assist nonprofits that wished to benefit from this settlement. For more information on SRC, visit http://www.settlementrecovery.com.
What nonprofits are you currently working with?
You can view a partial list of our clients and testimonials here.
Did you receive a postcard?
If so click here to read FAQ & details related to that notification.
How much money can these vouchers be redeemed for?
Each organization may receive a maximum of $10,000. Because we are aggregating a large number of individual claims, it is impractical to say that we will have exact amounts for all of our clients, but we will guarantee an amount between $9,901 and $10,000.
What are the limits on the vouchers?
Vouchers may be used to purchase desktop computers, laptops, peripheral devices (printers, scanners, monitors, keyboards and mice) as well as desktop software from any vendor -- not just Microsoft. Enterprise and server purchases are not eligible for a voucher refund, and the vouchers do not cover tax and shipping costs.
What does a voucher look like?
Please see our Sample Voucher.
When I get my vouchers, can I sell them to another organization?
No. The vouchers can be transferred only once, and the act of donating them to your organization uses up that transfer.
When do the vouchers expire?
The vouchers expire four years from the date of issue. Your vouchers will expire between September and November of 2010.
How much work will it take to redeem the vouchers?
As long as you have the receipts or other proofs of purchase available, filling out all of your vouchers should not take more than about an hour.
After I send vouchers and receipts to the Claims Administrator, how long will it take to get my settlement check?
Checks will be mailed approximately 60 days after you turn in receipts to the claims administrator.
How do I know that my claim is being processed?
When the Claims Administrator receives your claim, they will send you an email confirming receipt of your documents. If you would like further confirmation, send your claims via USPS Certified Mail, with a return receipt requested.
What do I do if my claim is rejected?
If any part of your claim does not qualify, the Claims Administrator will send you an email notifying you of the problem. Then, they will cut you a check for the qualifying part of your claim, and send you a new voucher for the disqualified amount. For example – if you send in a claim for $8,200, and $200 of that is for standalone RAM, you will receive a check for $8,000, and a voucher for $200.
What happens if my vouchers are lost?
If your vouchers are misplaced, please contact the Claims Administrator to let them know. The Administrator will then void your first set of vouchers and send you a replacement set of the same value.
How much does this fundraising method cost me?
The DonateDirect™ service fee is $3000. The process of aggregating claims, soliciting donors, and keeping track of it all is a substantial investment for us. Think of it this way – we’re saving you the time and hassle of $10,000 in development return. For any organization, return of $10,000 on $3,000 of development spending, with virtually no time commitment on your part, is a good deal.
Is my organization a good candidate for this program?
If your organization has made desktop purchases of at least $10,000 in the past three years, you are an outstanding candidate for this program. Because of your past purchases you will be able to send the vouchers and receipts for qualifying purchases immediately to the Claims Administrator and will receive your $10,000 within approximately 60 days. Your organization will need the capability to pay our service fee at the present time. If your organization has not purchased that amount of IT equipment since 2003, but are planning on making more IT purchases in the next few years, you are also a good candidate for this program. In this case, whenever your organization makes an IT purchase, you can send the receipts along with the equivalent amount in vouchers to the administrator, making those IT purchases essentially free. If your organization has made some purchases since 2003, you will be able to immediately convert that amount of vouchers into cash, and you may use the remaining vouchers to offset IT purchases for the next four years. The vouchers cannot be used to offset shipping or sales taxes.
Have your donors limited the type of organization that can receive donations?
Our donor pool comes from all over California and we try to focus on recipient organizations that are engaged in non-controversial activities. Food banks, relief charities, health care, disease foundations, and educational organizations are all prime candidates for the DonateDirect™ program. For this reason, we generally steer away from political and religious organizations; if you have questions about the eligibility of your organization, please contact us.
Must my organization be California-based?
No. Although the settlement is based in California, recipient organizations can be anywhere in the world. DonateDirect™ is already working with organizations of both a nationwide and international nature. All we need is proof of 501(c)3 status in the United States.
What if an individual donor wants his/her voucher back?
This will not happen. We were extraordinarily rigorous in confirming and double-confirming each donor’s desire to donate his or her claim. All of these claims have been verified both with the donor and with the claims administrator. In the very unlikely event of a challenge DonateDirect™ will handle any legal work. Additionally, in the past 60 days we have contacted each donor individually to reconfirm their desire to donate their settlement vouchers.
If there is a problem with my submission, what happens?
In the event that your submission is ineligible or has other issues, the claims administrator will contact you directly.
What should I say in my acknowledgement letter?
To assist you with the preparation of your donor thank you letter (after receiving payment from the claims administrator), we have provided language which can be inserted into your organization’s standard thank you letter: Download Nonprofit Acknowledgement Letter (PDF). Feel free to modify this language to suit your needs. Please be sure to include the individual voucher amount.
What if my thank you letter was returned?
Pursuant to court-approved guidelines and agreements with the settlement Claims Administrator, DonateDirect sent reminder postcards to all donors at the addresses they provided on their donation claim forms. Because these forms were completed in 2004/2005 some donors have moved since completing their claim forms. SRC attempted to obtain updated mailing addresses for all donors in late 2006 in conjunction with the post card mailing. Despite these efforts, it is still possible that a thank you letter may be returned to you. This does not change the substance of your donation, and you do not have to take any action. We just want you to know of this possibility.
I’m interested. What are my next steps?
Please visit the Sign Up page and follow the instructions therein. Once you are signed up with the program, we will send you your vouchers, along with detailed instructions regarding how to submit them to the claims administrator.
I have a question and it is not covered here. How do I contact you?
You may email us with any questions, or give us a call at (415) 392-5900.
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