FAQs for donors

+ Where will my donation go?

Your donation will go directly towards the communication journeys of speech and language therapy for children with Down syndrome in Aotearoa New Zealand. The vast majority of this is the cost of speech and language therapy sessions, but our other costs include Outreach groups and payment of our three part-time employees who process around 200 speech therapy payments a month, support our members and speak to each and every one, advocate for our members, apply for grants, run fundraising events, process your tax receipts, ensure speech therapy programmes are professional and accountable, and generally make sure those speech therapy sessions are possible and are taking place.

+ Are donations tax deductible?

Absolutely! As a registered charity monitored by Charities Services in the Department of Internal Affairs, any donation you make over $5 is eligible for a New Zealand tax rebate of 33.3%. You will receive your donation receipt before the end of the tax year. If you would like you receipt sooner than this, please feel free to get in touch with us and request this.

+ When will I receive my donation receipt?

Our donation receipts are processed every few months by a wonderful volunteer. You will receive your donation for each UpsideDowns financial year (1 April-31 March) before the end of the first month of the next financial year (i.e. April). If you would like your receipt earlier or haven’t received a receipt within this time, please feel free to email us at info@upsidedowns.co.nz to check in.

+ Can I make a regular donation to UpsideDowns?

Absolutely! We make a long-term commitment to every child we take off our waitlist – we will fund their communication journey until they choose to resign or until they turn 21. Many of our members are babies when they apply, so that’s a big commitment! That’s why a regular donation means so much to us and to the whānau we support. There are three ways to support us regularly: 1. Choose one of our regular giving plans using your credit card by clicking here: https://www.upsidedowns.co.nz/donate 2. Set up a regular payment with One Percent Collective and choose us (or us and a few others) as your chosen charity by clicking here: https://give.onepercentcollective.org/charity/upsidedowns 3. Use your internet banking facilities to set up a regular payment to our bank account 12-3040-0710182-00 directly (feel free to email us and ask for a deposit slip as verification this is the correct number).

+ How much should I give?

That is absolutely up to you. Every little really does help, especially when it’s regular. Our regular giving plans give you an idea of what each amount will be able to fund. It’s important to us that you don’t give any more than you can afford, so choose the amount that’s right for you. One thing to bear in mind though, is that $120 a year in regular payments of $10 a month, is more helpful for us than a one-off $120 donation because of the long-term commitment that we make to each family, and the careful deliberations we need to make before taking any new applicant off our waitlist.

+ Can I fundraise for UpsideDowns?

Yes, please! Whether it’s a sponsored run, a school bake sale, a pub quiz night, or a cycle from one end of the country to the other, we have experience in creating bespoke fundraising pages for any occasion that are easy for you and your funders to use. Just email us at info@upsidedowns.co.nz to find out more, or go ahead and set up your own fundraiser through Go Fundraise here: https://www.gofundraise.co.nz/beneficiary/upsidedowns