Your generosity is directly responsible for saving children and families from natural disasters by funding our work of strengthening homes, schools and hospitals before the next disaster strikes. The clock is ticking.

The value guide below gives you a general idea of how valuable your donation is. Click any donate button on the left to donate that amount. To setup an automatic monthly donation, such as $10 a month, simply select 'recurring billing' on the donation screen.

If you can't donate right now, here is an easy way for you to donate without costing you any money: goodsearch

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Where does my donation go?

A: Your donation goes straight to IGS. It is spent according to our annual budget, which is described on our financials page.

Q: Is my donation tax-deductible?

A: Yes. IGS is an IRS approved 501(c)3 public charity and your donation is tax-deductible as described by the most recent IRS rules. To download our IRS tax-deductibility letter, click here

Q: Do I have to do anything in order to receive the tax-deduction?

A: Print a copy of the receipt page after you make your donation to use as proof of your donation. Don't lose it.

Q: What is my money used for?

A: Your money is used for basic food, transportation, lodging (sometimes) and other expenses associated with our volunteer trips. It is also used for overhead expenses that are an unavoidable part of running a charity. A more detailed description is on our financials page.

Q: Am I paying to fly volunteers to the project sites?

A: No. Volunteers pay for their own plane tickets to get to the volunteer sites. The transportation expenses associated with our volunteer projects are things such as gas for the van that takes the volunteers to and from the project site each day and renting the volunteer van itself.

Q: What does "overhead expenses" mean?

A: "Overhead expenses" means things such as salaries for IGS's full-time employees, the IGS website (it's not free), promotional costs for IGS fundraising events (the events aren't free either), business cards, informational flyers and other general business costs. A more detailed description is on our financials page.

Q: How much of my donation goes to the volunteer trips and how much goes to overhead expenses?

A: You can see our 2010 budget breakdown here

Q: How much does an average volunteer project cost?

A: Projects typically range between $8,000-$10,000 per week for a team of about 10 volunteers.

Q: How can I know that IGS does what it says it will with my donation?

A: Since IGS is a 501(c)3 public charity, all of its financial records are made public at the end of each year. That way you can see exactly where every dollar of IGS's money goes. Also, the IRS has very strict rules about how a charity spends its money. They look to make sure that charities spend the majority of their money on their volunteer missions.