Subject Five questions to ask about your donors' data, and three dates for the fall

October 2026

Practical things you can do this week · for nonprofits that run programs.

Worth asking

A donor record moving into a locked server, five question bubbles above it, and a signed page with a check mark.

Five questions to ask any software vendor about your donors' data

Your donor records hold names, addresses, giving history, and sometimes notes about people's lives. Before they go into someone else's software, it's fair to ask how they'll be treated. Here are five questions to ask, and what a good answer sounds like.

1. Where does our data live, and is it encrypted?

A good answer names the company that hosts the servers, says the data is encrypted both where it's stored and while it travels, and says who can get into those servers. "It's in the cloud" doesn't tell you anything.

2. Who at your company can see our records, and will we know when they do?

Look for access limited to named staff who need it, each with their own login and no shared passwords. The best answer is that every time support opens your data, it's logged somewhere you can see.

3. Do you ever sell our data or share it with anyone?

You want a plain no, in writing, in the contract or the privacy policy. If the answer mentions "partners" or "marketing purposes," ask exactly who and for what.

4. How does AI touch our data?

Ask whether your records are used to train AI models, whether any AI feature sends your data to another company, and whether you can use the software without those features. A good answer is specific and leaves the choice with you.

5. What happens if there's a breach?

A good answer is a written incident response plan with a set deadline for telling you what happened, what data was involved and what they're doing about it. "We'd let you know" isn't a plan.

Ask for the answers in writing, and keep them with your contract.

Worth Knowing

A yearly IRS form going to a central organization that covers its three chapters.

Group exemptions: the central organization now files Form 15644 every year

If your organization holds a group exemption, the IRS letter that covers your chapters under one ruling, the central organization now has to file Form 15644 every year. It goes in at least 30 days and no more than 90 days before the end of your accounting year, by fax to 833-312-5228. Churches and conventions of churches may file it but don't have to.

On a calendar year, that window runs from October 2 to December 1, so it opens this week. If you're a chapter rather than the central office, the filing isn't yours, but it's worth asking whether it's on someone's calendar.

The IRS update →

The Money

A firefighter helmet, a grant portal that is almost full, a first-aid kit and a clock at two.

The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation portal reopens October 8 at 2 PM ET

The portal closes after 600 submitted applications. It closed early last quarter when it hit the limit, and a draft still unsubmitted when the limit is reached is denied. The foundation funds lifesaving equipment and prevention education for public safety, military and veteran organizations, and nonprofits. The average award is $25,000 to $35,000, and a request over $50,000 is denied.

Have it ready before the portal opens: one vendor quote for related equipment, itemized and dated within three months (online quotes aren't accepted), your W-9, a short history of your organization, and one set of financials. The financials can be a balance sheet or income statement from the last month, this year's budget, or last year's audit or 990. Past recipients wait three years before applying again.

The application portal →

One Fix

A checklist, a thank-you letter with a heart, and a pen.

What a thank-you letter for a gift of $250 or more has to say

A donor can't deduct a single gift of $250 or more without a written acknowledgment from you. It needs:

your organization's name
the amount of a cash gift, or a description (not a value) of a noncash one
a statement that you gave nothing in return, if that's true
if you did give something back, a description and good-faith estimate of its value
if all you gave back was an intangible religious benefit, a statement saying so

The donor has to have it by the day they file, or by the filing deadline if that comes first. An email is fine, and one year-end summary can cover several gifts. You don't need their Social Security number. Separate gifts under $250 aren't added together, so weekly offerings of $50 don't need one.

The IRS guidance →

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Five questions to ask about your donors' data, and three dates for the fall

Five questions to ask any software vendor about your donors' data

Group exemptions: the central organization now files Form 15644 every year

The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation portal reopens October 8 at 2 PM ET

What a thank-you letter for a gift of $250 or more has to say

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