By default, all disbursements made through Network for Good’s Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) are sent via USPS on the 15th of each month; your organization should receive a paper check (with an additional paper insert) a few days after each disbursement that includes all donations made in the prior calendar month.

But wouldn’t it be great to get those donations even sooner?

We strongly recommend that our customers set up direct deposit (also known as EFT) to receive their disbursements directly – and immediately – on the 15th of every month.

This means you’ll have access to your funds more quickly than if you had to wait for a check to arrive – and it eliminates the concern that the check might get lost in the mail.

If you’re using Bonterra Payments – the good news is that you’re already automatically set up to receive the majority of your disbursements via direct deposit!

However, if your organization is expecting any donations through other locations - like through one of our professional partners – those donations will still be processed by Network for Good’s DAF.

To make it easier for you and your accounting, we recommend signing up for direct deposit even if you’re using Bonterra Payments, to make sure you’re getting all of your donations as quickly as possible.

This process will ask you to confirm some information about your organization, as well as provide contact details for an “authorized representative” of your organization (like an executive director) as well as connect to your organization’s bank account.

We recommend that this process be completed by an authorized representative (or someone who can provide those necessary details!) in order to avoid any delays in disbursing your funds.

To sign up for direct deposit, you’ll need to first log into our Disbursement Portal. (You may also hear this referenced as “the Giving Portal” or “DonateNow Lite” - it’s all the same thing!)

The Disbursement Portal is separate from any of your other Guided Fundraising products, and uses your EIN (not your email address!) to log in. That’s because this portal is available to any organization that receives disbursements from the Network for Good DAF.

Pro Tip: Take a look at the URL of the page you’re trying to log into. If the website ends in “.com”, you’ll log in using your email address. If the website ends in “.org,” you’ll log in using your organization’s EIN.

If you’ve never logged into the Disbursement Portal before, you’ll likely need to register first. You’ll want to enter your organization’s “I Need to Register” heading and click “Register,” and then fill out the required information to proceed.

Curious about why you have to “register” when you already have an account with Bonterra? Registration through the Disbursement Portal helps us confirm that the information we have on file for your organization and admins is accurate and up-to-date.

Once you’ve logged in, you should see a box on the screen that’s labeled “Direct Deposit” - you’ll then want to click on the “Apply Now” button.

Once you’ve clicked “Apply Now,” you should see two ways for you to apply for disbursement via direct deposit – so which one should you use?

We strongly recommend you try to connect via DirectLink first, since the approval process can be quicker than the alternative.

Our DirectLink application option uses Plaid in order to relay your organization’s bank account information securely for processing and review.

Plaid is a well-known financial platform that’s used to securely verify information – you can learn more about Plaid here.

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There are a few limitations to our DirectLink application option – for example, there is a possibility that your bank may not be listed when you reach the step to link your account.

ManualLink lets you submit your nonprofit’s bank information securely to our team without connecting to Plaid – but can take up to 8 weeks to be processed and receive approval.

Our ManualLink option is designed for those folks whose needs aren’t met by the DirectLink application – that's why we strongly recommend trying to use the DirectLink option first!

If you are using the ManualLink option, you’ll be provided with some important details on the process, and then be prompted to “proceed to connect manually.”

The ManualLink option requires you to provide the following information for approval:

With the ManualLink option, you will also be prompted to provide information to verify that you have access to your nonprofit's donation activity. This typically means including a scanned copy of a voided check or a bank statement for your organization.

Once you’ve submitted either version of the direct deposit application, you should receive an email that confirms that our team has reviewed and verified the provided information. For DirectLink applications, you should expect to see that email in about three weeks; for ManualLink applications, it may take up to eight weeks to receive.

If, for whatever reason, our team isn’t able to approve your direct deposit application, you’ll also receive an email that includes what corrections need to be made. You should be able to reply directly to that email for further instruction, or you can contact our Support Team for assistance.

Can’t seem to find those emails? Haven’t heard back from our team and it’s been more than 8 weeks? Be sure to check your “spam” or “junk” folders – those messages can sometimes end up hiding in there!

While you’re waiting on your direct deposit application to be approved, you’ll still be able to collect and receive donations!

All donations made before the direct deposit application is approved will still be delivered through physical mail, or whatever previous disbursement method your organization was previously using.

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