The SHARE Online Application is the preferred tool Sandia/California employees should use to designate automated payroll deductions for charitable contributions through the SHARE program.  This web application is quick, easy to use, reduces labor to process contributions, and eliminates paper.  For those who wish to donate the same amount and distribution as last year, the application provides the ability to do this with the click of one easy-to-find button.

The Tri-Valley Community Foundation (formerly Fund) is a local organization that is dedicated to raising and distributing charitable contributions to local human service, cultural, and educational organizations in the communities of Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, Sunol, San Ramon, Danville and Alamo, as well as out lying areas of San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. We have collaborated with TVCF for many years to raise and distribute contributions from Sandia employees to communities all over the greater Bay Area and San Joaquin Valley.

Sandia is not in the business of distributing charitable contributions, however TVCF is.  As contributions accumulate, Sandia periodically sends checks to TVCF, along with instructions on how to distribute the funds, and TVCF performs the distribution at no cost to Sandia.

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The Online Donation Application is the preferred method for employees who receive their pay directly from Sandia. Employees who do not receive their pay directly from Sandia, i.e., contractors, can not use the online donation application and therefore must use the paper pledge form. If the charity you wish to contribute to is not specifically listed among the many agencies already included in the SHARE program (listed at Agencies), you may donate to it by writing in the agency name and address where designated on the Pledge Form or the Online Donation Application when you donate.

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Yes.  California state law requires you must pledge a new contribution each year you wish to make one.  For those who wish to make the same contribution as they did last year, we have made it very easy to do with the click of one easy-to-find button in the Online Donation Application.

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The IRS regulation (Publication 526) states the following:

“For contributions of $250 or more that you make after 1993, you can claim a deduction only if you have an acknowledgment of your contribution from the qualified organization. In figuring whether your contribution is $250 or more, do not combine separate contributions. However, two checks written on the same date to the same qualified organization may be considered one contribution.”

One-time deductions for $250 or more will be reported to the Tri-Valley Community Foundation so that they can provide a letter verifying receipt of the donation to the employee for tax purposes.

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Yes. You can donate to any non-profit agency anywhere in the world.  The Tri-Valley Community Foundation (TVCF) verifies each agency you choose is a legitimate non-profit agency as part of their service they provide to Sandia distributing charitable contributions at no cost. You can “write in” up to 10 agencies by simply providing the names and addresses of any you wish to donate to.

Yes. You can donate to any non-profit agency anywhere in the world.  The Tri-Valley Community Foundation (TVCF) verifies each agency you choose is a legitimate non-profit agency as part of their service they provide to Sandia distributing charitable contributions at no cost. You can “write in” up to 10 agencies by simply providing the names and addresses of any you wish to donate to.

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Yes, however, because contractors are not on Sandia’s payroll they cannot contribute through a regular Sandia payroll deduction. Instead, contractors must use a paper pledge form. The pledge form may be accessed at SHARE 2009 Pledge Form link and printed, or your center or department representative can give you one. Follow the instructions on the form for making and submitting your contribution.

TVCF will notify the key Sandia SHARE Committee members of any problems so the employee can be notified that their intended charity is not in good standing—at least at that moment in time. You would then decide what you want done with your donation.

If you made a contribution to SHARE using the online donation application last year, you will see both the amount and the targeted agencies you chose by clicking on the Online Donation Application.

If your contribution occurred in 2009 , you can look on your final 2009 Payroll stub. It will show the dollar amount that was deducted if you have either biweekly payroll deductions or if you chose a one-time deduction in.

You can also use your browser to view My Rewards from the TechWeb home page. Look for “Last Pay Statement” links. Your bi-weekly contribution and Year-to-Date total will appear on your most recent statement.

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An umbrella agency is one that represents many non-profit agencies.  The United Way and the Tri-Valley Community Foundation are two examples, among others, which are included in the SHARE program. Of all the umbrella agencies, only the Tri-Valley Community Foundation does not "skim" an administrative fee from each gift or pledge. Fees usually range from 10% - 15% of each gift made to an umbrella agency.

Each agency has its own methodology for determining which agencies under their umbrella will receive funds, and how much. Some umbrella agencies provide to their "member agencies" fixed percentages of the total collected during the year, and those percentages remain fairly constant year-to-year. Other umbrella agencies accept applications from their member agencies and award grants based upon the merits of the project and the quality of the application. In those cases, the amounts vary year-to-year, and it is conceivable that a particular member agency may receive a grant one year for an inspiring project, and no funds the next due to a poor application.

The Tri-Valley Community Foundation has a 13-member Allocations Committee that determines which agencies, charities and programs receive funds contributed through the SHARE program. When you choose to give to one of the SHARE umbrella agencies, you are letting them determine how the funds will be distributed to the other non-profit agencies under their umbrella. All of the umbrella agencies in the SHARE program are well qualified to make these determinations.  

All SHARE umbrella agencies are shown at the top of the “Agencies” page. They are linked to their respective web sites where you may learn more about the different organizations each umbrella agency supports.