Frequently Asked Questions

causeway is a place where good local causes and ways to address them come together, so that stuff gets done. causeway is supported by a growing network of chattanoogans who believe in an entrepreneurial approach to everything, including community service. we believe that if things are going to improve, chattanoogans need to take ownership, as if chattanooga were our business, because it is.  read more about causeway.

yes. causeway is a 501(c)(3) public charity.  this basically means that your contributions are tax deductible.  when you contribute to a cause, our goal is to pass 100% of your contributions to the cause, and let you track results, transparently.  you can also give directly to causeway -- we are an all-volunteer organization, so your money helps us be more efficient, transparent, and results-oriented.

chattanoogans can create a profile, then post causes that are important to them on causeway.org and a way to address them.  other chattanoogans can weigh in with their ideas, contribute to their favorite causes, and choose the projects they think are best.  basically, it is a place to rally behind and contribute to things that matter locally, and a place for chattanoogans to help ourselves.

once you submit your cause, you’ll receive an email from us letting you know that we’ve received your cause and are reviewing it to make sure it's a locally focused cause and passes muster with the IRS’ charitable criteria.

short answer: create a personal profile, find a cause you like, and click one of the fields under "contribute".

long answer: with causeway, you can contribute in the way that best suits you-- be it money, volunteer time, expertise, materials, facilities, or whatever else is needed. if you’re interested in the tax deduction, money works best, but oftentimes other things are even more valuable to addressing a cause.
(sneak preview: eventually, we will have a way to keep a running tally of all your contributions, past and present, monetary and otherwise, so you can show your buddies you’re such a better person than they are.)

causeway is dedicated to the chattanooga region with a completely local focus.  to that end, causes that address needs in other states or countries will not be posted to the site.  we realize there are very worthwhile causes outside of the local community, however our site is focused solely on helping chattanoogans help themselves.

yessiree. there is no limit to how many causes you may submit, but please keep them substantial.

not immediately.  once you submit your cause, we will review it to ensure it meets the IRS’ test as a charitable cause under our 501(c)(3) public charity status.  if it passes the test, we’ll post it to the site and notify you by email.

yes.  as a 501(c)(3) organization, your monetary donations to causeway are tax deductible. after making a donation to causeway or to a specific cause, you will receive an email with some titillating legal language that explains this further.

as a startup, we’re doing what we can with what we’ve got.  so far, our efforts have been funded by individual chattanoogans who want to help our citizens help themselves. we don’t have any funding from other foundations, local nonprofits, or scary people or organizations like mr. burns or his springfield nuclear power plant. we don’t have some kind of weird political agenda. we hope to inspire folks to donate who believe in our goal of a results-oriented, transparent, and efficient civic engagement platform for chattanooga.

if the cause you contributed to does not gain enough support, becomes impractical, or is otherwise incapable of fulfillment, we will work to apply your donation to a closely related cause. this level of discretion helps maintain causeway’s 501(c)(3) status and helps make sure folks can receive tax deductions for their donations.

when you contribute to a cause, our goal is to pass 100% of your contributions to the cause (rather than to overhead, slush funds, etc), and let you track results, transparently.  to do this, causeway covers the website costs, credit card transaction fees, volunteers, etc., which is why we accept separate donations to causeway to help us keep the goals on track.