# Concepts & References
Below you'll find some concepts and references to interact with the Benevity API's.
# Foundation Partner
What is a Foundation Partner?
Benevity works with a global network of foundation partners around the world who are registered charitable organizations in their local jurisdictions. Benevity's foundation partners are fully independent charitable organizations that disburse funds donated via the Benevity platform, and their operations are optimized for our enabling technology. These foundations utilize a donor-advised fund (DAF) model to aggregate and disburse funds, leveraging our technology platform. By working with these partners, Benevity can facilitate broad charity choice, deliver real-time tax receipting and ensure strict legal compliance.
Does Benevity Corporate collect the funds for a donation?
No. Benevity acts as a technology service provider to our foundation partners. All committed donations are due directly to the respective foundation partner, which in turn, disburses the funds to the designated recipient cause.
# Gift Aid
What is Gift Aid: Gift Aid (opens new window) is the UK Government's approach to post-tax benefits. When a UK user donates to a UK cause, they can claim Gift Aid. This allows the cause to request Gift Aid from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and recover the tax the user/company paid. Because these causes are tax-exempt, the HMRC will refund approximately 25% of the original donation.
Who can apply for Gift Aid: An individual who lives in the UK and has valid UK address information can request Gift Aid when donating to a UK cause. Benevity has several conditions to determine if Gift Aid is applicable. The conditions are:
- The user must be transacting through the Charitable Giving foundation (GBP)
- The first name, last name, address, and postcode must be supplied
- The users address country must be one of the following (UK, United Kingdom, Great Britain, GB, GBR, Britain, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) all of which are case-insensitive
- The cause must be a UK cause tied to the Charitable Giving foundation (Causes that start with 826-).
An approved disclaimer that can be used when showing Gift Aid is below:
Gift Aid
Boost your donation by 25p for every £1 you donate. Gift Aid is reclaimed by the charity from the tax you pay for the current tax year.
By clicking OK, you are confirming that you want Gift Aid applied to your donation, that you are a UK taxpayer donating your own money, and that you agree to sharing your personal information for HMRC reporting.
By clicking OK, you are confirming that you understand that if you pay less income tax and/or capital gains tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on your donations, it is your responsibility to pay the difference.
# 3-D Secure (3DS)
3‑D Secure is an advanced authentication solution implemented to reduce eCommerce fraud by verifying a cardholder’s identity in real time. Each of the major card brands has a 3‑D Secure offering:
- American Express Safekey®
- Discover ProtectBuy® (covers Discover and Diners Club International®)
- Mastercard SecureCode®
- Visa Secure®
This additional layer of security helps prevent unauthorized use of cards and protects eCommerce merchants and issuers from exposure to fraud.