Frequently Asked Questions

Will my donation to Taking it to the Streets stay in the community in which I live?
What impact will my donation have?
How much of my donation will actually help those suffering from poverty?
How does Taking it to the Streets percentage of their donation that actually goes to help out compare to the Top 10 national non-profit organizations?
Why shouldn’t I just make a donation directly to a local poverty program?
How quickly will my donation begin to make an impact?
Prove to me Taking it to the Streets is a non-profit organization?
How does Taking it to the Streets decide which poverty organizations to partner and collaborate with?
What is a Community Foundation?
Besides fundraising, what else does Taking it to the Streets do?
How did you get President Obama to give your organization such a positive testimonial?

Will my donation to Taking it to the Streets stay in the community in which I live?
Absolutely. Our promise is to have your donation stay within your greater community, as close to where you live as possible. Taking it to the Streets has strategic partnerships with Community Foundations through-out the country whom help us identify and determine the best and most effective poverty programs to support in every community.

What impact will my donation have?
Taking it to the Streets works only with the best poverty agencies. The agencies that get the absolute “best bang for the dollar” and “make the biggest impact.” Our goal is to have your donation helping others within two weeks or less. As well as, to have (at least) 100% of your donated dollars reach those in need. Both well above all industry averages!

How much of my donation will actually help those suffering from poverty?
At minimum, 100% of your donation will be helping out those suffering from poverty. As Taking it to the Streets strategic sponsorship partnerships continue to be cultivated, increased and grown, we will be able to insure well in excess of 100% to be given back to local poverty needs. Potentially 110%, 120%, 130% and even more.

How does Taking it to the Streets percentage of their donation that actually goes to help out compare to the Top 10 national non-profit organizations?
Taking it to the Street’s goal is to be well in excess of 100%! The number one national non profit organization, United Way, gives 84% of each donation to its programs. The next nine national non profit organizations (ranging from the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and American Cancer Society) give between 71% to 86% back to those in need. With the difference being spent on the organization’s overhead costs.

Why shouldn’t I just make a donation directly to a local poverty program?
Well you could make a direct donation, there is nothing wrong whatsoever in doing so. But, there are a number of reasons why making your donation with Taking it to the Streets would be a “better” choice. As reflected in the earlier FAQs, Taking it to the Street’s top priorities are: * To collaborate with the “All Star” non-profit groups who specialize in helping those suffering from poverty. Whereas there are certainly a number of (poverty-related) groups that do help, there are numerous that are not able to “maximize” their dollars spent. And thus, less dollars and less efficient results are achieved. * Taking it to the Streets knows how to “multiply” and “leverage” the dollars donated to us. Because of our large media presence, corporations and outside organizations want to partner with us. The benefits of these partnerships to us and our donors is that because of our partners “additional” contributions to us, we are able to donate well over 100% of each dollar we receive from our donors. Again, we can achieve “more bang for the buck” than can an independent contribution. In short, more dollars will go to poverty! Multiplication Philanthropy!

How quickly will my donation begin to make an impact?
Taking it to the Street’s goal is to have every dollar donated to be “on the streets” and “helping those in poverty” in 14 days of less. There have been recent programs, such as the Haiti Earthquake Relief of a short while back, which took over six months from the time the donation was made until it reached the people suffering. Strong intentions, weak results. Timing can be just as important as the amount donated.

Prove to me Taking it to the Streets is a non-profit organization?
Go to the IRS website — www.irs.gov. Our tax ID is 45-3662112. Our corporate name is TITTS, Inc. Hit the “Charities & Non Profit” button near the top of the page and follow the prompts. Taking it to the Streets’ non-profit and tax exempt status can be easily verified on the IRS website.

How does Taking it to the Streets decide which poverty organizations to partner and collaborate with?
Again, we are all long time, experienced veterans in both the for profit and non-profit worlds. We have many, many years of first-hand experience in working with and personally contributing to non-profit organizations. But, beyond our experiences, to add to our knowledge and wisdom, Taking it to the Streets will be partnering with local community foundations all over the United States. We will additionally be using their decades of successes and contacts to underwrite (and monitor) the “best and most effective” poverty programs in your local community.

What is a Community Foundation?
Community foundations are independent registered philanthropic institutions serving geographically defined territory, typically a city or administrative area (county or region). The six main characteristics of a community foundation are: 1. The act as grant-making foundations (e.g. give grants to support development projects) 2. Their mission broadly defined (e.g. to improve quality of life in a community) 3. Serve geographically defined communities — a city, state, region, district or province 4. Are supported by a broad range of private as well as public donors and seek philanthropic contributions primarily from inside the community 5. Are governed by multi-sectoral local boards reflecting the community 6. Build capital endowment which is an important element of sustainability

Besides fundraising, what else does Taking it to the Streets do?
That’s it. Taking it to the Streets' full focus and entire business model is to raise significant dollars to help those suffering from poverty. We are in it for the long haul. This is our ongoing, long-term mission. To drive social change to end the cycle of poverty in this country.

How did you get President Obama to give your organization such a positive testimonial?
The executive team at Taking it to the Streets is comprised of seasoned and talented marketing pros. Just as we reached out to you to be part of our donor team, we reached out to the White House and waived our flag to introduce ourselves. President Obama was impressed with Taking it to the Streets and offered us his kind and encouraging words.