Instructions & Guidelines for Donation of Cryptocurrency
Last updated
Last updated
Donating cryptocurrency to your GiveWise Giving Fund is a secure and efficient way to support charities while taking advantage of the potential tax benefits of crypto donations. Below is a summary of the steps and guidelines for making a cryptocurrency donation.
Due to the volatile nature of both the value and the trading of cryptocurrency assets (“crypto”), GiveWise places the following parameters around its acceptance of crypto:
Processing Times: Donations of crypto will be processed between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM PST Monday through Thursday, and 9:00 AM to Noon PST on Fridays. Therefore, we strongly encourage donors to email donations@givewise.ca ahead of making their crypto donation and provide:
Full Name
GiveWise Giving Fund Number
Type of Cryptocurrency
Amount (# of units)
Exchange and Network the donation is being sent through
Anticipated date/time of donation
This way, our donations team will know to look for the donation. If they have any questions, they will contact the donor promptly and will liquidate the crypto to CAD as quickly as possible to reduce exposure to the asset’s value.
Minimum Donation Value: The donation value minimum is $5,000 CAD.
Valuation Disclaimer: Because the “crypto machine” never sleeps and trading occurs at all times, the final donated valuation of a crypto donation can vary widely from the time of initiation. GiveWise takes no responsibility for changes in the final valuation credited to the donor from the time the donation is initiated.
Fees: Due to the variety of transaction methods for crypto, GiveWise will assess any fees incurred for converting crypto into CAD directly to the donor’s Giving Fund as a cost recovery, deducted from the donation’s final amount.
Test Transaction Encouragement: GiveWise strongly encourages donors to perform a test transaction of the minimum Kraken allows on the receiving end: 0.0001 BTC (currently about $10-$12 CAD). This test will be free of fees from GiveWise. Once the test transaction is verified, GiveWise will contact the donor to complete the full donation.
Accepted Cryptocurrencies: Currently, the following cryptocurrencies are accepted by GiveWise for a flat $100 transaction fee:
Bitcoin on the Bitcoin Network: Deposit Address: 3NtTvjQgrWT9o8c9jx4g2m8pvrkhv2NitK
Ethereum on the Ethereum Network: Deposit Address: 0xb4aeb68b217a0ed3396d5d247efcfb966b26b83c
It is the donor’s responsibility to ensure they are sending funds to the proper Deposit Address using the correct Network. Otherwise, the funds will be lost. GiveWise assumes no responsibility for funds transferred incorrectly.
Other Cryptocurrencies: For any other types of cryptocurrencies, contact Dan Kyte, Director of Finance and Investments, at dan.kyte@givewise.ca. Dan will assess whether GiveWise can accept the proposed currency and the associated transaction fees.
At 10:00 AM Pacific Time, a donor initiates a BTC “Withdrawal” from their Kraken account of 0.06 BTC ($5,566.78 CAD at that time) to the GiveWise Deposit Address.
Kraken charges a transaction fee of 0.0002 BTC ($37.12 CAD at that time).
45 minutes later, at 10:45 AM Pacific Time, GiveWise receives a deposit of 0.0597 BTC ($5,485.30 CAD at that time).
At 3:00 PM Pacific Time, GiveWise reconciles the Kraken account and acknowledges receipt of 0.0597 BTC ($5,426.36 CAD at that time). This is the amount the donor will be issued a tax receipt for.
GiveWise immediately converts the cryptocurrency to CAD, with a platform fee of 1.5% ($81.40 CAD). The donation is now worth $5,344.96 CAD.
GiveWise transfers the funds out of its Kraken account to its fiat Donations bank account. Kraken assesses a 1% fee ($53.44 CAD). The donation is now worth $5,291.52 CAD.
GiveWise credits the donor’s Giving Fund for $5,291.52 CAD and assesses a $100 cost recovery fee. The donor now has $5,191.52 CAD available to gift out to charities at their convenience.
Action
Crypto Amount
$CAD Value
Donor Initiates Donation
0.06 BTC
$5,566.78
Platform Assesses Transaction Fee
0.0002 BTC
($37.12)
GiveWise Receives BTC
0.0597 BTC
$5,485.30
GiveWise Acknowledges Receipt (Tax Receipt)
0.0597 BTC
$5,426.36
GiveWise Converts to CAD
$5,344.96
Platform Transaction Charge (1.5%)
($81.40)
Transfer to Fiat Account
$5,344.96
Platform Transaction Charge (1%)
($53.44)
Credit to Donor’s Fund
$5,291.52
GiveWise Assesses Cost Recovery Fee
($100)
Net Final Amount in Donor’s Fund
$5,191.52
As noted, the current cryptocurrency environment involves many steps, with various parties assessing fees at almost every stage. Additionally, the volatility of crypto assets means the final CAD amount credited to the donor’s Giving Fund may differ significantly from the value of the initiated cryptocurrency donation. In the example above:
The CAD value at initiation was $5,566.78.
The final credited value was $5,191.52, a difference of $375.26 (6.2%).
It is also possible that the value of the donated BTC could rise during the transaction period, potentially offsetting fees. However, GiveWise does not “time the market” and converts donated cryptocurrencies to CAD in the normal course of financial tasks, regardless of market movements.
Timing for Year-End Contributions:
Cryptocurrency trading and exchanges are very clear about the timing of transaction completions. A donation tax receipt for the current calendar year will be issued for donations received into GiveWise’s Kraken Pro account on or before 11:59 PM, December 31. If a donation is made past noon on December 31, or if December 31 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the valuation will be assessed on the next business day.
Need Assistance?
If you have any further questions, please reach out to Dan Kyte:
Email: dan.kyte@givewise.ca
Phone: 1.604.615.2141
