When a nonprofit organization is registered on the Benevity Causes Portal, the registrant must first search for their organization to determine if it's already registered.
If the account displays a banner stating, “This organization has already been registered,” it means another person from the organization has already claimed the account. The banner includes a partially redacted email address to help them identify the current account owner.
If the account has been claimed by someone else within the nonprofit organization, there are two ways to proceed.
Contacting the Current Account Owner
If the current account owner can be identified, the registrant can contact them and request to add sub-users to the account. Sub-users can be configured with different levels of access and permissions. Sharing login credentials is strictly prohibited and violates Benevity’s Cause Terms of Use.
For detailed instructions for nonprofits, refer to How to add a sub-user on the Nonprofit Help Centre.
Applying to Take Ownership of the Account
If the current account owner cannot be identified or is no longer associated with the organization, a representative from the nonprofit must apply to take ownership of the account.
Maintaining a current and valid account owner ensures the nonprofit’s information remains accurate, secure, and compliant with Benevity’s policies. Up-to-date account ownership also enhances the nonprofit’s eligibility for Benevity’s client programs and helps attract and retain supporters.
To take ownership of an account, a representative from the nonprofit must follow these steps:
- Begin the registration process or log in to an existing user profile.
- Select the nonprofit’s operating country.
- Search for the organization using its Government ID, Registration ID, or name, filtering results by State or Province as needed.
- Once the account is located, click Select.
- Complete the authorization check boxes on the form and select Apply to Register.
- Finish the remaining registration steps and submit the application.
Upon submission, the current account owner is notified of the change request. If the request is contested, it will be declined, and access will be revoked. For security purposes, a brief authorization period temporarily limits access to certain account features for new applicants. Repeated unauthorized attempts to reclaim an account may result in suspension.
For more guidance on how to take ownership of an account, nonprofits can refer to My nonprofit has already been registered.