Donor Information & Disclosure

Last Updated: April 6, 2026

What Your Donation Supports

Donations to METG directly support our mission of promoting ethical governance and transparency in Missouri. Your contributions fund:

• Public records research: Obtaining, analyzing, and publishing government records that promote accountability.
• Investigation reports: Conducting investigations into potential government misconduct, waste, fraud, and abuse.
• Civic education: Providing resources and tools that help Missouri citizens understand and engage with their local government.
• Technology and infrastructure: Maintaining and improving our website, investigation dashboards, county directory, and other digital tools.
• Operational costs: Administrative expenses necessary to run a compliant and effective nonprofit organization, including legal compliance, accounting, and required filings.

Unless otherwise designated by the donor, all donations are unrestricted and used at METG's discretion to advance its mission.

How Donations Are Processed

All donations to METG are processed through Givebutter, a trusted third-party donation platform used by thousands of nonprofit organizations.

• METG does not directly collect, process, or store your credit card number, bank account information, or other financial payment data.
• Givebutter uses industry-standard encryption (SSL/TLS) and is PCI DSS compliant for secure payment processing.
• Your use of Givebutter is subject to Givebutter's own Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
• METG receives donor contact information (name, email, mailing address) from Givebutter for acknowledgment and record-keeping purposes.

Donor Privacy

METG takes donor privacy seriously. Here is how your information is protected:

• Federal protections: Under the 2020 Treasury Department final regulations (Treasury Decision 9898), 501(c)(4) organizations are no longer required to report the names and addresses of donors contributing $5,000 or more on Schedule B of Form 990. METG does not disclose donor identifying information on its public tax filings.
• No public donor lists: METG does not publish lists of donor names, whether on our website, in annual reports, or in any other public communication, unless a donor provides specific written consent.
• No sale of donor data: METG will never sell, trade, or rent donor names, email addresses, mailing addresses, or other personal information to any third party.
• Limited internal access: Access to donor information within METG is restricted to authorized personnel who need it for donation processing, acknowledgment, and compliance purposes.

For complete details on how METG handles personal information, please see our Privacy Policy.

Missouri Charitable Solicitation Registration

Under Missouri law, 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations are not exempt from charitable solicitation registration (unlike 501(c)(3) organizations, which are exempt). METG is committed to complying with all state registration requirements before actively soliciting donations from Missouri residents.

Refund Policy

Donations to METG are voluntary, non-refundable gifts intended to support METG's mission. Once a donation has been processed:

• Donations are generally non-refundable.
• In cases of documented processing errors (e.g., duplicate charges, incorrect amounts), METG will work with Givebutter to issue a correction or refund.
• Refund requests for processing errors should be submitted within thirty (30) days of the original transaction.

To request a review of a donation transaction, please contact us using the information below.

FEC Disclaimer for Political Communications

When METG engages in paid communications that expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a federal candidate, or that constitute electioneering communications as defined by the Federal Election Commission, the following disclaimer will be included:

This disclaimer is required by FEC regulations for paid internet communications involving federal candidates and elections. It is not required for general issue advocacy, unpaid social media posts, or organic website content.

Contact Information

If you have questions about donations, tax treatment, donor privacy, or any other matter addressed on this page, please contact us: