Frequently Asked Questions

For the first time in our history, the Barbershop Harmony Society raises and stewards philanthropic gifts exclusively through its own philanthropy team. When you give to BHS today, your gift comes to BHS and goes to work for the mission you believe in - the singers, chapters, and programs that make this art form thrive. What's changed is that your gift is now being managed directly by the organization leading the work and serving the barbershop community every day.

No - they are two separate organizations, now working in close alignment. Harmony Foundation International (HFI) spent many years raising funds on behalf of BHS. As of January 1, 2026, HFI became a Type I Supporting Organization of BHS. In plain terms, that means HFI is now a subsidiary whose sole purpose is to support BHS - it remains its own 501(c)(3) charity, but it exists to serve the BHS mission, focusing on managing endowments and making annual grants in support of BHS and its chapters and districts.

HFI's role going forward is endowment management and grantmaking in support of BHS. Think of it as the long-horizon partner: it cares for endowed funds and channels grants back into the BHS mission year after year. The day-to-day work of inviting, receiving, and stewarding your gifts now lives with the BHS philanthropy team.

Yes - completely. Your years of generosity matter, and we remain grateful for every gift you've made along the way. This transition doesn't change that. The recognition you've earned continues, and your longstanding commitment to barbershops remains an important part of the relationship we're honored to carry forward.

The earlier dispute between BHS and HFI has been fully resolved, and the new structure was established by mutual agreement of both organizations' boards. We won't pretend the last few years were easy on this community - they weren't. But that chapter is closed, and this one is about moving forward together with clarity and purpose. We'd rather earn your trust through what we do next than ask you to take it on faith.

Yes. The Barbershop Harmony Society is a 501(c)(3) public charity, and gifts remain eligible for charitable deduction under U.S. tax law. This change in structure does not change the deductibility of your gift. As always, consult your tax advisor about your specific situation.

You can give online by credit or debit card, set up a recurring monthly gift, give by text, or mail a check. Many supporters also give in ways that carry special tax advantages - gifts of stock, gifts from an IRA, or gifts through a donor-advised fund (see Receipts, Taxes & International Giving below). If you'd like to give in a way you don't see here, just ask us.

Yes, and it's one of the most meaningful ways to support BHS. A recurring gift - of any size - adds up to real, dependable support for the music, and it's easy to start, change, or pause at any time through your online donor portal. Monthly giving is also a natural on-ramp to recognition: $15/month, for example, reaches the $180 annual Ambassador of Song level over a year.

Quite possibly. Thousands of companies match employee charitable gifts, often dollar-for-dollar - which can double your impact and, in some cases, lift you into the next recognition level. When you give online, you'll be prompted to check whether your employer matches. If you're not sure, your HR or benefits office can tell you, or we're glad to help.

Yes to all three, and each can be a smart way to give. Gifts of appreciated stock and qualified distributions from an IRA (if you're 70 1/2 or older) often carry meaningful tax advantages, and you can recommend a grant to BHS from your donor-advised fund. These gifts take a few extra steps, so please reach out to our team and we'll walk you through it and make sure your gift is directed and recognized exactly as you intend.

No. You can give any amount, and every gift matters. Recognition programs begin at specific levels (see below), but you are always welcome to give whatever reflects your love of this art form - being counted is what matters most.

Yes. Our online giving runs on Fundraise Up, a leading donation platform that processes payments securely and encrypts your information. To help protect your information, your full card details are never stored in our systems.

Checks should now be made payable to Barbershop Harmony Society and mailed to 110 7th Ave. N, Nashville, TN, 37203. If you'd like your gift directed to a specific chapter, district, subsidiary, or approved fund, please note that designation in the memo line or include a note with your gift.

They are our two annual giving recognition communities - names many of you have known for years, and which we've kept on purpose. Ambassador of Song recognizes our committed annual supporters, and President's Council is the flagship community for our most generous leadership donors. We've kept the names and the spirit and built more around them: warmer stewardship, better benefits, and a real sense of belonging at every level.

Ambassador of Song members receive a suite of largely digital, community-centered benefits - exclusive content like The Fifth Voice video series, "You Hear It First" early access, digital and print recognition, personal acknowledgment from our team, and an invitation into a community of fellow believers in this art form. President's Council members receive all of that plus a high-touch, personal experience: exclusive convention access and gatherings at International and Midwinter, personal stewardship from our philanthropy team, and recognition experiences genuinely unavailable any other way. Full benefit details for each level are available on the program pages.

The minimums that defined these programs were set more than twenty years ago. To keep them meaningful and sustainable, we've adjusted them for two decades of inflation. The new annual levels are:

• Ambassador of Song: $180-$1,499
• President's Council: $1,500 and above

This isn't a barrier - it's a sign that we take these communities seriously and intend to steward them well. And no one is being asked to change anything overnight (see the next question).

No. Your current giving level is honored all the way through the 2027 Midwinter Convention. The new minimums take effect after that, and will be in place for the 2027 International Convention in July 2027. During this grace period, longtime supporters are protected: if you currently give in the $1,200-$1,499 range, you continue to be recognized as President's Council through Midwinter 2027, and if you give in the $120-$179 range, you continue as Ambassador of Song. You keep your place in the community while you decide what's right for you.

You have until the 2027 Midwinter Convention to consider increasing to the new level - and our team is here to talk it through, not to pressure you. We'd much rather have an honest conversation about what's meaningful and possible for you than rush anyone. Your recognition continues throughout that window.

Right now, and through the 2027 Midwinter Convention, you're recognized as a President's Council member - your $1,300 falls in the protected $1,200-$1,499 range. After Midwinter 2027, the President's Council minimum becomes $1,500; at that point, a $1,300 gift would be recognized at the Ambassador of Song level, unless you choose to step up to $1,500. We'll reach out personally well before then so nothing about this is a surprise, and so you can decide with full information.

Yes. Your recognition level is based on your total annual giving, so monthly gifts add up across the year. A recurring gift is one of the easiest ways to reach - and grow into - a recognition community.

Donor Choice is the program that lets you give through BHS while directing some or all of your gift to a specific BHS chapter, district, or subsidiary you love. It's the same idea many of you have known for years - your gift can do two things at once, supporting both the local group closest to your heart and the national mission - now made far easier through our online platform.

When you give online, you can search for your chapter (or district or subsidiary) and choose how much of your gift to direct to them - there's no cap, so you decide. The giving screen shows you exactly how your gift is split before you confirm. A gift directed this way is received by BHS as a restricted gift for that chapter, and we pass the support along to them. If you can't find your chapter, let us know and we'll get them set up so your gift reaches them.

While gifts may be restricted to a specific chapter, district, or subsidiary, we are not able to place additional restrictions on how those funds are used - for example, earmarking a chapter gift for one particular project - because we don't control how each chapter uses its own funds. What we do is share your name and gift with the chapter (unless you've given anonymously) so they can thank you and steward your support directly. If you'd like your gift used a particular way, that's a welcome conversation to have with the chapter itself.

Here's the part worth reading carefully, because it's new and it's good news. Recognition benefits are anchored to your support of BHS philanthropy. To qualify for donor recognition and benefits, you give at least $100 a year to BHS philanthropy to qualify for Ambassador of Song or $1,000 in a year to BHS philanthropy to qualify for President's Council - either to the Harmony Impact Fund (unrestricted) or to one of our five impact areas. Once you've met that $100 or $1,000, every Donor Choice gift you make to chapters, districts, and subsidiaries also counts toward your total annual giving - and your total is what sets your recognition level. In other words: your chapter giving doesn't disappear from your record; once you've planted that $100 or $1,000 with BHS, your local generosity is added right on top.

The $100/$1,000 is the annual amount of BHS philanthropic giving that "unlocks" recognition eligibility. If you're looking to receive Ambassador of Song recognition and benefits, the minimum donation to BHS is $100, and for President's Council, the minimum is $1,000. It doesn't have to be unrestricted - it can go to the Harmony Impact Fund (our unrestricted fund) or to any one of our five impact areas. What it can't be is solely a pass-through gift to a chapter; the $1,000 is your investment in the broader BHS mission, and the chapter gifts build on it.

Yes. The $1,000 threshold is annual - it resets at the start of each giving year. Each year you reach it, that year's Donor Choice giving counts toward your recognition level for that year.

The Harmony Impact Fund is our unrestricted fund - give here when you trust BHS to put your gift where it's needed most. If you'd rather aim your support, you can direct it to one of five impact areas:

• Sing It Forward - youth, education, and the next generation of singers
• Harmony Heals - singing for wellness, healing, and connection (home of Music Medics)
• Open the Doors - inclusion, access, and welcoming new voices
• Chapter Strong - strengthening the local chapters at the heart of BHS
• The Living Legacy - preserving the art form, its history, and its heritage

BHS does - for your entire gift. Every gift made through our platform is receipted by BHS, including any portion you direct to a chapter, district, or subsidiary (which we receive as a restricted gift on their behalf). So you get one clean receipt covering everything, and it's always available to download from your donor portal.

Quickly, and far faster than in years past. Chapter-directed funds are disbursed monthly, within 30 days of the close of each month - a real improvement over the old six-month cycle. And there's no minimum: if a chapter receives a small amount in a month, they still receive it.

BHS takes nothing from your gift. Online giving carries a standard platform fee that goes entirely to Fundraise Up, the service that powers our giving - not to BHS. By default, the option to cover that small cost is already selected, so the full amount of your gift reaches the mission; you're always free to turn it off.

After you give, you have a personal online space - your Donor Portal at mygiving.barbershop.org - where you can see your giving history, download receipts, manage recurring gifts, and update your information. You can reach it from any of our donation emails, or by visiting mygiving.barbershop.org and entering your email address.

That's by design - there are no passwords to remember. Each time you sign in, you enter your email and we send you a secure, one-time login link. Click it and you're in - it's that simple. (The link expires after 24 hours; if yours has expired, just request a new one.) It's an easy, secure way to access your account without the hassle of remembering another password.

Sign in to your Donor Portal, open the recurring gift you want to update, and edit the payment method there. If a card ever fails, you'll get an email with a direct link to fix it. (Good to know: when your bank issues a replacement card, the system often updates your recurring gift automatically so your support continues uninterrupted.)

All of it is in your hands, in the Donor Portal - no need to call us. Open your recurring plan and you can change the amount, change the frequency or next date, update the card, or cancel. If you need a break rather than a full stop, you can skip payments for 1 month, 3 months, or a custom period of up to 12 months, and your gift picks back up after.

All of it lives in your Donor Portal. You'll see your one-time and recurring gifts in one place and can download a PDF receipt for any of them. If you've made a split gift across designations, it appears grouped, and you can expand it to see each part.

In your Donor Portal, click your name to open your profile and edit your details. If you update your email, you'll be asked whether to use it for future receipts as well.

Yes. You'll receive an emailed receipt right after you give. For recurring gifts, you can receive a receipt for each installment or an annual summary - and every receipt is always available to download from your Donor Portal.

For U.S. taxpayers, gifts to BHS are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law, because BHS is a 501(c)(3) public charity. The portion of any gift for which you receive something of more than token value in return (for example, a ticketed event) may not be fully deductible - your receipt will note this where it applies. As always, your tax advisor is the best guide for your situation.

Usually not in a meaningful way. The IRS allows charities to provide low-cost "token" items (a pin, a digital badge) without reducing your deduction. If a benefit has real fair-market value - say, a ticketed dinner - only the portion of your gift above that value is deductible, and we'll tell you that amount. We design recognition benefits to honor you, not to complicate your taxes.

We're grateful for our Canadian members and supporters - barbershop has deep roots across Canada. Canadian tax treatment of cross-border gifts differs from U.S. rules, and the receipt you receive may not provide the same deduction on a Canadian return that it would for a U.S. taxpayer. Because everyone's circumstances differ, please check with a Canadian tax professional about deductibility for your situation, and reach out to our team - we'll make sure your gift is directed and recognized properly, and we'll share what documentation we can provide.

Absolutely, you can give from anywhere. Outside the U.S. and Canada, a charitable tax deduction is often limited or unavailable, so for most international supporters the reason to give isn't the tax benefit - it's the belief. If you have the means and the love for this art form, your gift helps secure the future of barbershop harmony worldwide, and you're welcomed into the same recognition and stewardship community as any other supporter. Please consult your local tax advisor about your own situation, and know that your voice counts here no matter where you sing from.

Fair question - and one you should ask of any organization. As a 501(c)(3), BHS files an annual IRS Form 990 that is available to the public, and we're committed to clear, regular reporting on the impact of giving. More than that, we see stewardship as a relationship, not a disclosure: you'll hear from us about what your support makes possible, in real terms.

Yes. You can direct your gift to any of our five impact areas - or, through Donor Choice, to a specific chapter, district, or subsidiary. If you have a particular intention for your gift, tell us; we'll make sure it's honored and reported on.

Yes. Supporters receive impact reporting tied to where they've given, along with an annual giving summary for your records. When you restrict a gift to an impact area, we report back on how funds in that area were used. Our aim is that you never have to wonder what your gift did.

Yes. Let us know you'd prefer to give anonymously and we'll keep your name out of public recognition. For a gift directed to a chapter, giving anonymously also means we won't share your name with that chapter - so if you'd like the chapter to be able to thank you, give without selecting anonymous. Either way, you'll still receive your own receipt and our stewardship.

Yes, and it's one of the most lasting ways to support the art form. Through our planned giving program, Legacy of Harmony, you can name BHS in your will, as a beneficiary of a retirement account or life insurance policy, or through other planned gifts - and be recognized, in your lifetime, as part of the community ensuring barbershop's future. Our philanthropy team would be honored to talk with you (and your advisors) confidentially about what's right for you - reach us anytime at philanthropy@barbershop.org.

Yes. Through Keep A Melody Ringing, you can give in memory of a fellow barbershopper or loved one, directing your tribute to the part of BHS that meant the most to them. It's a meaningful way to honor a life spent in harmony. Reach out and we'll help you set it up with the care the moment deserves.

Yes. We remain committed to honoring those remembered through memorial and tribute gifts. Existing plaques will continue to be maintained, and the threshold will remain at $1,000. Memorial and tribute gifts that reach that threshold will continue to qualify for plaque recognition.

When you make a gift through BHS's online giving platform (powered by Fundraise Up), a portion of your gift goes toward transaction costs - specifically a 3% platform fee and a payment processing fee that typically ranges from 2-5% depending on your payment method. These fees are a standard cost of accepting online donations.

Yes! During checkout, you'll have the option to cover the transaction fees in addition to your gift amount. Many of our donors generously choose this option, and we're grateful for it - it means more of every dollar goes directly to BHS's mission.

We accept all major credit and debit cards, as well as PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Venmo (U.S. only). Bank transfers (ACH) are also available and are a great low-fee option for larger gifts.

Yes. Gifts made by check avoid online processing fees entirely. Checks should be made payable to Barbershop Harmony Society and mailed to:

Philanthropy, Barbershop Harmony Society 110 7th Avenue N Nashville, TN 37203

Donors wishing to make gifts at the Counselor level or above are especially encouraged to consider this option.