Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is The Mutual a Charity?

A: No. The Mutual is an LLC that sells membership to a Perks network.

Q: What percentage does The Mutual take of membership fees?

A: The Mutual takes 20% of membership fees and the remaining 80% is passed on to the charity of the member's choosing.

Q: Why don't 100% of The Mutual members' monthly fees go to charity?

A: The cost to join The Mutual is 20% of the membership package selected. The remaining 80% is an associated donation made by the member to the Cause Partner of his or her choosing.

Q: Who is Firstgiving.com?

A: Firstiving.com is The Mutual’s payment processor. They operate like a Visa or PayPal. Firstgiving.com processes your payment and distributes your donation to the Cause Partner(s) you selected.

Q: Is my donation tax deductible?

A: Yes as a donation to a registered 501(c)3 your donation is tax deductible. The cost for membership and processing fees is not.

Q: If I cancel will I get a prorated refund?

A: No. Because the majority of your payment is an affiliated donation there are no refunds.

Q: What is all this talk about a 'social enterprise'?

A: We believe that in the future of business, all companies will need to consider societal impact in their decisions. And that’s exactly what a 'social enterprise' does; it applies business strategy to achieve social good.

Q: Why do people use The Mutual vs. donating directly to charity?

A: The Mutual always encourages large donors to donate directly to our Cause Partners. The Mutual makes it easy for donors to support our Cause Partners on a regular basis and rewards them for their good behavior.

Q: The Mutual seems like they are taking the easy way out; they aren't making businesses change their environmental practices. Why should I support them?

A: The Mutual actually provides greater prominence to partner businesses that currently employ environmental practices. The Mutual provides organizations of any size with an easy way to support the environment, they may not be the only solution but they facilitate a system that does more good with every new member.

Q: What affiliation does The Mutual have with its Cause Partners?

A: They are partners in name only. The Mutual provides its members with the ability to donate funds to its designated Cause Partners. The Mutual has no control over how the funds are used once they are passed to the charity. A representative from each Charity sits on The Advisory Board of The Mutual.

Q: What is a "Perk"?

A: A Perk is a reward. A Perk may not cost anything but must deliver real value to both our Individual Members and Partner Businesses. Perks are different then daily deals because you have unlimited access to them and because we spent time working with each Partner Business to design Perks that are right for their business and customers.

Q: What is the cost for businesses to participate?

A: There is no cost for businesses to join The Mutual. Businesses only need to provide meaningful Perks to individual members.

Q: Why doesn't The Mutual work only with 'responsible businesses'?

A: While we won't work with a cigarette company, we will work businesses of any size. The Mutual is designed to make it easy for any business to take its first steps toward more sustainable operations. By joining The Mutual a business is contributing to a system that ultimately creates a positive environmental impact, so we actively look to partner with as many businesses as possible.