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• Charity Month 2009
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Half-Baked Software Charity Month 2009

In celebration of the tenth birthday of Half-Baked Software Inc., we followed the tradition we started in 2004 of having a Charity Month. This year it was in May. We have donated the income received from purchases of Hot Potatoes and Quandary licences during the month of May directly to charity. The University of Victoria again agreed to waive its royalty percentage, we (Stewart and Martin) waived ours, and the company covered ongoing costs out of its savings, so every penny of the software licence income was donated directly to charity.

We raised nearly $3,000 this year!

• List of charities we support
• Amounts raised and donated in 2009
• Amounts raised and donated in 2008
• Amounts raised and donated in 2007
• Amounts raised and donated in 2006
• Amounts raised and donated in 2005
• Amounts raised and donated in 2004

Frequently-Asked Questions about the Charity Month

• Which charities are you supporting, and why?
• How do I purchase a licence?
• How do I ensure the full cost of my purchase goes to charity?
• Will I receive a charitable donation tax receipt?
• What about GST and PST for Canadian customers?

How do I purchase a licence?

You can purchase in the normal way, online or by mail or fax, with a credit card or cheque. See the Hot Potatoes licence purchase page, or the Quandary licence purchase page.

How do I ensure the full cost of my purchase goes to charity?

To be included in the amounts we give to charity, your purchase must meet these conditions:

1. It must be initiated as a new purchase during Charity Month. Any outstanding amounts owed to us on invoices issued prior to May will not be eligible.
2. We must receive the payment during Charity Month. If you ask us to invoice you, but you don't pay the amount until later in the year, the transaction will not count for the charity contributions. We have to enforce this rule because a large proportion of the invoices we issue are never paid, for various reasons -- in some cases people ask to be invoiced because they think we will send the licence before we receive payment (we don't), in others instructors ask to be invoiced, but the purchase is disallowed by their institution, and so on. By the terms of our agreement with the University of Victoria, we are obligated to make our final charitable contributions based on the amount received during the month.

The simplest way to be sure your purchase meets the criteria is to purchase by credit card during May (either through PayPal or by faxing your order to us). If you pay by cheque, we will have to receive and bank your cheque, and the funds will have to clear before the end of Charity Month, so make sure that your cheque arrives before the 21st of that month.

Will I receive a charitable donation tax receipt?

No, you won't. You will receive a normal receipt/licence document. You're purchasing a licence, and you're paying the value of the licence, so from your point of view this is a normal transaction. The charity contribution is being made by Half-Baked Software. Of course, if you're purchasing the licence for your business, you can claim the purchase as a business expense as you would normally do.

What about GST and PST for Canadian customers?

We will pay the full cost of GST for Canadians, and PST for B.C. residents. You will pay the same amount as everyone else, and we will donate the full amount. The cost of GST and PST will simply be a financial loss to Half-Baked.