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Frequently Asked Questions
The NCAA Division I basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams that compete in seven rounds for the national championship. The penultimate round is known as the Final Four, when only (you guessed it) four teams are left.
After purchasing your brackets, on March 14th you will receive an email with a link to the Alliant March Madness pool site. You will need to log in as a member and will have until midnight March 20, 2025 pacific time to select your brackets. If you miss the deadline there will not be a refund.
Do I need to know a lot about basketball to win the Mach Madness competition?
No, you do not need to know a lot about March Madness, NCAA basketball, or even basketball in general. While there are some people that get really into the "bracketology" in reality the game is mostly a game of chance. Since the inception of March Madness in 1939 no one has ever created a perfect bracket.
What do I get if I win?
Alliant's 2025 March Madness event is a fundraising event for the #AlliantStandUp cancer initiative. There will be a total of six winners throughout the competition. This year we are running two parallel events for both the men's and women's championships.
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First Place: Winner will be able to select which cancer related 501c3 organization they would like Alliant to donate 50% of the March Madness proceeds to.
Second Place: Winner will be able to select which cancer related 501c3 organization they would like Alliant to donate 30% of the March Madness proceeds to.
Third Place: Winner will be able to select which cancer related 501c3 organization they would like Alliant to donate 20% of the March Madness proceeds to.
Additional winners: Persons with the highest scores during the 2nd round, Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight will win their choice of a PTO day or $100 Visa gift card.
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If I win, will the charity donation be in my name or Alliant's name?
While the first, second and third place winners will have the privilege of selecting a cancer or chronic illness related 501c3 organization to receive game proceeds, the donation will be made under the Alliant name.
What if I want to contribute, but don't want to play in March Madness?
During the March Madness event there is also a secondary fundraising event taking place that you can participate in. For every $10 donated directly to a cancer related 501c3 you will receive one entry into a drawing to have $1,000 donated to your selected organization. To participate in this fundraiser you will need to provide a donation receipt to the following link: MORE WAYS TO WIN!
Is my bracket purchase tax deductible?
While all proceeds from this fundraising event will go to cancer related 501c3 organizations the purchase of March Madness brackets is not tax deductible since you are not directly donating to the charity and are instead purchasing the right to participate in the March Madness game.
If I win, can I claim the charitable contribution on my taxes?
No, winners will not personally receive any funds, all winnings will instead be given to the cancer or chronic illness related 501c3 of the winners choice, under the Alliant name.
What game platform are we using for this competition?
Brackets are being managed through a private March Madness platform called Run Your Pool that is specifically designed to manage large corporate March Madness events like ours.
Can family and friends of Alliant Employees participate?
YES!!! We have expanded this event to be fully open to the public.
Does the charity I choose to donate to have to be related to cancer or chronic illness in some way?
Yes, the March Madness event is a part of the Alliant philanthropy initiative's 2025 #AlliantStandsUp to Cancer & Chronic Illness campaign. Donations will only be made to organizations that meet the requirements of being both an organization related to cancer & chronic illness in some way and also a nonprofit registered as a 501c3.
If I win do I have to donate to one of the suggested charity organizations?
No, suggested charities are just that, suggested. Winners can choose to have the proceeds donated to any nonprofit organization that meets the two requirements of being a registered 501c3 and working for a cancer or chronic illness related cause.
Can I live stream March Madness games online?
Yes, the NCAA live streams the games on their website https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/watch
How will I know if I won?
Winners will be contacted directly by a member of the philanthropy team and a company wide announcement of the winners will be sent out on via email the following week.
Can I modify my picks once I've submitted them?
Yes. Picks can be modified right up until March 20th at midnight.