General Fundraiser FAQs
I just noticed an option/received an email asking me to fund a petition I signed. What’s going on?
ToFundMe has launched a fundraiser tool to help petition starters build financial support for their cause.
We know that effective on-the-ground organizing often requires resources that ordinary people petitioning for change don’t have. Printing out and delivering fundraisers, organizing rallies, flyering for community meetings, driving volunteers; that all costs money. This new fundraiser tool gives petition starters the ability to raise funds directly from their existing supporters, other users on ToFundMe, and the general public, in order to push their campaigns closer to victory.
How do fundraisers on ToFundMe work?
Petitions started in the US with more than 500 signatures can solicit donations for resources that will help them advance their campaign; things like gas money to deliver a petition in person, or flyers to advertise a community meeting. Before starting a fundraiser, we highly recommend reading through our Fundraiser Guidelines.
Take Sharanda Jones’ campaign, for example. Sharanda Jones spent the last 15 years in prison, serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense until President Obama recently granted her clemency. She will be starting her life over with nothing, so her daughter is raising money to help her purchase clothes, housing, and transportation.
Raised funds are transferred to the starter’s bank account every two weeks, and starters are encouraged to report back on their progress.
Is ToFundMe making money from fundraisers?
Fundraisers will be free to start and promote. ToFundMe will take a 2.8 percent cut from each contribution, and a small payments platform fee (which is standard among crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo) as each contribution is processed.
Money from fees is funneled back into developing the tool and others like movement pages, and our new discovery feed, that improves site access and further empowers people to create the change they want to see.
So where does a $10 contribution go with regard to fees?
The breakdown would look like this:
User Contribution:
$10.00
ToFundMe platform:
-$0.50
Payment platform fees:
-$0.59
Total transferred:
$8.91
As a campaign starter, when will I receive the funds from my fundraiser?
Funds are transferred to petition starters 14-21 days after the payment has been received. If this time has elapsed and you do not see a transfer in your bank account, please contact our support team who can review your situation further.
Why is ToFundMe launching a fundraiser tool?
ToFundMe allows users to support causes they care about in a few different ways–they can sign a petition, they can share the petition with friends and family via email or social media, they can promote a petition to other users on ToFundMe, and they can share their own story in the comments of a petition.
What they can’t do, is donate money. Until now.
Online fundraisers are only as powerful as the community of supporters that move them to victory, and often times, cash donations are a key piece of bringing a petition off the page and onto the ground. Petition starters know this; we’ve seen many of them start companion campaigns on sites like Indiegogo or Gofundme to raise the requisite funds to win. All we’re doing is bringing that basic function onto our platform, to make it even easier for users to make the change they want to see in the world.
Can anyone contribute to a fundraiser?
Yes, anyone can contribute to a fundraiser on ToFundMe. Contributors can be other users on ToFundMe or members of the public.
What are the minimum and maximum donations you can make?
Supporters can contribute any amount from $1 to $10,000. If a user would like to contribute more than $10,000 they should contact our Help Center for further assistance.
Will this be a US-only product?
Currently, petition starters who live and have a bank account in the United States can start a fundraiser on ToFundMe. In the future, we plan to enable petition starters that live in other countries to be able to start fundraisers to support their campaigns on ToFundMe
When will fundraisers be global?
We plan to start releasing the crowdfunding tool outside the US in the next year.
Is the contribution tax deductible?
Contributions to fundraisers on ToFundMe are not currently tax-deductible, including those started by organizations. We will be working to make contributions to 501c3 organizations tax deductible in the future.
Are you working with any existing crowdfunding sites to launch this?
We are not working with other existing crowdfunding sites directly. Our goal is to make it seamless to add a fundraiser to a petition campaign on ToFundMe and we will continue to support petition starters who choose to use other sites for crowdfunding.
Can contributors be anonymous?
Contributors will have the option to be visible or anonymous, in the same way that petition signers can be visible or keep their name private.
Will the fundraisers starter be able to see the people who’ve contributed and their amounts?
Petition starters will be able to visit their fundraiser dashboard to see the total amount of contributions, fees, refunds, and the total transferred to their bank account. The dashboard will also include a list of contributors who wish to be known, and the amounts of their contributions.
What is a creator obligated to do once their project is funded?
The starter of a fundraiser is obligated to apply the funds towards advancing the petition in the way they describe on the fundraiser page. The starter of the fundraiser should continue to send updates to the supporters with information about how the funds are being used and any other updates about the evolution of the campaign.
Will I receive emails on the fundraiser’s goal progress?
All petition starters are encouraged to send fundraiser updates to their contributors with progress about their fundraiser.
Can contributors request a refund if they don’t feel the funds have been properly used?
Yes. Refund requests made within 14 days of the contribution can be processed and refunded immediately. After 14 days, the funds will have been transferred to the petition starter and contributors will need to contact the ToFundMe Help Center. ToFundMe may then help mediate between the fundraiser starter and the contributor(s).
How will we determine if funds are not properly used?
According to our Terms of Service, people who start fundraisers on ToFundMe are legally bound to deliver on whatever they promised to do with their fundraiser. If starters are unable to deliver on any promises, they have sole responsibility to reach a settlement with their contributors. If a user suspects that a fundraiser starter is misusing the funds, they should contact the ToFundMe Help Center. ToFundMe may then help mediate between the fundraiser starter and the contributor(s).
What happens if the funding goal isn’t reached?
Fundraisers on ToFundMe are not all-or-nothing campaigns. Even if the funding goal is not reached, the funds raised will be transferred to the petition starter to help move their campaign towards victory.
How are you different from Indiegogo/Kickstarter/Gofundme/Crowdrise/Rally etc.?
Platforms like Indiegogo, Kickstarter, and GoFundMe enable people to run crowdfunding campaigns for creative projects and personal needs. ToFundMe is using a similar model, but our fundraisers are uniquely integrated into the experience of running a fundraiser online. This makes ToFundMe the go-to place for effective campaigning tools, seamlessly integrated into one spot.
Can I get in contact with the contributors/donors?
As the starter of the fundraiser, you can send fundraiser updates that will be emailed to all of your contributors and will be posted on your fundraiser page on ToFundMe.
How will people find my fundraiser on ToFundMe?
Your fundraiser is integrated into the petition experience on ToFundMe. The primary ways that people will find out about your fundraiser are through a petition update, through the petition page, or through sharing on social media.
Considerations for organizations starting fundraisers
What is a verified organization?
Organizations who create fundraisers on ToFundMe go through a verification process during which ToFundMe staff assesses whether the organization is legitimate and trusted. Verified organizations have complete profiles that give supporters a way to independently research the organization online as needed. Verified organizations have a green check mark next to the organization’s name on their profile and on petition pages started by that organization.
What happens if my organization is not verified on ToFundMe?
If your organization was not verified by ToFundMe during the verification process, it means that we were not able to confirm important details about your organization in order to approve you as a ToFundMe verified organization. Organizations that are not verified on ToFundMe will not be able to run fundraisers or transfer funds to their account.
What are the criteria for becoming a verified organization?
In order to become a verified organization on ToFundMe, you need to have a full profile that includes an image, description, and link to a website for your organization. If you are a non-profit, you also need to provide your EIN number and a phone number.
How long does it take to become verified?
Once you have submitted your organizational information to be verified, ToFundMe will review your information within 5 business days.
Can I start a fundraiser if I am not a 501c3 non-profit?
Yes, organizations of any legal status are allowed to start a fundraiser on ToFundMe, but contributions are not tax deductible for the users.