Please note: This information applies to Personal Fundraisers (Crowdfund) only. For questions related to donations to nonprofit charitable organizations, visit that help site.


Overview

In order to create and raise money for a personal fundraiser (crowdfund), there are a couple of steps: the invitation, gathering the info we need to send out the payments, and finally actually making the payment.


Please note:

  • You'll need a US address
  • You'll also need a US bank account


There are several steps:

  • Create the fundraiser on fundraiser event setup page
  • Set up your Pledge account
  • Then, either
    • Make yourself the "beneficiary" (the person who gets paid) and enter identity and banking info, or
    • Select someone else to be the beneficiary, and tell us how to email them


Step 1: On your platform's page



Under "What cause are you supporting," select "Crowdfund"


You will see several new fields: Category, Fundraiser Name, and Goal. Fill them out and click the "Save" button.

  • The Fundraiser Name will be used in several places, including the invitations, so be sure it makes sense! For instance, you'll be shown the dialog: "Please donate to [Fundraiser Name]".
  • If you need to change one of those three fields later, come back to this page and click the "edit" button in the "Donation Options" section.


Once the donation section is saved, your guests can now donate to your personal fundraiser (crowdfund) BUT … your work is not done! Keep reading …

  • If you made a mistake, you can click the "edit" or "remove" links. 



Wait for an email from Pledge titled "Activate Your New Pledge Account." It will describe what to do next.

  • If it doesn't arrive within a minute or so, search for email for the word "Pledge" and include your spam or junk mail folders


It's important to do steps 2 and 3!

  • You do NOT have to create this account in order to start the fundraiser, BUT you must do it within 30 days after the event, or it will be suspended.
  • If you do not create the account, your guests will be refunded for their donations and no other funds will be paid out.



Step 2: Log in and set up your Pledge account


The "Activate Your New Pledge Account" email you receive will have a purple button titled "Create Pledge Account" that you must click to go to this next step. When you click the link in the email, you'll see a page titled "Sign Up for a Pledge account." Fill out the information and click the green "Sign Up" button at the bottom of the form.

  • You can not change the email address -- it is the one you use for your platform account.


If you can't find the "Activate Your New Pledge Account" email:

  • search your email for the word "Pledge" and be sure to include your spam or junk mail folders
  • Still no luck?
    • Go to http://www.pledge.to/signin
    • Enter the email address that your platform uses for you when you create events. It may be old – if you're not sure, log in to your platform account and see which email you use.
    • Click the "Forgot your password?" link, which will take you here: https://www.pledge.to/accounts/password/reset
    • Enter that same email here and our system will email you a password reset link.
    • Once you click the password reset link and update the password, you should be at the personal fundraiser (crowdfund "dashboard" page, which is where step 3 starts …




Step 3: Provide the information we need to pay you

Now you'll see your fundraiser dashboard. It should have a notice about setting up a beneficiary and a button labeled "Set up the beneficiary" (the "beneficiary" is the person that we are sending the funds to):


Click the button!


On the next screen, choose who the funds are going to: someone else, or you.

  • If you select "Someone else," that person is going to have to log in to their own account and provide identity and banking verification. If you don't think they're capable of doing this, pick someone else! Donations will be stopped and may be refunded if the person you select doesn't complete setup in time.




Step 3a: If YOU are the Beneficiary

Note: If you selected "someone else" as the beneficiary, skip this section and go to Step 3b: If SOMEONE ELSE is the Beneficiary.


If you choose "Myself," you'll see a screen titled "Update Personal Information" that asks for your full first and last name, address, date of birth, and last four digits of your SSN. This is required so that our payments processor can comply with several laws and regulations about verifying the identity of people we send funds to. Click the purple "Update" button when done.




The next page asks for your bank routing and account number. Click the purple "Update" button when done.

  • You can find the routing and account numbers on the bottom of a printed check, or usually on your online statement.
  • The routing number is always nine digits
  • The account number is usually ten digits
  • If there are four numbers at the end of the line, that is usually the check number -- don't put this on the form.



You should now see "Bank account information updated" in a light green bar near the top of the page. Now you'll also see several more tabs above the purple bar that says "$0.00 raised by 0 people." These new tabs include "Payouts," "Personal Information," and "Bank Information." You're ready to get paid!



Step 3b: If SOMEONE ELSE is the Beneficiary


You'll invite the beneficiary. Be sure you're using their correct email address!




Now the beneficiary will receive an email from Pledge asking them to set up their Pledge account, and they'll have to provide the same identity and banking information that we would have asked you in step 3a above. If you follow up with them, and they don't have the email, they should check their junk or spam folders (search for "Pledge").