How do I setup a nonprofit campaign?
When creating your campaign, please select the "Business or Nonprofit" option on the Start a Campaign page. Below is a list of information we will need about the organization, this can be completed on the Funding tab of your campaign page:
- Organization name: Enter the name of the nonprofit organization as it is filed with the IRS, or local government agency in your country
- Tax ID (EIN for US nonprofits): Enter the tax ID/EIN as it is filed with the IRS, or local government agency in your country
- Legal first name: Enter the legal first name belonging to the owner or director of the nonprofit organization
- Legal last name: Enter the legal last name belonging to the owner or director of the nonprofit organization
- Date of Birth: Enter the date of birth belonging to the owner or director of the nonprofit organization
Please keep in mind that these fields can’t be changed under any circumstances after your bank form is submitted and your identity is verified. If you need to change them after submission, you’ll need to start a new project. We therefore recommend you be especially careful when providing the above information. You’ll also want to make sure that you’ve entered the legal name of the funds representative. This is the name the government has for that person, and shouldn’t be a nickname, organization name, or other non-legal name.
Whose information should I enter in the funds representative fields?
You must enter someone authorized to represent the nonprofit in the legal name and date of birth fields. Preferably, this would be the owner or director of the nonprofit organization, but could be another senior member, such as an accountant or financial director. Members of the general public should not enter their personal information in these fields. Doing so could lead to a disruption in your fundraising efforts, and potential closure of your project.
Once you’ve raised funds, you’ll be asked to provide additional information:
- Social Security Number (SSN): Enter the SSN belonging to the owner or director of the nonprofit organization (should belong to the person whose name and date of birth you provided when setting up your campaign)
- Address: Nonprofit’s address, or the funds representative’s address
- Account number: Nonprofit’s bank account number
- Routing number: Nonprofit’s routing account number
Please note that everything entered should be consistent: the nonprofit, legal representative, and bank account information must all match.
Can I raise funds on behalf of a nonprofit, even if I’m not affiliated with them?
If you are a member of the general public and would like to raise funds on behalf of a nonprofit, we recommend getting in touch with the nonprofit to discuss setting up the campaign. You’ll need to provide the owner’s, director’s, or other senior member’s information, as well as the nonprofit’s bank account, so you need to ensure the nonprofit will provide this to you.
If the nonprofit declines, you should instead select the “Individual” option, and have funds disbursed to you. You can then work with the nonprofit to send in the funds an alternative way, after receiving them to your account. In this situation, please be very honest and transparent in your story section about how you are receiving the funds and donating them to the nonprofit.
Do we have to give the Social Security Number (SSN) or government ID for our funds representative?
Yes, you must provide an individual’s SSN or government-issued ID, even if you’re raising funds on behalf of an organization. Stripe, our payment processor, needs to verify an individual behind the organization before you can receive funds. Government regulations require any entity that sends funds to verify the legitimacy of the organization they’re sending funds to. This requirement means Stripe will need to verify an individual representing the business in addition to verifying the EIN. This requirement is also part of their obligation to government agencies with regard to OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) and anti-money laundering policies.
What about the tax deductibility of transactions to my nonprofit campaign?
Indiegogo can’t advise on the tax deductibility of contributions made to your campaign. Please talk with your tax advisor or legal counsel about whether you may provide tax receipts to your backers, as well as what amount, if any, of a contribution if considered tax deductible. Please also note that any tax receipt would have to come from the nonprofit directly, not Indiegogo.
Can I raise funds via a Fiscal Sponsor?
If you would like to raise funds via a Fiscal Sponsor, we recommend getting in touch with the Fiscal Sponsor directly, to discuss setting up the campaign. They will determine whether they'll be able to facilitate your raising funds through their Fiscal Sponsorship, via Indiegogo or not.
As a reminder, you will need to provide the owner, director, or other senior member of the Fiscal Sponsor's information, as well as their organization's bank account, so you need to ensure the Fiscal Sponsor will provide this to you.
In the event that the Fiscal Sponsor declines to provide this information or doing so is contrary to their policies, you should instead select the "Individual" option under the "Funds Recipient" section. This will require your own personal information and have funds disbursed to you. We cannot offer tax advice, so please check with your tax advisor if you have questions around taxes or offering tax receipts to donors.
What are the fees like for nonprofit campaigns?
You’ll be charged the normal campaign fees for your nonprofit campaign:
- 5% Indiegogo platform fee
- 3% +$0.30 per transaction Stripe fee
- Bank transfer fee (if applicable)
Please read more about fees in our specific Help Center article.
When will our nonprofit receive funds?
Funds are typically disbursed within 15 business days of your campaign’s deadline, provided you’ve completed your bank and identity information. Please read more here.
Please also keep in mind you’ll need to make sure you’ve been verified by Stripe before receiving funds. Once funds are disbursed, it typically takes 2-5 business days to show up in your bank account. Funds will show as coming from Stripe on your bank statement, rather than Indiegogo. Finally, Stripe advises using a checking account to receive funds, as they don’t support savings accounts.