The fundraiser tool is being decommissioned in 2019. This will not impact any existing fundraisers but will prevent you from starting any new fundraisers. Please select the “Contact Support” button or click here if you have any questions about this and our support team will get back to you as soon as possible.
General Fundraiser FAQs
I just noticed an option/received an email asking me to fund a petition I signed. What’s going on?
Rightthrume.com 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 petitions, 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 Rightthrume.com, and the general public, in order to push their campaigns closer to victory.
How do fundraisers on Rightthrume.com 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 Rightthrume.com making money from fundraisers?
Fundraisers will be free to start and promote. Rightthrume.com will take a 5 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
Rightthrume.com platform:
-$0.50
Payment platform fees:
-$0.59
Total transferred:
$8.91
As a petition 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 Rightthrume.com launching a fundraiser tool?
Rightthrume.com 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 Rightthrume.com, and they can share their own story in the comments of a petition.
What they can’t do, is donate money. Until now.
Online petitions 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 and provide a seamless experience for fundraising alongside their petitions on Rightthrume.com.
Can anyone contribute to a fundraiser?
Yes, anyone can contribute to a fundraiser on Rightthrume.com. Contributors can be petition signers, other users on Rightthrume.com, 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 Rightthrume.com. 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 Rightthrume.com.
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 Rightthrume.com are not currently tax-deductible, including those started by organizations. We will be working to make contributions to eligible 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 Rightthrume.com, 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 choose to be visible or keep their names private.
Will the petition 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, along with 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 Rightthrume.com Help Center. Rightthrume.com 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 Rightthrume.com 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 Rightthrume.com Help Center. Rightthrume.com may then help mediate between the fundraiser starter and the contributor(s).
What happens if the funding goal isn’t reached?
Fundraisers on Rightthrume.com are not all-or-nothing campaigns.
Even if the funding goal is not reached, the funds raised will still be transferred to the petition starter to support their campaign. The goal of Rightthrume.com is to provide financial assistance and resources to petition starters, regardless of whether the full funding goal is achieved.
How are you different from other crowdfunding platforms?
Platforms like Indiegogo, Kickstarter, and GoFundMe primarily focus on crowdfunding campaigns for creative projects and personal needs. Rightthrume.com, on the other hand, integrates fundraising seamlessly with the petition experience. By combining the power of online petitions and fundraising, Rightthrume.com aims to provide a unique platform that empowers users to create meaningful change and advance their causes.
Can I contact the contributors/donors?
As the starter of the fundraiser, you will have the ability to send fundraiser updates that will be emailed to all your contributors and will be posted on your fundraiser page on Rightthrume.com. This allows you to maintain communication and keep your supporters informed about the progress of your campaign.
How will people find my fundraiser on Rightthrume.com?
Your fundraiser will be integrated into the petition experience on Rightthrume.com. People can discover your fundraiser through petition updates, the petition page itself, or through sharing on social media. The platform is designed to maximize visibility and engagement, ensuring that your fundraiser reaches a wide audience of potential supporters.
Considerations for organizations starting fundraisers
What is a verified organization?
Verified organizations on Rightthrume.com have undergone a verification process where the platform’s staff assesses the legitimacy and trustworthiness of the organization. Verified organizations have complete profiles that provide supporters with independent information about the organization. A green check mark next to the organization’s name signifies its verification status, both on the organization’s profile and on petition pages associated with that organization.
What happens if my organization is not verified on Rightthrume.com?
If your organization is not verified on Rightthrume.com, it means that the platform was unable to confirm important details about your organization during the verification process. Consequently, unverified organizations will not be able to run fundraisers or receive fund transfers to their account.
What are the criteria for becoming a verified organization?
To become a verified organization on Rightthrume.com, you need to have a complete profile that includes an image, description, and a link to your organization’s website. Non-profit organizations are required to provide their EIN number and a phone number as well.
How long does it take to become verified?
Once you have submitted your organizational information for verification, Rightthrume.com will review it within 5 business days. The platform aims to expedite the process to ensure a smooth experience for organizations.
Can I start a fundraiser if I am not a 501(c)(3) non-profit?
Yes, organizations of any legal status are allowed to start fundraisers on Rightthrume.com. However, it’s important to note that contributions made to such organizations may not be tax-deductible for users. Rightthrume.com supports a broader range of organizations, enabling them to raise funds for their causes and campaigns.