IncitED is a crowdfunding community created for anyone with an education project that is in need of money. Whether you want to create an after-school program, develop new educational technology, help disadvantaged learners, establish a scholarship fund, or acquire classroom supplies, the possibilities for great education projects is virtually limitless. IncitED makes it easy to build compelling grassroots fundraising campaigns to help make those great projects a reality. 

Crowdfunding is a way of getting financial support for worthwhile ideas and projects by raising small amounts of money from large numbers of people (the Crowd). IncitED provides an easy way to create an online fundraising campaign so you can reach out for support to people anywhere and everywhere who believe in what you’re trying to accomplish. Crowdfunding can be used when other types of funding (school budgets, grants, loans, credit cards, etc.) might not be available options. 

You may be able to raise hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars for your project. If the conditions are right, the sky’s the limit. But success isn’t guaranteed. Effective crowdfunding requires a lot of effort and enthusiasm. IncitED will show you how to use your effort and enthusiasm to build and run a great campaign so you’ll have the best chance to raise the money your project needs. See the "Project Tips and Tutorials" section of this website for lots of great information and suggestions.

We accept any project that is focused on education/learning and that is created to benefit others. That includes a wide array of projects from funding classroom supplies to building new learning environments, but it also includes research and professional development (because if you’re better at what you do, the more good you can do). We support service-learning projects, class travel, and sports; summer camps, libraries, and museums; teachers, authors, or anyone with a good idea for education. We don’t, however, support “help-me-pay-my-student-loan/tuition” projects. Projects created to provide scholarships for students are accepted, but the leader of the fundraising campaign must be someone other than the student(s) who will receive the scholarship.

Anyone, 18 years of age or older, with an idea for an education project that aims to benefit others can create a project page and run a fundraising campaign. You could be a professional educator or any person who sees a need and wants to make a difference. You might be working through a school, nonprofit or community group, but you can run a campaign independently, too. It doesn’t matter whether you’re inside or outside of a traditional education system, if your project is meaningful to you and will directly help other people then you’re a good candidate to create a project page and run a fundraising campaign on IncitED. If you’re younger than 18, you can be part of the project/campaign team, but someone else will need to be the team leader.

Anyone with a valid credit card, bank account, WePay or PayPal account can make a financial contribution to a project on IncitED regardless of where they're located. (Note: Each project organizer will either use WePay -- for US-based projects -- or PayPal -- for international projects.)

To run a fundraising campaign on IncitED from outside the US, project leaders must use PayPal to process and receive donations. All US-based projects use WePay as their payment processor. Both WePay and PayPal allow users to make contributions using credit cards, debit cards, or bank accounts.

It doesn’t cost anything to build a project page or run a fundraising campaign on IncitED. When fundraising is complete, IncitED charges a fee on the total amount of money that has been raised. 

For projects that reach or exceed their set funding targets, the fee is 5%. For Flexible Funding projects that fall short of their funding targets, the fee is 8%. 

In addition, our payment processing partners, PayPal & WePay (for direct credit card and bank account transactions), charge 2.9% plus $0.30 per donation. 

For All-or-Nothing projects that fail to reach their funding targets there are no fees.

Yes. We check to see that your project has all the important details your prospective funders need to know. We’ll also look to be sure that you have the basic building blocks that help make a fundraising campaign successful: a video, a clearly written project story/description, supportive network, motivated team, and realistic funding goal. If everything is in order, we’ll give you the green light to start fundraising. If not, we’ll work with you to help you strengthen your project until it looks ready to shine.

We care about the success of your project and campaign. After all, our mission is to incite educational ideas and projects around the world. If your project receives funding it needs from the crowd, good things will happen. So we review project pages carefully and provide as much guidance as we can before and during fundraising campaigns (see the "Project Tips and Tutorials" section of this website). We also promote projects on our homepage, through social media, and in other venues when appropriate and available. We want your project to have the best outcome possible. There are no guarantees that you’ll reach your funding goal but we want to give you the best chance at it.

The ideal crowdfunder is someone who is passionate about their project, outgoing, hardworking, and well-networked.

Most of the financial supporters of a typical education crowdfunding campaign are connected to the creator(s) of that campaign through a social or professional network, but it isn’t unusual for campaigns to receive as much as 20% of all donations from total strangers who hear about a good project and want to see it become a reality. The farther you can spread the message about what you’re doing the better.

A project leader may choose the Flexible Funding method of crowdfunding. This means that the project will receive all the money that has been pledged even if the project has not reached its original funding goal. 

You can see what funding method a project has selected by visiting its project page. You'll see the details below the green "Contribute" button.

A project leader may choose the All-or-Nothing funding method of crowdfunding. This means that if that project does not reach its set funding target by the end of the fundraising period no project pledges will be collected (in other words, donors keep their money). All-or-Nothing projects that do reach or exceed their fundraising targets by the deadline receive all the funds that have been pledged at the end of their campaign period.

You can see what funding method a project has selected by visiting its project page. You'll see the details below the green "Contribute" button.

To learn about how to build a great project page and learn strategies for running a strong fundraising campaign, visit the "Project Tips and Tutorials" pages. We can't stress enough how important it is for you to set off on your crowdfunding journey equipped with the confidence these tips and tutorials will give you. 

To create your own project, use the "Build" link at the top of the page. Choose a funding type (Flexible or All-or-Nothing) and then fill in all the fields on the build page, following the instructions on-screen, and click the 'Save' button at the bottom! It's that easy! Remember, you'll need a video for your project to be accepted, so consider this when you start building. You can go back and add you video any time before your project goes live.

We accept any project that is focused on education/learning and that is created to benefit others. That includes a wide array of projects from funding classroom supplies to building new learning environments, but it also includes research and professional development (because if you’re better at what you do, the more good you can do). We support service-learning projects, class travel, and sports; summer camps, libraries, and museums; teachers, authors, or anyone with a good idea for education. We don’t, however, support “help-me-pay-my-student-loan” projects. Projects created to provide scholarships for students are accepted, but the leader of the project must be someone other than the student(s) who will receive the scholarship.

Successful crowdfunding takes courage, determination, and a fair amount of hard work. You’ll need to be ready to accept the role of fundraiser, directly asking as many people as you can for money and help spreading the word - and that’s not the easiest thing to do. You’ll also need to see your fundraising campaign through from beginning to end. That could be a few months of steady effort. The basic equation for success is this:  

   A Meaningful Project
+ A Supportive Network
+ A Motivated Team
= Your Best Chance at Success!

See the "Project Tips and Tutorials" section of this website for more details. You'll find information to help with your video, rewards, project description, and funding target calculations. 

After you have finished building your project page (video, description, funding target, etc.) and have decided the day you plan to launch, you can submit your project for review by using the "Submit for Review" link on your project page. We’ll review it to be sure you have provided all the necessary information and that everything else is in order and ready to go. We want you to hit the ground running on the first day your fundraising campaign is live and make a great first impression with your supporters. Once we've approved your project, you will receive an email stating that it's ready for launch. You can push the launch button from your project page as soon as you're ready to go live. Just be sure you've already lined up some early supporters who have committed to donating on Day 1. This step is SO important to the success of your campaign. 

No, most people prefer to take their time and build the project page over a couple of days or even a couple of weeks. You can save your project page and come back to it later as many times as you'd like. However, you will need to fill in the areas with an asterisk (*) next to them to save. These areas are required, but you can always go back and revise those details later. 

To return to your project page to add and edit
1. log in 
2. click the red "my account" button at top right
3. select "dashboard"
4. click the name of your project in the "My projects" list
5. click the red "edit project" button at the top of your project page

When you're satisfied with your project page, click the "submit for review" link on your page. We will review it, let you know if it needs revision, and approve it when it's ready for launch. 

Yes and no. Most aspects of your project such as the description, video, and rewards are always available for editing. Other aspects like your funding target, the project name, and duration cannot be edited once your project has been made public and you have started raising money. 

It doesn’t cost anything to create a project page or run a campaign on IncitED. When a campaign is complete, IncitED charges a fee on the total amount of money that has been raised. 

• For projects that reach or exceed their set funding targets, the fee is 5%. 
• For Flexible Funding projects that fall short of their funding targets, the fee is 8%. 

In addition, our payment processing partners, PayPal & WePay (for direct credit card and bank account transactions), charge 2.9% plus $0.30 per donation. 

• For All-or-Nothing projects that fail to reach their funding goals there are no fees.

When you create your project page you will need to create an account with WePay (for all U.S.-based project) or PayPal (for all projects based outside the U.S.) and link it to your project by providing an email address.

If you have chosen to run a U.S.-based Flexible Funding project, funds will be transferred into your WePay account immediately at the time of donation.

If you have chosen to run an All-or-Nothing project or a project based outside the U.S., the funds pledged by supporters will automatically be transferred to you via WePay or PayPal when your project reaches its fundraising deadline. 

Once funds have been transferred into your WePay or PayPal account, you can move them by attaching a bank account to your WePay or PayPal account. To learn more about how to do this on WePay, visit this page. To learn more about how to do this on Paypal, visit this page. 

No. You don’t need nonprofit status to fundraise on IncitED.

First, please note that IncitED cannot give tax advice, but we can give you a some basic information to get the conversation started with your accountant or tax advisor. This information cannot be used to avoid tax-related penalties under the US Internal Revenue Code or to recommend or promote tax related matters to others. 

• If funds raised are considered income, they can be taxed. 
• Also, a new tax law -- IRS 6050W -- states that PayPal and other payment processors must report to the IRS customers who receive $20,000 in gross payment volume from sales of goods or services in a single year and who also have 200 separate payments for goods or services in the same year. 
•  If contributions are made to a nonprofit 501(c)(3), they are tax deductible to the donor and tax free to the project leaders. IncitED is not involved in this process. 501(c)3s organizations need to contact their donors separately to provide tax details.

The IRS has not issued clear guidelines for addressing all the specifics of crowdfunding. For some projects a tax liability is a possibility. Different jurisdictions may view the same situation in different ways. If you are concerned about the tax implications of conducting a campaign it's best to consult a tax advisor in your area.

Yes! If your project reaches its target with time to spare in the fundraising period, keep going! The majority of projects that reach their funding targets end up exceeding them by at least 10%. If things come together for you in the right way, you may end up raising more money than you expected.

If you selected the Flexible Funding method for your project, you’ll receive all of the funds contributed (less fees) during your campaign even if you don’t reach your original funding target.

If you selected the All-or-Nothing method for your project and you don't reach your goal, none of the pledges from your supporters will be collected. In this case there also aren't any fees.

Yes and no! A team isn’t required, but it’s highly recommended. You’ll be thankful to have a team to help you build the project, send emails, and post to social media during the fundraising campaign period. And working with a team not only spreads the workload, it also significantly expands your network of supporters and potential supporters. 

Tell anyone you want to be a part of your team the email and password you used to register on IncitED. That's all they'll need to access the project page and dashboard to help manage the fundraising.

Yes! Projects with videos raise more than twice as much as those without, so consider a brief (2-3 minutes) video mandatory to give yourself the best shot at reaching your goal. A video helps potential supporters make an emotional connection to what you’re doing and makes them more likely to donate. The video can be very simple, it can even be a slideshow, but having one will really influence how the crowd reacts to your project.

Visit the "Project Tips and Tutorials" section to learn more about creating a video or slideshow.

We have incorporated sharing tools, which you can find on the project page: share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or by email.

Besides using your IncitED project page to get the word out to supporters there are many other possible ways to promote your project online, through social media, and via traditional means like newspapers or events. Take a good look at the "Project Tips and Tutorials" section of this website for specific suggestions.

The most important thing to remember about promotion is to do it often and early. It's a busy, noisy world out there so sending just a couple messages about your project probably won't cut it, and waiting to promote your project until it's live and the clock is ticking down isn't a good idea either. Now is no time to be shy! Tell as many people as you can about the great thing you're doing and tell them often! Gather your closest supporters before you launch your project, and have them prepare to give on the first day!

There are two possibilities when your project reaches the end of the fundraising period:

1. You will receive the money contributed by supporters (less fees). All Flexible Funding projects and All-or-Nothing projects that meet/exceed their set targets will have money transferred to them automatically. Flexible Funding projects have the money transferred during the fundraising period. All-or-Nothing projects that reach their goal will get the funds at the end of their fundraising period. The money goes to the WePay or PayPal account that you designated at the outset of fundraising. Please also note that it is your responsibility to ensure that rewards (if they were a part of your campaign) are fulfilled following the end of the fundraising period.

2. The money pledged by supporters will NOT be collected (supporters keep their money). This is only the case for an All-or-Nothing project that does not reach its set funding goal. 

It's an easy process. On the project page of your chosen project you can contribute in 2 ways.

1. Click any of the set donation/reward buttons in the left hand column.
2. Click the green Contribute button at the top right and enter the amount on the next page.

After you select the amount of your contribution you can complete the process by securely providing payment information using a credit/debit card or bank account. When your pledge has been recorded you will receive confirmation by email.

We have incorporated sharing tools, which you can find on the project page: share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or by email.

An endorsement from you on social media can really boost a project that you support. Tell other people why you like a great project and also let people know that you have made a donation. This kind of message can really magnify your impact.

It depends. If you have contributed to a Flexible Funding project based in the U.S., your contribution will be debited immediately. If you've contributed to an All-or-Nothing project or a project based outside the U.S. (regardless of the funding type -- Flexible or AoN), your contribution will be collected at the end of the fundraising period established by the leader of the project. To know the date that a project will complete fundraising, visit its project page. You will be notified about the of  your contribution via email. 

If the project is conducted by a registered nonprofit organization your contribution may be tax deductible. You can get this information directly from the leader of the project. In many cases, the organizer will not have nonprofit status and so the contribution will not be deductible.

Nothing. You can make a contribution to the project of your choice without paying any fees. 

No. You may choose to have your name displayed on the project page, but the amount you contribute will only be known by the the project leader or team. You may also choose to make your contribution anonymously.

If a project offered a reward for donating and you claimed that reward (you can also decline a reward) your name and email address will appear on a list for the project team to see. The team will then make arrangements to fulfill the reward and contact you with details at the end of the project's fundraising period.

If the project has selected All-or-Nothing funding and it does not reach its funding target, none of the pledges from supporters will be collected. In other words, the project will not receive any funds and none of the supporters will be charged.

If the project has selected Flexible Funding and it does not reach its funding target, it will still receive all of the funds that have been pledged. 

You can see what type of funding a project is using by visiting its IncitED project page.

No, IncitED is not able to refund donations. Funds are released to a project’s leader at the end of the fundraising period. If you have concerns about the implementation of a project or use of donations, you should contact the project leader directly.

It is the responsibility of the project’s leader/team to complete the project as described and to follow through on any promises, including the fulfillment of any rewards. IncitED is not able to ensure that projects are carried out in the manner set out by the project leader(s). Use your best judgement when deciding whether or not to support a particular project. If you have questions or concerns, it is best to contact the the project’s leader/team directly.

Sure.

Some projects will debit your pledge immediately (Flexible Funding projects in the United States). If your pledge has already been debited from your account and you would like for it to be refunded, please contact the project owner using the "Contact Me" button on their project page to ask them for a refund. They will need to credit your account via WePay. 

Some projects wait to debit your pledge until the end of the project's campaign period (All-or-Nothing projects or projects based outside the United States). To cancel this type of pledge, please contact IncitED at [email protected] and we'll cancel it for you. 

No unfortunately, by that time it's too late. Once the project has completed fundraising and the funds have been transferred to the project leader(s) it's not possible to make any changes to contributions.

Absolutely! We use WePay and PayPal as our payment processors, which means your account information is never shared with IncitED. WePay and PayPal use the highest level security measures in the industry to ensure that all payment information is encrypted and safe. Visit WePay's security page to learn more about how they keep your money safe. Visit PayPal's security page to see their security policy.