Help

General Questions

• What is IncitED?
  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. And IncitED is more than a simple platform for raising money; it is also an online community for collaboration, replication, and inspiration. Imagine a place where educators of all kinds can brainstorm solutions to problems, find great education programs and projects to replicate, and connect with other IncitED community members who have skills and experience to share.
• How does crowdfunding work?
  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 our Elements of Successful Crowdfunding guide for more information.
• Where does the crowd come from?
  Most of the financial supporters of a typical crowdfunding campaign are connected to the creator of that campaign through a social or professional network, but it isn’t unusual for campaigns to receive about 20% of 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.
• Why will people support my campaign?
  Education projects matter. If you have the courage to ask for support in doing something you think is meaningful and that will benefit others there are going to be plenty of people who will provide that support. When you tell a heartfelt story about the virtues and benefits of the education project you want to bring to life, people will want to become a part of it. They’ll not only want to support you in the good work you’re doing but they’ll want to support those who will benefit from your project, too. And the truth is that people feel great when they do good things for others. You and your fundraising campaign make that possible.
  
• What’s the difference between a campaign and a project?
  A campaign is the combination of all of the things that you do (on the IncitED website and off) to raise money. The project is the idea behind that campaign, the plan you have for making education happen.
  
• Who can run a campaign on IncitED?
  Anyone, 18 years of age or older, with an idea for an education project that aims to benefit others can run a 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 run a campaign on IncitED. If you’re younger than 18, you can be part of the campaign team, but someone else will need to be the team leader.
• Who makes a good crowdfunder?
  The ideal crowdfunder is someone who is passionate about their project, outgoing, hardworking, and well-networked.
  
• Can people outside the US use IncitED?
  Right now, we're focusing on campaigns in the US, but our goal is to support educational initiatives from around the world. Check back with us in July 2013 as we expand our features.  
• What currencies are accepted on IncitED?
  Donations to campaigns can be made in US Dollars.
• What is an All-or-Nothing Campaign?
  When you choose All-or-Nothing funding, if you reach or exceed your set fundraising goal you receive all the funds pledged at the end of the campaign. However, if you fall short of that set goal, none of the pledged funds will be collected from donors. It is also important to note that it isn’t possible to change the funding goal after the campaign has been approved and launched.
• What is a Progressive Funding Campaign?
  When you choose Progressive Funding, you will receive all funds pledged at the conclusion of the campaign even if the funding goal has not been reached.
• How much does it cost to use IncitED?
  It doesn’t cost anything to build or run a campaign on IncitED. Donating to a campaign and all community activities are also free. When a campaign is complete, IncitED charges a fee on the total amount of money that has been raised. For campaigns that reach or exceed their set funding goals the fee is 5%. For Progressive Funding campaigns that fall short of their funding goals, the fee is 8%. For All-or-Nothing campaigns that fall short of the set goal, no fee is charged. In addition PayPal charges 2.9% plus $0.30 per donation. It’s a good idea to set your funding goal to account for these fees.
• Do I need a PayPal account?
  If you'd like to build or contribute to a campaign on IncitED, you'll need to have a PayPal account. Here's a little helpful guidance: 
  
  Campaign Builders: Sign up for a Premier or Business PayPal account and verify your account by linking it to a bank account. Set your Payment Receiving Preferences to "Send Money." This allows you to accept tons of payments easily at the end of your campaign.
  
  Campaign Supporters: Any old PayPal account will do. And setting one up, if you don't already have one, takes a few minutes, max.  
• What types of campaigns are accepted on IncitED?
  We accept any campaign 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 school sports; summer camps, libraries, and museums; teachers, authors, or anyone with a good idea for education. We don’t, however, support “fund my education” campaigns. Campaigns created to provide scholarships for students are accepted, but the builder of the campaign must be someone other than the student(s) who will receive the scholarship.
• Does IncitED review campaigns before they’re approved?
  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 campaign successful: a compelling story, 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 campaign until it looks ready to shine.
• What is IncitED’s role in campaign outcomes?
  We care about the success of your 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 campaigns carefully before launch and provide as much guidance as we can before and during campaigns (See our Elements of Successful Crowdfunding guide). We also promote campaigns on our homepage, on Facebook, and in other venues when appropriate and available. We want your campaign 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.

Campaign Builders

• How do I get started?
  It’s simple. Sign up for an IncitED account and create a profile page. We're currently beta testing while we add new features to our site, so when you're ready to begin building a campaign, contact us at [email protected]. We'd like to work with you to ensure that your crowdfunding experience is successful.  
• How do I get approval to build a campaign?
  We're currently beta testing while we add new features to our site, so when you're ready to begin building a campaign, contact us at [email protected]. We'd like to work with you to ensure that your crowdfunding experience is successful. 
  
  We’ll check to see that your project is a good fit with IncitED. We’ll also check to see that you are prepared to run a successful campaign. If there are parts of your proposed campaign where we think you need work (scope of project, strength of team, available time to promote, etc.) we’ll try to work with you to address your needs and put you in a better position to be successful.
  
• What happens once my campaign has been built?
  After you have finished building your campaign (video, story, funding goal, etc.) and have selected the day you want to launch, 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 campaign is live and make a great first impression with your supporters.
• Can I edit my campaign after it has launched?
  Yes and no. Most aspects of your campaign such as the story, video, and rewards are always available for editing. Other aspects like your funding goal and campaign time period cannot be edited once your campaign has been made public. 
• How do I edit my campaign once I've started building it?
  Be sure you're logged in. Then go to the drop-down menu next to your name in the top right corner of the screen. Click "Dashboard" and you'll find your campaign and an "Edit" option. Don't forget to save your campaign after making edits. 
• What makes a campaign successful?
  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 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!
  
• Do I need to be a 501c3?
  No. You don’t need nonprofit status to fundraise on IncitED.
• Do I need a team to run a successful campaign?
  Yes! A team isn’t required, but it’s highly recommended. You’ll be thankful to have others to help you build the campaign, write blog updates, send emails, and post to social media during the campaign period. And working with a team not only spreads the workload, it also significantly expands your network of supporters and potential supporters.
• Why are videos important?
  Campaigns with videos raise more than twice as much as those without, so consider a brief campaign video (2-3 minutes) mandatory to give yourself the best shot at reaching your goal. A video helps potential funders 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 campaign.
• How can I promote my campaign?
  Besides using your IncitED campaign homepage there are many other possible ways to promote your campaign online, through social media, and via traditional means like newspapers or events. Take a good look at our guidebook Elements of Successful Crowdfunding for specific suggestions.
• What happens if I don’t reach my funding goal?
  If you select an All-or-Nothing campaign and then fall short of your funding goal, none of the funds pledged by your supporters will be collected. If you select a Progressive Funding campaign you’ll receive all of the funds pledged (less fees) at the end of your campaign even if you don’t reach your original funding goal.
• Can I exceed my funding goal?
  Yes. The majority of campaigns that reach their funding goals 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 ever expected.
  
• How do I receive my funds?
  During the campaign-building process, we require that you enter your PayPal account information along with your other details. When your campaign reaches its funding deadline, the funds will automatically be transferred to that PayPal account.
  
• How much can I raise on IncitED?
  You can raise from $500 to $50,000 during any one campaign on IncitED, and you can come back to crowdfund on IncitED up to 4 times a year. 
• How many campaigns can I launch on IncitED?
  You can have up to 2 campaigns running at a time, and you can launch up to 4 campaigns a year. 
• Are the contributions collected on IncitED taxed?
  First, please note that IncitED cannot give tax advice, but we can give you a some helpful information to get 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. 

  
  Contributions can only be taxed under some circumstances: 

  • If funds raised are considered income, they can be taxed. Often this is when perks are given in exchange for funds. However, many times Campaign Builders will have enough deductible expenses related to the project in the same tax year to avoid paying taxes.
  • 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. You can learn more about this new law here. 

  
  Contributions are generally not taxable if no perks are given in return. If contributions are made to a nonprofit 501(c)(3), they are tax deductible to the donor and tax free to the Campaign builder.

Campaign Funders

• How do I contribute to a project?
  First sign up for an IncitED account (it’s quick and easy and is also an important part of the payment security process). Then use the donation tools located on the homepage of the campaign you want to support. Last but not least, you can make your contribution even more valuable by telling as many other people as you can (through word of mouth and social media) about the great project that you’re supporting and encouraging them to do the same.
• Am I debited immediately when I contribute to a project?
  No. Your pledge will be collected only at the end of the campaign period. You can see how much longer the campaign has to run by checking the main page in the information area to the right of the campaign video.
  
• How do I know that my contribution was processed successfully?
  There are three immediate ways to know your PayPal payment was successfully processed.
  
  First, after clicking the "Approved" button at the bottom of the payment review page, you will be redirected to the campaign's "Thank-you" page where you can use the social media tools to share with your own crowd that you've just given. If you don't complete the payment process, you will not be redirected to this page.  
  
  Second, you will immediately receive two emails, one from IncitED and one from PayPal, stating that you have just contributed to a campaign on IncitED. The PayPal email will include a "Preapproved Payment" key. This number verifies that your account will be debited once at the end of the campaign. 
  
  Third, you can visit your IncitED dashboard by placing your cursor over your name in the top right corner of the IncitED screen and clicking on "Dashboard." You will find a list of pledges there. Only pledges with a "preapproved" status will be processed. 
  
  For more details about how PayPal works, please visit "The ABC's of Payments." 
• Will others know the amount I contributed?
  Your name will be displayed publicly (on the campaign’s supporter page) as a funder, but only the campaign leader or team will know the amount of your contribution.
• What should I do if I have a question or comment about a campaign or project?
  You can find the “Ask the Campaign Team” button at the bottom of each campaign’s homepage. This allows you to contact the campaign leader(s) directly with your questions. The answer will be posted later to the campaign page. If you want to leave comments you can do so by clicking the “Comments” button located at the top of the page just above the campaign’s video.
• Who is responsible for carrying out the promises of a campaign?
  It is the responsibility of the campaign’s organizer/team to complete the project as described and to follow through on any promises, including the fulfillment of any perks. IncitED is not able to ensure that projects are carried out in the manner set out by the campaign. Use your best judgement when deciding whether or not to support a particular campaign. If you have questions or concerns, it is best to contact the the campaign’s organizer/team directly.
  
• Will IncitED provide refunds if a campaign team fails to follow through on their promises?
  No, IncitED is not able to refund donations. Funds are released to a campaign’s leader at the end of the campaign period. If you have concerns about the implementation of a project or use of donations, you should contact the campaign organizer directly.
• Is my contribution tax deductible?
  If the campaign is conducted by a registered nonprofit organization your contribution may be tax deductible. You can get this information directly from the campaign. In many cases, the organizer will not have nonprofit status and so the donation will not be deductible.
• What do I do if I need to change my credit card information before a campaign ends?
  You can change your credit card information by visiting PayPal’s website.
• How many times can I donate to one campaign?
  You can give to the same campaign up to 4 times. 
• What is the maximum contribution amount I can give a campaign?
  PayPal requires a maximum contribution limit of $2000. If you would like to give more, you can do so by contributing more than once to the same campaign.  
• What information will the campaign team have about me?
  They will know your name, donation amount, and email address.
• How do I receive any promised campaign perks?
  If a campaign offered a perk for donating and you claimed that perk (you can also decline a perk) your name and email address will appear on a list for the campaign team to see. The team will then make arrangements to fulfill the perk and contact you with details at the end of their campaign.