Frequently Asked Questions

Get Started: How does Piggybackr work?

I’m new to crowdfunding, where do I start?

Crowdfunding on Piggybackr is as easy as 4 steps:

1. Create your personalized page in less than 3 minutes
2. Connect your bank account so you can get paid
3. Promote your page via our built-in email or social media
4. Collect donations!

Why would people donate to me?

Crowdfunding is designed for you to reach out to your community, friends, and family and supporters - and is most beneficial with a team since everyone works together towards a collective goal.

Piggybackr enables you to easily solicit donors, manage thank-you gifts, and also allow donors to upload sponsorship images to your fundraising page. Donors are motivated by a personal connection to you and your story (as told by you on your page and your optional video), and may appreciate thank-you gifts or the ability to show their sponsorship on your fundraiser page

Every fundraiser on Piggybackr can create custom donation levels (e.g. angel, benefactor, patron) and indicate whether there are thank-you rewards or a sponsor image. These can then be checked off for fulfillment at the end of the donation

Pricing & Billing

How much does Piggybackr cost?

Piggybackr is free to register for all users and 4% only on what you raise. The lowest fees you’ll find.

Crowdfunding Fees Compared by Website

How do I get paid?

We require you to setup your bank account before launching your fundraiser so that any donations are placed into an account specific to you. You will need to verify your identity for both fraud protection and for compliance with the Patriot Act. Online donations typically take 2-3 business days to clear before they are available for you to get paid out.

Can I manage my own donations and payments?

Yes! Of course you can! You can track and download real-time donation reports from your fundraiser admi panel, as well as thanking specific donors for their support on multiple fundraisers over time and manage your payouts to your bank account.

When do I get paid?

Your funds are automatically deposited to your bank account 3-5 business days after the end of your fundraiser to allow your donations to clear credit card processing.

Can I get paid sooner?

You can manually (on your own) request payouts of available funds prior to the end of the fundraiser but there is a $2 fee per payout. We’d encourage you not to do this unless you absolutely need the funds. The fee is from our credit card processor so we can’t eliminate it, but realize you may need funds before the end of the fundraiser.

Can I get my donations deposited into an organization or business bank account?

Yes, but you would still have to provide individual identification to verify your identity as a representative of that account for fraud and compliance reasons. You do not necessarily need to be an official representative of that business account.

Can I get my donations deposited into an organization or business bank account? What type of tax documentation might I receive?

We do not send out tax documentation but our payment processor is required to send out a 1099-K to report transactions. For individuals, these are typically not reported as income if they are a gift. For organizations, you would utilize this information to report donations. For more information about the 1099-K, please visit the IRS Website

Platform

Is Piggybackr safe for children and students?

Piggybackr is COPPA-compliant so safe for schools and after-school programs, including those under 13 (who require parental permission). We request parental permission for any users under 13 and all fundraisers require a bank account before being publicly visible.

What makes Piggybackr so easy to use?

We’ve designed Piggybackr to make crowdfunding easy for everyone. We make team fundraising particularly easy, but you’re welcome to raise funds as an individual. We focus on the most important aspects of fundraising, with clear help, and include everything you need from emailing prospective donors to tracking gift fulfillment.

What does my Piggybackr account includes?

1. Personalized page for your organization, campaign, or event fundraiser
2. Personalized pages for each member on your fundraising team
3. Unlimited team members
4. Built-in email and promotions tracking
5. Badges and fundraising goals to encourage team members to participate for success
6. Dashboard to manage multiple fundraisers
7. Team leader with centralized admin: manage team members, announcements and updates, and donations
8. Centralized payment: Entire team raises funds to be deposited in a single bank account

Fundraiser Management

How do I change the deadline for the end of my fundraiser or end my fundraiser early?

You can always edit your fundraiser’s deadline but only within 3 days of the current day. We don’t advise you to make your deadline shorter as it takes time to raise funds and many donors may have been waiting closer to the end of the fundraiser to make their donation. We also setup reminders for all team members in the last week.

You can’t change the fundraiser to end earlier than 3 days from the current date but if you need to immediately stop accepting donations for any reason, you have the ability to pause your fundraiser immediately.

I’m raising money for a nonprofit. Do my donors receive tax forms?

We do not send out official letters on your behalf. All donors receive receipts that could be used to inform them when they file taxes and as a receipt for a charitable donation. If you provide nonprofit information in the Nonprofit tab of your fundraiser, we will include the following language in automatic thank you emails that also indicate the amount of the donation:

This receipt confirms that you have made a donation in the amount of $X to [Nonprofit Organization] with a tax-exempt EIN: [EIN #]

About Piggybackr

Who are you?

We were originally founded in 2012. We’re mission-driven entrepreneurs based in the U.S. with experience in education, nonprofits, and community service. Piggybackr itself has a long history of supporting fundraisers for schools and after-school programs and we’ve helped raise over $5 million. Our company name is Future Bright LLC. Our parent company also runs other mission-driven crowdfunding platforms so that we can help keep our fees as low as possible!

We believe in enabling everyone, including children and youth, the opportunity to secure resources to achieve their goals. Piggybackr was built from the beginning to educate and make crowdfunding more easily accessible.

We were recognized by the Points of Light Foundation as a startup with the "greatest impact potential" in 2014 at the Conference on Volunteering and Service.

We’ve also been recognized in both national and local press.

Do you have a press kit?

Sure, you can contact us at [email protected] and we’ll set you up.

Have you had any press coverage?

We’ve recently been focused on re-launching our latest version but had a lot of great press coverage earlier in our history. We’re focused on keeping our costs lean, while continuing to improve the platform, to keep our fees as low as possible!

We’re excited about our new platform and will be promoting both Piggybackr and, more importantly, your fundraisers!

I’m interested in supporting or sponsoring fundraisers, creating a partnership with Piggybackr, or collaborating with your parent company Future Bright.

That’s not a question, but you can reach us at [email protected] and we’re happy to discuss potential opportunities.

Press