TCU Crowdfunding Policy
Before applying to participate in crowdfunding, it is the project lead’s responsibility to review and understand the following TCU Crowdfunding Policy. TCU reserves the right to revise this policy at any time.
To ensure compliance with Texas Christian University guidelines, all crowdfunding projects must have an approved philanthropic gift fund and account set up through Financial Services in conjunction with University Advancement where donations can be accepted and then distributed to the respective campus unit’s account. Groups may use a gift fund associated with a sponsoring unit, such as a department or program, with the approval of the finance officer in that area.
All monies must be used for the project’s stated purpose. Individuals are strictly prohibited from keeping any portion of the funds raised as a profit or compensation. All projects must be non-profit in nature. Projects must support TCU programs and initiatives. Funds cannot be redirected to a third-party, external charity or other non-profit. TCU cannot act as a “passthrough” entity to provide funding to other charities.
By utilizing the official TCU crowdfunding platform, any fees associated with fund raising will be paid by University Advancement.
When applying for TCU FrogFunding, project team members agree to provide the following:
- Contact information for all team members
- Name and bio of project lead
- Project description
- Case for support (why someone would donate to your project)
- Video (less than 2 minutes in length)
- Photos and images which highlight the project
- Social sharing of the crowdfunding project through project team members' personal Facebook, Twitter or email networks
- Detailed budget breakdown that outlines how donations will be spent
- Project updates throughout the crowdfunding campaign
- Weekly promotion of the project during the life of the appeal through social media, email, listservs or other tools
- Content for automated personal thank you message to donors after donation is made
- Final personal message after the campaign concludes which thanks donors and provides a project update
- Suggestions for non-monetary perks for donations at multiple increments as appropriate
All content on project pages will be approved by TCU, which has the right to edit, or require project content edits, at any point in the campaign. TCU does not provide any contact data on alumni, parents, friends or students.
It is up to the FrogFunding project groups to contact their personal affinities and contact lists. While TCU may promote the FrogFunding platform during campaigns and throughout the year, groups should not rely on this for fundraising success.
TCU will provide official tax receipts to all donors.
Most gifts will be raised online through the TCU FrogFunding platform, where there is a $5 minimum donation amount. Some offline funds may be used toward the project’s goal. This includes, but is not limited to, cash, checks, matching gifts, gifts of stock and other funds awarded or received during the crowdfunding campaign. Crowdfunding projects cannot count gifts from pledges, bequests, gifts already allocated to another fund, or money raised through sales, such as bake-sales, car washes, or other “give-to-get” fundraising.
All funds raised from outside of the TCU FrogFunding platform must be delivered to the Office of Loyalty Giving for deposit. This is to ensure that the donor receives proper credit and receipts. Contact the Office of Loyalty Giving for additional instructions.
Monetary premiums and perks are not to be used to incentivize gifts. Items such as t-shirt giveaways or other promotional items may not be permissible, as they affect a donor’s right to a tax deduction.
If the project is not fully funded within the allotted timeframe, any monies raised will still be allocated to the project. All funds, even without meeting the goal, should be spent to offset the cost of the promoted project or utilized to the group’s best ability. Project team members should notify their donors and inform them how their donations will be spent.
Projects cannot violate any laws. TCU reserves the right to decline any projects based on content or discontinue an active campaign at any time due to group’s eligibility status or failure to comply with these crowdfunding guidelines.
TCU University Advancement’s Donor / Constituent Privacy Notice can be viewed at https://advancement.tcu.edu/new/privacy. For questions regarding these guidelines, please contact loyaltygiving@tcu.edu or 817-257-7800.