RaceRaiser FAQ

Fundraising Questions

1. When will the charity receive the funds I raised?

   Funds are sent to recipients no later than 30 days after the close of the fundraising page. This deadline is set by users. We recommend a deadline of 2 weeks after your event date.

2. Where is my fundraising page?

   Pages are removed from our site for three primary reasons: 1) 1 year has transpired since the close of your fundraising page, 2) Profanity or otherwise negative content or advertising was reported and verified on your page, 3) It has been cancelled by the fundraiser. If these circumstances do not apply to you, then the most likely situation is that you are using an incorrect URL or link, or that you are searching for your page with the wrong name. If you are still having problems, please contact us.

3. Are donors entitled to a tax deduction?

   Yes, donors are entitled to a tax deduction. When you donate through Raceraiser you will receive a confirmation both on the website and via email, indicating the amount raised and the charity that will receive the funds. This documentation should be used as a guideline for you to claim your tax deduction. If more detail is required, we ask that you please contact the charity directly. They will have been provided with the details of your donation when the funds are transferred, and should be able to provide official documentation. Note that Raceraiser should not be relied on exclusively to determine the financial implications of making donations to charity. We strongly recommend that you consult your own advisor/s about any accounting, taxation or financial consequences that may affect you.

4. Is Raceraiser.com secure?

   Raceraiser provides a very high level of security to protect your credit and debit card information during the donation process. The security is achieved through the use of internet security (SSL) protocol that encrypts file details so that they are secure when traveling over the internet. For more information, please review our security policy.

5. What forms of payment are accepted?

   Raceraiser.com accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and Paypal.

6. What is the best way for me to meet my fundraising goal?

   Fundraising is contagious. Those most successful at raising funds have exposed their page to as many family, friends, colleagues, clients, and contacts as possible. We encourage you to customize your page with cool imagery, text, backgrounds, and a personal story to inspire people to donate. It is also helpful to send frequent updates to potential donors to notify them of event dates, training progress, and any your fundraising targets. For tips on how to fundraise more successfully, visit our tips page.

7. My company is willing to make a matching gift. What do I do?

   Ask your company what their process for gift matching is. In most cases they will require proof of your donation to the non-profit. When Raceraiser processes your final donations, you will receive a confirmation via both the website and email. Print a copy of this page and show it to your company. Provide them with the URL of the fundraising page where they can make the donation.

8. How do charities receive the money I raised using my fundraising page?

   Non-profits will receive funds either by check (mailed) or electronic funds transfer within 30 days of close of the fundraising page. If you are concerned about the destination of the check, please contact us.

9. I forgot my password. What do I do?

   Please click here to reset your password.

10. I'm having difficulty accessing my account. What am I doing wrong?

    In most cases if you are having trouble logging into your account, you are either using an incorrect email address or password. Also, please make sure your caps lock is turned off and that you are using the correct login information. If you have forgotten your email address, please click here to retrieve it. If you have forgotten your password, please click here to reset it.

11. I fundraised for the wrong charity - what do I do?

    Prior to taking donations to a particular charity, the charity can be changed by editing the charity identity in your fundraising page. Once donations are accepted for a specific charity we must honor those donations and we are not able to refund them. If you have accidentally selected the wrong charity but still intend on continuing with your race - congratulations! We are certain the donations will be happily received and put to good use.

12. How do I change my fundraising page close date?

    Most of those asking this question are interested in extending their fundraising page close date to ask for sponsorship for an additional period of time extending beyond their event. In order to update your page's close date, simply login to your account, select the page you wish to edit, click 'edit page', and update your closing date at the top left of the page preview. Save your changes to update them to your page.

13. How do I cancel my page?

    If you have decided not to participate in your event, your page can be cancelled at any time by logging in to 'My Raceraiser', and selecting 'edit' on the appropriate page. If you would like to temporarily close your page, because you may later decide to participate in the event, click 'Unpublish Page'. This will make the page inaccessible to others. If you would like to permanently close the page, click 'Close Page'. Note that once pages are closed, all funds that have been collected are transferred to the charity in accordance with Raceraiser terms and conditions.

14. Can I display offline donations on my fundraising page?

    Our donation data tables are linked with our credit card processing information such that it is not possible to display offline donors on a fundraising page. Instead we suggest that you make a remark in the greeting section of your page to note that an offline donation was made.

15. I can't find my event. What do I do?

    If you find that the event you are participating in is not in our database, it is possible to customize a unique event. Run a search for your event by entering the name of the event you are participating in. If the event does not appear, you can enter the details of your own event at the bottom of the following page. Alternatively you can simply click on 'design my own event' on the search box in the home page to begin the customer event design dialogue.

16. How do I change my fundraising page closing date?

    Your fundraising page end date is easily updated. First, login to 'my Raceraiser' with your email and password. Next, click 'edit' alongside the page that you wish to edit. At the top left of your page you will see the page close date. Update the closing date of your page by either typing in the details or using the calendar to select the date. Save your changes. There are two restrictions on closing date. 1) The closing date must be after the event date, and 2) The closing date must be no later than 90 days after your event.

17. What happens to the money that is collected?

    When your fundraising page closes, you will be notified by email how much you have raised for your nonprofit. Within 30 days of the close date of your page, funds collected on your behalf through Raceraiser.com are transferred either electronically or via check to your nonprofit, less a 9.30% operating fee, which covers the cost of Raceraiser.com credit card transactions, administration, hosting, personnel, security, and operating fees. You can contact us at anytime to check the status of the transfer by clicking here.

18. How do I remove a donor's comment?

    Donor comments are editable in by accessing your page in 'my Raceraiser'. Login to 'My Raceraiser' with your email and password. Next, be sure to click 'display donations on page'. If you do not want all donations displayed, do not click this checkbox. Finally, enable, disable, or remove comments as appropriate. Save your changes.

19. How do I know that the non-profit will get the money I raised?

    Raceraiser is a licensed commercial fundraiser in the State of California under Section 12599, 11 Cal. Code Regs. Section 308. We guarantee that funds will be sent via mail or electronic transfer within 30 days of the closing date of the event, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions. If you would like to check the status of the payment, please contact us here.

20. How can I maximize my fundraising efforts?

    Visit our Fundraising Tips Page to see some ideas about how to increase donations.

Donor Questions

1. Are donors entitled to a tax deduction?

   Yes, donors are entitled to a tax deduction. When you donate through Raceraiser.com you will receive a confirmation both on the website and via email, indicating the amount raised and the non-profit that will receive the funds. This documentation should be used as a guideline for you to claim your tax deduction. If more detail is required, we ask that you please contact the charity directly. They will have been provided with the details of your donation when the funds are transferred, and should be able to provide official documentation. Note that Raceraiser.com should not be relied on exclusively to determine the financial implications of making donations to charity. We strongly recommend that you consult your own advisor/s about any accounting, taxation or financial consequences that may affect you.

2. Is Raceraiser.com secure?

   Raceraiser provides a very high level of security to protect your credit and debit card information during the donation process. The security is achieved through the use of internet security (SSL) protocol that encrypts file details so that they are secure when traveling over the internet. For more information, please review our security policy.

3. What forms of payment are accepted?

   Raceraiser accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Paypal.

4. Can I make the donation using a personal check or money order?

   If you prefer to make a donation with a personal check or money order, we suggest that you contact the fundraiser. He/she may be able to coordinate the transfer of the funds to the charity at the close of the event, and log your donation.

5. Can I make a donation if I live outside the USA?

   Yes. Donations may be made (in US Dollars) using a fundraising page with a Visa or Mastercard.

6. I am having problems with my credit card transaction. What's wrong?

   We suggest that you check this list of potential problems:
   1. Are you using a Visa, Matercard, Discover, or American Express card? These are the only forms of credit card payment supported.
   2. Are you using an international debit card? We are not set-up to take international debit cards, even if it has VISA or MasterCard functionality.
   3. If you have an international credit card, please make sure it is only a VISA or MasterCard. These are the only international forms of payment accepted.
   4. Be sure NOT to enter any spaces in the credit card number box.
   5. Have you entered the proper zip code and expiration date?
   6. Do you have any specific holds on your account? If so, please contact your credit card provider to release the hold.
   7. Please make sure your entire billing address, especially the zip code is correct and in agreement with what your credit card provider has on file.

7. The fundraiser didn't participate in the event. Can I get a refund?

   In accordance with our terms and conditions, donations accepted through the Raceraiser.com website are nonrefundable and are transferred directly to the charity/non-profit organization, regardless of whether or not the fundraiser completes his/her event. If you feel you are still entitled to a refund, you may contact the charity directly to make a request.

8. Is there any cost to make a donation?

   Use of the Raceraiser service is free to donors and fundraisers. Raceraiser charges a service fee of 9.30%, which covers the cost of credit card transactions, administration, hosting, personnel, security, and operating fees.

9. My donation did not show up on the fundraiser's page. What happened?

   There are two potential causes for this: The first is that that your bank rejected your card during authorization. If this occurred, an automatic email will be sent explaining the issue. The donation should reappear when your donation is successfully processed. The second potential issue is that the owner of the fundraising page has disallowed or removed the appearance of your donation and any comments. To have the donation reappear, contact the fundraiser.

10. What happens to the money that is collected?

    When a fundraising page closes, this user is notified by email how he/she has raised for the nonprofit. Within 30 days of the page's closing date, funds collected through Raceraiser.com are transferred either electronically or via check to the nonprofit, less a 9.30% operating fee, which covers the cost of Raceraiser.com credit card transactions, administration, hosting, personnel, security, and operating fees. Users can contact us at anytime to check the status of the transfer by clicking here.

11. How do I know that the non-profit will get the money I raised?

    Raceraiser is a licensed commercial fundraiser in the State of California under Section 12599, 11 Cal. Code Regs. Section 308. We guarantee that funds will be sent via mail or electronic transfer within 30 days of the closing date of the event, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions. If you would like to check the status of the payment, please contact us here.