What is a first-party donation?
A first-party donation occurs when an individual or organization contributes funds to a campaign from which they directly benefit. This includes donations made by campaign creators to their own fundraising initiatives, as well as contributions from key stakeholders, board members, founders, or anyone with decision-making authority within the beneficiary organization.
Why does LaunchGood have a policy on first-party donations?
At LaunchGood, we're committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust, transparency, and regulatory compliance across our platform. First-party donations present unique challenges: they can obscure a campaign's true organic momentum, potentially mislead genuine supporters about community engagement, and introduce compliance risk or artificial fund inflation.
Our policy exists to protect the integrity of every campaign, safeguard our generous donor community, and ensure LaunchGood remains a trusted platform for meaningful giving. By upholding these standards, we also fulfill our obligations to payment service providers and applicable regulatory requirements.
Can I make first-party donations on LaunchGood?
First-party donations are generally discouraged on our platform due to the elevated compliance and integrity risks they present. While limited exceptions may apply during specific competitions or promotional events (subject to defined caps and conditions), we encourage campaign creators to focus on inspiring their communities rather than contributing to their own campaigns.
For full details on any applicable limits during contests.
What happens if I accidentally make a first-party donation?
If a first-party donation is identified, our team will review the transaction and, where necessary, process a refund to your original payment method. We appreciate your understanding as we work to maintain a fair and transparent fundraising environment for everyone.
How can I record cash donations collected from supporters?
We're delighted that your campaign is receiving support beyond our platform! If you've collected cash donations from supporters offline, you can record these contributions by selecting the "Add Offline Donation" option on your campaign dashboard. Please note that offline donations are recorded for tracking purposes only and do not count toward competition leaderboards.
If you have any questions about our first-party donation policy or need assistance with your campaign, our team is always here to help. Please reach out to us at support@launchgood.com.