Givebutter’s mission is to empower the changemaker in all of us. We define changemaker as anyone involved in making the world a better place. The changemakers who use our platform to fund their missions and engage with their supporters hold many beliefs, worldviews, and theories of change. Sometimes, the values of one group of changemakers are at odds with another.

Givebutter does not endorse any campaign published on the platform, and we encourage all users to review the Community Guidelines included in our Terms of Use to understand how we approach content moderation.

Why was my payout put on hold?

Our Trust and Safety team reviews all requested payouts on the platform. We are trained to spot red flags on accounts requesting payouts and may need to review the payout and your account further. These are steps to ensure the safety of users, donors, and our platform.

Why are you asking me for ID?

In some cases, our team will need additional information to either process your payout or verify your nonprofit. We ask that you comply as soon as possible to expedite the review process. We understand this is disruptive, but this is to ensure the safety of users, donors, and the platform at large.

Why was my account removed by Givebutter?

If your account was removed after internal review, this means we cannot support your use of the platform and had to close your account. When that happens, our decision is final, and no appeal process will be made.

I sent a complaint about a campaign, but it’s still up. Why haven’t you taken it down?

We understand that some campaigns published are very personal. We take these reports seriously and conduct thorough investigations, including the information reported to us. We appreciate the reports received, and we understand your passion and reasoning. Givebutter hosts multiple campaigns supporting multiple initiatives, but we do not endorse any campaign on the platform. Any complaint our Trust and Safety team receives will be investigated and monitored, but it may result in the campaign remaining active. We ask that you respect the decision made by our team.

Why was my campaign flagged for hate speech?

While we do not endorse any campaign on Givebutter, we will monitor, review, and potentially remove campaigns if we receive any reports of hate speech, including, but not limited to transphobic, homophobic, antisemitic, Islamophobic, or xenophobic language.

I have contacts on the ground and want to provide humanitarian aid. Can we fundraise to support them?

As a reminder, individual accounts cannot be created on Givebutter. However, you may create one if you are a nonprofit or part of a larger organization that wants to fundraise for humanitarian efforts on the ground. We will disable the campaign or remove the account if we discover it’s an individual fundraiser, or supporting an armed group on the US sanctions list.

Why did you remove my fundraiser?

Your account will be removed if we determine that the fundraiser contains hate speech or encourages harm toward others. We understand that this is disruptive in nature, but you may continue to process payouts for any available funds for one week after we notify you of your account closing. After that, any available funds will be refunded.

Can I fundraise for a protest on this issue?

We encourage everyone to peacefully protest on issues they believe in, regardless of their stance. We only ask that your fundraiser not contain any hate speech on the page, and we strongly recommend removing the supporter feed on your campaign. (Please refer to “Legal Defense Funds” for additional context on protests.)

I created a fundraiser, but Stripe removed it. Why?

Any fundraiser for countries within the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanction list will not be allowed on Givebutter or our third-party processor, Stripe. If Stripe informs you that your account violates the OFAC sanctions list, we cannot publish your campaign.

Can I host a gun raffle or auction off guns for my campaign?

No. Any campaign that auctions or raffles off firearms will be immediately unpublished from the platform. You may continue to use Givebutter for other auctions and raffles, but re-publishing the campaign may result in removing your account.

Our organization advocates for firearm rights and outdoor activities such as hunting. Can we still use Givebutter?

Yes. There are numerous nonprofits/organizations that use Givebutter to promote gun advocacy, outdoor recreation, and appreciation. These organizations often have cookout events and outdoor excursions such as hunting or camping. We also see auctions and raffles with prizes such as hunting or outdoor accessories. If we discover your organization is giving away firearms, we will need to unpublish the campaign.

Can we auction off artisan knives and swords?

It depends. If the intended use is for collection and appreciation that goes toward a nonprofit, then it’s acceptable. We will remove the account if we discover knives or swords being bought and shipped as a marketplace.

Can I fundraise for someone’s planned transition?

If you are an individual fundraising for someone’s transition, this will be considered an individual fundraiser and will be unpublished. We recommend working with a nonprofit that will fundraise for their transition.

Can I fundraise for someone’s chemotherapy treatment?

If you are an individual fundraising for someone’s cancer treatment, this will be considered an individual fundraiser and will be unpublished. We recommend working with a nonprofit that will fundraise for their treatment.

I am personally fundraising for a hospital or medical awareness. Can I fundraise on Givebutter?

If you’re personally fundraising for an organization during a medical awareness month or setting it up as a beneficiary, we ask that a member of that organization or hospital be added to the account. Otherwise, this is an individual fundraiser and will be taken down.

What is a legal defense fund?

Legal defense funds are fundraising campaigns for legal defense for any criminal activity. We do not allow legal defense funds for serious crimes.

What constitutes a serious crime?

A class one felony. These are more heinous, serious, and violent crimes such as murder, rape/sexual assault, or arson. Pending a review, a campaign we determine to be in relation to a serious crime may be removed, regardless of felony status.

Can our organization fundraise legal defense/bail bond funds for protesters?

Yes. While the subject matter of these protests can be uncomfortable, legal defense/bail bond funds are allowed for tactical protestors refusing to comply. If we determine the protest was not in good nature, we will remove the campaign from our platform.