Completely new to ioby and crowdfunding? Start with our general FAQ here!
Will ioby always have match funding for my project? Can I use ioby without match funding?
The majority of ioby Leaders nationwide fundraise successfully without match funding on their campaign. You can fundraise on ioby anytime without a match, for any US-based project that benefits your community, and still access our low-fee platform and one-on-one fundraising coaching services.
Why does ioby have match funding only for certain projects/at certain times?
ioby partners nationally with other organizations doing good work in communities to create match funding opportunities that support our partner’s funding priorities. For this match, NYC Partnerships for Parks has supplied ioby with a pool of funds to support projects that make NYC greener. When we have an opportunity that’s right for you, fundraising with a match can be a great way to double your fundraising power!
How much match funding can I receive on my campaign?
$1,000 is the maximum amount that can be applied to any campaign in the Partnerships for Parks Crowdfunding Challenge. This cap helps ensure that multiple projects will have access to funding.
How does match funding on ioby work?
When you are fundraise on ioby with match funding, donations to your campaign will be doubled instantly, so you move toward your goal twice as fast. So if someone donates $25, your page will reflect a donation of $50!
Your page will continue to accept donations after your goal is met and you can raise your campaign goal at any time. You are always welcome to raise more (unmatched) funds beyond the maximum match funding cap, and you can keep whatever match funds you earn even if you raise less than the cap. For example, here are some possible budget scenarios:
You raise: $1,000
Match funding added: $1,000
Total disbursed at end of campaign: $2,000
You raise: $5,000
Match funding added: $1,000
Total disbursed at end of campaign: $6,000
You raise: $600
Match funding added: $600
Total disbursed at end of campaign: $1,200
If I’m approved for match funding, am I guaranteed to receive the maximum amount?
No, this is a challenge match, not a grant. Your team needs to raise a dollar to receive a dollar, and no amount of match funding is guaranteed in advance. For example, if you begin a campaign, but then stop fundraising for several months, there is no guarantee that match funding will still be available later. Funds will be distributed in a first-come, first-serve manner to all participating campaigns, so that funding flows toward projects with the most urgent funding needs and active teams.
How do I get approved for match funding?
Simply share your project idea via the brief form here and include the code NYCPARKSMATCH anywhere in your project description. You’ll need to create an ioby account, or sign into an existing ioby account, to do this; the process takes about 5-10 minutes.
Then, if you’re confident that your project fits the eligibility criteria and you would like to immediately begin building a fundraising page, you may do so. Or, you can wait to speak with your ioby Success Strategist who will generally contact you within 1-2 business days of sharing your idea. Your Strategist will provide final confirmation that you are approved for match funding.
Please note, if your project idea does not clearly fit within the eligibility criteria posted online, or if there are questions about the legalities or permitting for your project, it may take a few days to connect with Partnerships for Parks staff to confirm whether or not you’re approved for match funding.
How do I know if match funding is still available for my project?
When you share your project idea, your ioby Success Strategist will alert you in the unusual case that match funds are running low and you may not be able to access the maximum amount; then you can decide if you would like to go forward with fundraising or not. If you are already participating in a match but have not yet raised enough to get the maximum amount of match funding, ioby will alert you when match funds begin running low.
When will I receive match funding?
Once you’ve been approved as a match participant, donations to your ioby campaign page will be doubled instantly as people donate to your page. When you decide to close your campaign, your ioby Success Strategist will help you with our simple check disbursement process and you’ll receive the total you raised plus any match applied as one lump sum, minus ioby’s super-low fees. Please allow two weeks from closing your campaign to receiving your check.
Can I apply match funding to any donation?
Match funding is meant to make it easier for you to reach out to your networks broadly to ask for donations, and not meant for doubling just one large gift. For that reason, $400 is the maximum amount that will be matched on any single donation.
Does ioby accept checks?
Yes. It's not standard practice, but if you have a donor who prefers to give by check instead of making a credit card donation on your page, they can send their check to ioby to be applied to your campaign. ioby's standard processing fee (3%) also applies to check donations, and check donations are able to be matched. We won’t be able to match a check donation until we receive and process the check, whereas online donations are matched instantly.
Should the goal I set on my fundraising page include the amount of match funding I hope to receive?
Yes. For example, if you need $2,000 to implement your project, your public goal on your page would be $2,000—you would only need to fundraise $1,000 of that goal, which would be doubled as you fundraise.
What if I use up the maximum match amount but want to keep fundraising?
Great! You may always continue to fundraise (unmatched) dollars after you’ve reached the match cap of $1,000. Your page will stay active and continue to accept donations until YOU decide to end your campaign.
What if my project is small and I don’t need the full $1,000 of match funding?
That’s fine! You can still participate with a lower fundraising goal that fits the scale of your project. For example, if you only need $800 to implement your project, build a campaign page with a goal of $800, and work to fundraise $400 from your community, which will be doubled as you fundraise.
What if I don’t meet my goal?
We want everyone to be successful, and ioby’s training materials and one-on-one support are intended to give you and your team everything you need to pick an appropriate fundraising goal that you can meet. However, with ioby’s Flexible Finish policy, you can always keep what you raise, even if you fall short of your original goal. Your Success Strategist will simply ask you to edit your project budget to show how the amount you raised will be used toward your planned project, and we’ll disburse your total raised (including any match funds applied).
Will I need to do any grant reporting after receiving these funds?
ioby will ask you to fill out two quick, required surveys when we disburse your funds, and results from those surveys will be shared with Partnerships for Parks. Questions are geared at assessing your experience with crowdfunding to help us tweak our support services. We also follow up briefly by phone with project leaders 3-6 months after disbursement to hear how your project implementation went, and we invite you to share back any great photos or stories from your ioby-funded activities.
Other questions about this match?
Contact Ethany Uttech, ioby Partnerships Manager, ethany@ioby.org