Question 1

Is Share-a-thon something we can put in front of our school board?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Pricing is transparent, admin approval is built in, no public student PII is exposed by default, and every dollar is auditable. We provide a one-page board summary on request — reach out via Contact.

Question 2

How does Share-a-thon handle FERPA?

Accepted Answer

Student profiles default to first name only. Photos, last names, or grade information are never published unless an admin explicitly enables it for a specific campaign. No academic records are stored on the platform.

Question 3

Will our district IT department need to do anything?

Accepted Answer

No installs, no integrations required. Share-a-thon is a web app that works in any modern browser and meets standard secure-by-design practices. We can supply a security overview for IT review.

Question 4

Can we use this alongside our existing booster club?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Many schools run the school-side campaign and the booster-club campaign side by side — anyone in the community can share either one and earn a flat 20% thank-you when their share brings in a donation.

Question 5

Where does Share-a-thon fit alongside our advancement office?

Accepted Answer

Share-a-thon is built for peer-to-peer, student-led campaigns — club sports, Greek philanthropy, student organizations, mission trips — that typically sit outside the formal annual fund. We're complementary, not a replacement.

Question 6

What about NIL considerations for student-athletes?

Accepted Answer

Share-a-thon campaigns raise funds for the organization, not for individual student-athletes. We do not facilitate NIL transactions and do not pay students personally.

Question 7

Can fraternities, sororities, and student orgs use this?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each chapter or org sets up its own campaign. Anyone — members, alumni, parents, friends — can share, and the sharer earns a flat 20% when their share brings in a donation.

Question 8

Who approves what students or members share publicly?

Accepted Answer

The same admin approval workflow applies. A youth pastor or designated ministry leader reviews and approves every public share before it goes out, with full visibility into the message and recipients.

Question 9

Can donors give to a specific purpose — a mission trip, a camp scholarship, a specific student?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each campaign represents a designated purpose. Donors see exactly what they're giving to, and funds are tracked and reported against that purpose.

Question 10

Whose name is on the donor receipt — the church or Share-a-thon?

Accepted Answer

When the campaign organization is a registered 501(c)(3), donor receipts reflect that organization. Share-a-thon is the processing platform, not the receiving charity.

Question 11

What are Scripture-grams?

Accepted Answer

An optional message-template type for faith-based organizations. Admins curate verse-anchored share messages students and supporters can use. They are opt-in only and never appear for non-faith orgs.

Question 12

Does my organization need to be a registered 501(c)(3)?

Accepted Answer

Not to launch — schools, PTOs, booster clubs, churches, and youth programs are welcome whether they hold their own 501(c)(3) or operate under a parent entity. Tax-deductibility on donor receipts depends on your organization's status.

Question 13

Can we keep restricted-purpose funds separate from general funds?

Accepted Answer

Yes — each campaign represents a single purpose, and reporting separates funds by campaign. Use one campaign per restricted purpose.

Question 14

What does board-level reporting look like?

Accepted Answer

Admins can export per-campaign and per-organization reports covering donations, donors, payouts, and sharer thank-you payments — suitable for finance committee or board review.

Question 15

What information about my child is publicly visible?

Accepted Answer

By default, only a first name and any photo an admin explicitly approves. Students never appear with last names, contact information, or personal addresses on public pages.

Question 16

Who approves what my child sends?

Accepted Answer

Every public-facing share — and every share message template — is approved by an admin at the organization (coach, teacher, PTO leader, youth pastor) before it can be used.

Question 17

Where does the list of people my child shares with come from?

Accepted Answer

From your family. Students enter recipients manually — Share-a-thon never imports contacts and never sends to people you don't approve.

Question 18

Do I get a receipt for my donation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. An emailed receipt is sent immediately after a successful donation, with the recipient organization, amount, and date of gift.

Question 19

Are donations tax-deductible?

Accepted Answer

Tax-deductibility depends on the recipient organization's status. Donations to registered 501(c)(3) organizations are typically tax-deductible. School and PTO situations vary — check with your tax advisor.

Question 20

Where does my money actually go?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the fundraiser type the organization picked when they set up the campaign. On the most common setup — Default — 60% goes to the campaign, 20% goes to whoever shared the link (paid by ACH or digital gift card), and 20% covers the platform. Other options exist for groups that want to share between organizations or skip sharer rewards entirely. Full breakdown on the Pricing page.

Question 21

Is this MLM or multi-level marketing?

Accepted Answer

No. There is exactly one level. A supporter shares a campaign — if their share produces a donation, they get a flat 20% thank-you. There is no recruiting, no downline, no tiers, no purchase required to share, and no quotas.

Question 22

Who can be a sharer?

Accepted Answer

Anyone — a parent, a student, a friend, a neighbor, an alumnus. Public and private campaigns both qualify. The campaign organization always receives the majority of every donation.

Question 23

Can I get a refund?

Accepted Answer

Yes — contact us within 30 days of donating and we'll work with you and the recipient organization on a refund.

Question 24

Do donors still get a full tax receipt?

Accepted Answer

Yes — every donor receipt reflects the full donation amount. The sharer thank-you is paid separately by the platform, not a refund or rebate to the donor.

Question 25

How often does my organization get paid?

Accepted Answer

Funds settle to your connected bank account on a regular cadence after card processing clears. Specific timing depends on your processor configuration — typically within several business days.

Question 26

What about W-9 and 1099 forms?

Accepted Answer

Tax reporting follows standard IRS thresholds for organizations receiving payment processing. We'll provide guidance during onboarding for your specific situation.

Question 27

How do sharers get paid?

Accepted Answer

Adult sharers (18+) choose at redemption: direct ACH to a connected bank account, or a digital gift card from hundreds of popular brands. Sharers under 18 are paid as a digital gift card only — no bank account required, no 1099 paperwork for minors. There's never more than one sharer per donation, no stacking, and no recruiting.

Question 28

What if my sharer is under 18?

Accepted Answer

Sharers under 18 are paid as a digital gift card only — never by ACH. The card is delivered by email and redeemed with parent supervision. No tax-form burden for minors, faster delivery, lower friction.

Question 29

What if a sharer's email bounces or they never claim their reward?

Accepted Answer

We follow up and re-send. If a payout stays unclaimed after a reasonable window, it returns to the platform so nothing is left in limbo. No one is shorted, and sharers can always reach out to us to recover an unclaimed reward.

Question 30

Can we run a campaign without sharer rewards?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Plain mode is an 80/20 option — 80% to your campaign, 20% to the platform, no sharer rewards and no Share Fund. You'll see it as a choice when you create your campaign.

Question 31

How does the Share Fund work?

Accepted Answer

On Share-a-thon Club, 20% of every donation goes into the Share Fund instead of paying a single sharer. When you bring another group in, the Share Fund from their Club campaign flows back to you. If no group has been referred yet, the fund waits — it isn't spent, isn't lost, and pays out monthly once a referral relationship exists.

Question 32

What happens if a donor disputes a charge?

Accepted Answer

Standard card-network dispute processes apply. Share-a-thon supports your organization through the dispute and pulls the contested funds from your future settlements per processor terms.

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