Before a crowdfunding campaign begins, it is the Project Leader’s responsibility to review and understand the following UA Crowdfunding guidelines. The University of Alabama reserves the right to revise these guidelines at any time.

To ensure compliance with UA Crowdfunding guidelines, all projects must have an approved philanthropic gift fund set up to which donations can be accepted and then distributed to the respective campus unit’s account. Groups may use a gift fund associated with a sponsoring unit, such as a department, program or center, with the approval of the finance officer in that area. Gift funds and accounts must be approved by the finance officer, dean, director, and development office before the project can begin fundraising.

All monies must be used for the project’s stated purpose. Individuals are strictly prohibited from keeping any portion of the funds raised as a profit or compensation. All projects must be non-profit in nature.

Projects must support UA’s programs and initiatives. Funds cannot redirect to a third party, external charity or other nonprofit.

All content on the project’s webpage must be approved by the UA Office of Annual Giving, which has the right to edit or require project content edits at any point in the campaign.

Projects should have specific goals and be driven by tangible accomplishments – for example, purchasing new equipment, funding travel fees or providing student workshop opportunities. Projects without a specific goal are generally less successful and may not qualify for a crowdfunding campaign.

Project Teams are responsible for marketing their campaign and providing outreach. Teams should consist of at least five people. The larger the Project Team, the more likely they are to succeed. Project Teams are responsible for promoting their campaigns via social media, email, phone calls and on-campus. Project Teams should also prepare personal thank-you messages to donors and submit regular updates on their project to be used on the crowdfunding platform.

Successful Project Teams have a Project Leader who will spearhead project initiatives and work directly with the Office of Annual Giving throughout the entire project duration.

UA may request a list of potential donors prior to the project’s approval or launch date. This may be used to determine project eligibility and fundraising capacity.

UA does not provide any contact data on alumni, parents, friends or students. It is up to the Project Team members to share with their contacts. While UA may promote the crowdfunding platform during campaigns, Project Teams should not rely on this for fundraising success.

Monetary premiums or perks must not be used to incentivize gifts. Items such as t-shirt giveaways or other promotional items are not permissible, as they affect a donor’s right to a tax deduction.

Projects will be hosted on the online crowdfunding platform for a pre-determined amount of time, typically a month-long period. Some exceptions may apply. The same group may not fundraise in consecutive campaigns but may be eligible for future crowdfunding efforts.

If the project is not fully funded within the allotted timeframe, any monies raised will still be allocated to the project. All funds, even without meeting the goal, should be spent to offset the cost of the promoted project or utilized to the group/organization’s best ability.

The University of Alabama is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational institution. All projects must comply with the institution’s mission.

Projects cannot violate any laws. UA reserves the right to decline any project based on content or discontinue an active campaign at any time due to changes in the project’s eligibility status.

For questions regarding these guidelines, please contact the Office of Annual Giving at 205-348-7701 or advancement@ua.edu.