Beachfunder Guidelines

Before a crowdfunding project launches, it is the project-lead’s responsibility to read through the Crowdfunding Guidelines and sign to confirm receipt.

How are projects approved?

Project applications are individually reviewed and approved by University Relations and Development (URD) prior to launching on https://beachfunder.csulb.edu/. Projects should have specific monetary or donor goals and be driven by an objective– for example, purchasing materials for a student organization, funding student travel fees for events or conferences, or program support. 

What is the CSULB 49er Foundation?

The mission of the 49er Foundation is to actively promote philanthropy and manage donated resources for the advancement of CSULB. All gifts accepted on Beachfunder are processed through the 49er Foundation. All projects must comply with the institution’s mission. Projects cannot violate any laws. CSULB reserves the right to decline or discontinue a project if the lead group or project are not in compliance. 

How are gifts processed and project funds deposited? 

All projects must have an active, approved gift fund set up through the 49er Foundation through which gifts can be accepted and then distributed to the respective campus unit’s account.

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. 

Per 49er Foundation policy, a 5% gift fee is applied to each philanthropic gift. Funds deposited into project accounts will already have these fees removed from their totals; however, project totals online will display the full gift amount.

Some offline gifts may be used toward the project’s goal such as matching gifts. However, crowdfunding projects cannot count gifts raised through “give-to-get” fundraising and promotional items or giveaways should not be used to incentivize gifts, as they affect a donor’s right to a tax deduction.

There is a $10 minimum gift amount on Beachfunder. The 49er Foundation will issue official tax receipts to donors. All offline gifts raised outside of the crowdfunding platform must be delivered to URD located in Brotman Hall, Suite 387 for immediate deposit. This is to ensure that the donor receives proper gift credit and a tax receipt.

What kind of projects are acceptable?

Projects must support CSULB programs and initiatives and cannot be redirected to a third party. When applying for CSULB crowdfunding, project-lead agrees to provide the following:

Required:

  • Project description and case for support
  • Images for description and crowdfunding home page
  • Budget breakdown (how donations will be spent)
  • Signed Crowdfunding Guidelines (must be signed before the project can begin fundraising)
  • Ongoing outreach to promote the project after launch

Recommended:

  • Project updates throughout the fundraising window
  • Project lead has the option of providing content for a promotional video before their project launches and/or a Thank-you Stewardship video after their project concludes

Specific to ASI Student Organizations: Beachfunder is only able to accommodate one ASI crowdfunding project per month, applications considered on a first come, first served basis. ASI student organizations are only eligible for ONE crowdfunding project per academic year.

Specific to the Office of Development (when development is the lead on a project): Each college/unit is eligible for ONE semester-long evergreen project per academic year in addition to participation in each Giving Day. Each college/unit is also eligible to apply for one additional 30-day project during the semester in which they do not have an active evergreen project. 

All other student/faculty/staff-led projects (non-ASI & non-development led) are eligible to apply for one project per semester. These projects may not run in consecutive months and must be separate initiatives. 

How do I market my project?

Project teams should expect to promote their project. The larger the marketing efforts, the more likely the project will be successful. Past projects have utilized social media to market their crowdfunding campaign, peer-to-peer outreach via email, text and phone to friends and family, as well as on-campus promotion. 

Project leads are expected to come to their pre-launch intake meeting with marketing ideas on how they will promote their project, what channels they will use, and what audiences they will target. During the intake meeting, we will also provide resources for your crowdfunding journey and an overview of our efforts to help promote your project. URD does not provide any contact data for alumni, parents, friends or students. It is up to the project’s crowdfunding team to leverage their personal contacts and networks to lead a successful fundraising effort. 

How long can my project run?

Projects will be hosted on the crowdfunding platform for one month. If the project is not fully funded within the allotted timeframe, any monies raised will still be allocated to the project. 

URD reserves the right to amend these guidelines as necessary to better serve its crowdfunding partners, and position teams and their projects for success. 

For questions, please contact Mak Frederick, Digital Giving Associate at Mak.Frederick@csulb.edu or 562.985.6090 

 

 

 

Last revised: 6/25/24