General FAQs
Q: What does CAUSETEAM have to offer?
A: Really, we do three things.
- First, you can 'Start a CausePage' and set up your own fundraising campaign for your good cause. We combine the best ideas of online fundraising: product fundraising (CAUSETEAM branded merch your supporters will LOVE), crowdfunding, and your own custom t-shirt and other products if you'd like them.
- Second, we can open a Online Shop for you, a one-stop online shop where you can offer your branded merch, exclusively. You promote the link to your supporters and fans, and we handle the rest. Shops are typically open 7-14 days. This is typically not meant for fundraising, however, we have a little wiggle room here to do what you need. Have questions? Reach out!
- Third, we can print bulk custom t-shirts (among many other products), large or small. Great for businesses, staff, or events. Endless style and color options at varying price points to fit your budget.
Q: Is CAUSETEAM a Non-Profit Organization?
A: No, CAUSETEAM is a for-profit company. But, we like to say that we are “not just for profit”.
Q: Do I have to be a Non-Profit in order to raise money with CAUSETEAM?
A: Definitely not. We’ve made CAUSETEAM usable by any individual or group that is out there trying to raise money to do good.
Q: What is a Online Shop?
A: Outside of fundraising, we offer a one-stop online shop for your supporters and fans to get your branded merch, exclusively. This is perfect for teams or groups who simply want to outfit their members and fans. Make sure to ask us about Leader incentives!
Q: Is there a fee for a online Shop?
A: It’s free to open an Online Shop – however, we have minimum purchase requirements: * For screen-printed designs – 48 piece minimum (if one person orders 2 shirts, and 1 hoodie, that counts as 3 towards your minimum.) * For embroidered items - 24 piece minimum * If minimums aren’t met, we’d ask you to purchase items to get to that minimum number.
Q: How long can my online Shop be open?
A: We recommend 7 to 14 days. We wait to fulfill the orders until after the shop is closed. This way, we know the exact quantities to order and make.
Q: Can I reopen my online Shop at another time?
A: Yes, we'd be happy to help you do this. We'd just need to discuss the new dates, and you'd need confirmation from us that your shop is ready to promote. (Apparel minimums must be met with each re-open.)
CausePage Supporter FAQs
Q: Can I purchase or donate if I live in a country outside of the U.S.A?
A: Unfortunately, not at this time. The shipping and billing addresses must be within the United States.
Q: Are shoppers purchases and cash donations tax-deductible?
A: That depends. Donations supporting individuals or groups that are not tax-exempt organizations are definitely not tax-deductible. However, if your purchases and donations benefited a tax-exempt organization (non-profits, schools, churches, etc.), they are generally tax deductible. A note stating “The donated total qualifies as a year-end charitable contribution” will be added to your purchase receipt. This will act as your donation receipt, so please make sure to keep it for your records.
*With all that stated, every situation is different, and we cannot give you definitive tax advice. We encourage you to talk with a tax professional about all tax-related matters.
Q: Is it safe to shop and give on the website?
A: Absolutely. We take security very seriously and use appropriate security safeguards to protect your personal information against loss, theft, and unauthorized access. Any personal information you provide through CAUSETEAM’s website is exchanged on a secure server. We use an advanced security system, the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, to encrypt information you send to us in the ordering process. The encryption process protects information such as your credit card number as well as your billing and shipping information by scrambling it before it is sent from your computer. Only once we receive your information is it decoded, and we make all reasonable efforts to ensure its security on our own systems. Please take a look at our Privacy + Terms for more information.
Q: What if I donated to the Goodness Goal when I meant to benefit a specific CausePage?
A: No problem. Just send us an email within 24 hours of the transaction and let us know which CausePage you meant to support. We’ll be happy to adjust the transaction to benefit your desired CausePage.
Q: How do I give cash?
A: Simply scroll down the CausePage until you see the box titled 'Another Way to Give.' Then, enter the dollar amount you wish to give and click the blue ADD TO CART button, which will direct you to checkout.
Q: How do I return or exchange a purchase?
A: As you may know, with every product purchase, 40% of that purchase is donated to the CausePage you choose to support. That’s awesome, right? But, it does make exchanges, returns, and refunds a little tricky. We can offer a full refund if your request comes immediately after your transaction. If you order our CAUSETEAM branded merch, we will happily exchange your order, if needed. If you order CUSTOM merch, specific to a CausePage, all sales are final. Please read here to learn more.
CausePage Leader FAQs
Q: How do I raise money online with CAUSETEAM?
A: It’s easy. Click the START A CAUSEPAGE button located in various places on our site.
Next, WE APPROVE YOUR CAUSEPAGE and the partnership begins. In a hurry? We are quick to respond. We understand that time matters.
Then, WE HELP YOU: Our team will prepare your CausePage for promotion. If you’d like, we can design a custom t-shirt for your cause or you can adopt one of our messages. We will give you tips to maximize your efforts within your network. We even give you Facebook graphics and a custom link to share. We’re here to help you reach your goal.
So…YOUR JOB is to:
Promote your CausePage (through your custom link) to your circle of friends, family, and supporters via social media and email. Shout it to the rooftops! Rally a few people close to you to help spread the word. Be creative, have fun, engage with your supporters, publicly thank them when they purchase a product on your behalf or when they leave you a donation. Repeat until you’ve reached your goal!
Never fear, WE HANDLE ALL THE LOGISTICS. As orders come in, we fulfill and ship directly to your supporters.
We send a check to you monthly, totaling 40% of your total sales + 100% of crowdfunded dollars. (Minus those pesky credit cards fees) And, we’ll be in touch with you every step of the way.
Q: What is a CausePage?
A: It’s a web page uniquely, completely, absolutely dedicated to your cause. It’s a place to share your story and gives you access to offer all CAUSETEAM branded merch to your supporters while 40% of each purchase goes back to your cause.
You can also offer custom apparel or other products. We offer crowdfunding, a place to provide blog updates to your supporters, and easy access to your donor list and information. It’s really a hassle-free way to fundraise. (You don’t have to worry about inventory, distribution, shipping or anything. We take care of everything!)
Q: How do I know if online fundraising is right for me?
A: Are you active on social media? Are your supporters are spread out all over the United States? Are you willing to promote your page, tell your story, and committed to raising money for your cause?
Do you want to offer your supporters the option to purchase all CAUSETEAM branded merch while giving 40% of the purchases to your cause?
Do you want to offer your supporters the option to purchase your custom t-shirts or products that we can help design for you while giving 40% of the purchases to your cause?
Do you want to offer your supporters the option to donate directly, no shopping or product ordering? We have crowdfunding, and it’s free!
Well then, yes. A CausePage with us might be perfect for you!
Q: When isn't online fundraising the best idea?
A: Online fundraising primarily utilizes social media platforms to share and tell your story. If you are not active on social media, then this fundraising platform might not be the best fit for you.
Q: How do I get the money that I raised?
A: It happens automatically! CAUSTEAM sends physical checks to the payees of Funds by the 15th of every month for the prior months’ net donations.
Q: Are there any fees involved with starting a fundraising campaign?
A: An online CausePage is absolutely free to start, maintain, and close. No setup fees, monthly fees, or withdrawal fees. Also, we don’t charge a platform fee for cash donations. We want to help you to reach your fundraising goals and do some good. Period. So, we keep our fees as low as possible to maximize the amount of money you raise…and keep.
The only fee associated with cash donations and product purchases is the pesky credit card fee (2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction) which applies to the full transaction amount. (It’s simply the nature of the credit card beast!)
If you’re interested in a custom t-shirt, then a setup fee does apply. (But you get that money back in store credit!)
Q: Are there any restrictions in starting a CausePage?
A: Right now we only work with individuals and groups based in the United States. The CausePage Leader can certainly do its work in another country, but we do require that the organizer or organization of the CausePage be a resident of the United States. Also, we restrict sales of our products as well as cash donations to U.S.-based supporters only. We hope to expand outside the U.S. in the future.
*Please note: We do not accept political causes or causes that would benefit a for-profit business.
Q: Who can raise money with CAUSETEAM?
A: We accept almost any ‘good cause’. However, we do reserve the right to approve or deny any prospective cause at our sole discretion. We welcome individuals facing a medical crisis, individuals and groups doing a mission trip, sports teams & fine arts groups, churches, youth groups, schools, adoptive parents, communities, as well as small and large non-profit organizations. As long as you are doing something good, we are likely to approve your fundraiser.
*Please note: We do not accept political causes or causes that would benefit a for-profit business.
Q: Is it free to start a CausePage?
A: Yes, it’s totally free to start a online fundraiser.
Q: What is the normal length of a fundraising campaign?
A: That depends on what you want to do. We allow CausePage Leaders to choose their start and end dates. We strongly recommend no more than 30, 60, or 90 days, in order to provide a sense of urgency and action among your supporters. The maximum CausePage duration available is 365 days which is sometimes a great option for non-profit organizations or fundraising groups that need a constant source of funding and promote their CausePage at different points throughout the year. Your online fundraiser can always be extended by request of the CausePage Leader.
Q: Can I offer my supporters custom t-shirts and other apparel and products?
A: Yes! Custom t-shirts are our jam. Almost all of our successful causes utilize our custom products option. They really can boost funds raised for your cause. CAUSETEAM has an uber-talented design team to help you create a thoughtful design that your supporters will really love.
There is a one-time, upfront stocking fee (that you get back in the form of store credit), but then once the items are created and featured on your CausePage, you have no inventory to buy, ship, or manage. We take care of all of that for you.
We screen print transfer sheets in bulk when we launch a new custom design (that’s were the stocking fee comes in). That allows us to print and ship on demand as different styles and colors are ordered. Quality and customer service are our #1 priorities. We rarely have a customer return or quality issue. But when we do, we take care of it with no questions asked.
Q: Is it easy to promote my CausePage?
A: Even if you’re just a little bit social media savvy, we’d say ‘Yes.’ Obviously, the more thought and effort you put into your promotion, the better. We recommend getting a team of people on board to commit to liking, sharing, and commenting on your posts. We also provide great social sharing tools and are super happy to offer advice and ideas, but it’s really up to you. The more you do, the more you raise.
Q: How do I manage my CausePage?
A: It’s easy. Just remember your username and password that you used to create your CausePage. Login from the top right corner of our CAUSETEAM home page and all the tools are literally at your fingertips.
Q: Can I send my supporters a Thank You?
A: Sure you can, and you should. You can do it two ways. First, we allow you to customize the donor receipt with a “thank you” message, especially from you. This is sent out automatically each time someone shops and donates on your behalf. Also, you have access to the names and addresses of all supporters from the 'Supporters tab' in your Dashboard.
Q: Can I raise money for someone else?
A: Of course! Helping others is why CAUSETEAM is here! However, we do ask that you get permission from the individual or group you wish to raise money for, and be very specific on your CausePage indicating who you are raising money for and why. Also, be specific also about how and when you will deliver the proceeds to the final beneficiary. Full transparency is always best!
Q: How do I make my fundraising campaign successful?
A: Promote like mad! And don’t worry, we’ve got some tips and tricks up our sleeves to help you a bunch! The key is to get creative and have FUN with it! (And… we’ve found that adding a custom t-shirt on CausePage really helps!)
Q: Do I have to be a Non-Profit in order to raise money with CAUSETEAM?
A: Definitely not. We’ve made CAUSETEAM usable by any individual or group that is out there trying to do some good.
Q: Will I have to pay taxes on the money I raise?
A: For tax-exempt organizations such as schools, non-profits, churches, etc. donations received through fundraising are not considered taxable income. For individuals and groups doing fundraising, donations are typically considered personal gifts and are not taxable income.
But, every situation is different and we cannot provide specific tax advice, so please consult a qualified tax professional for guidance.
Q: How much will I make on my supporter purchases?
A: Your cause gets 40% of all products sold through the CAUSETEAM website minus the credit card fee (2.9% plus $.30 per transaction) which applies to the full transaction amount. Yep, that’s right, 40%. So, when a supporter purchases a $25 tee-shirt, your cause gets $10 off that purchase minus the credit card fee.
Q: Will our supporters be charged a fee?
A: Nope. CausePage supporters aren’t charged anything beyond what they donate or purchase.
Q: What kinds of products does CAUSETEAM carry?
A: Only the best fundraising products on the planet! (Seriously) We provide beautiful, high-quality, positive-message-based merch that you are going to LOVE. And they make great gifts! We carry the softest, most comfortable t-shirts and other styles, coffee mugs, art prints, note cards, jewelry + more! The best part? 40% of each and every purchase is donated. Whether you’re leading the fundraising efforts for your own cause or shopping to support a cause you love, what you are doing matters. Either way, you're doing some good. Thank you!
