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Giving

 

GW Crowdfunding Policies and Procedures

Project Selection and Termination

  1. All projects on the GW Crowdfunding platform will be chosen by the Office of Annual Giving. The Office of Annual Giving also reserves the right to discontinue a future or current crowdfunding project for any reason and without notice.
  2. Submitting a project is not a guarantee of acceptance. Projects given preliminary approval must meet certain requirements and deliverables before they are allowed to go live on the platform. GW reserves the right to reject donations obtained by any outside crowdfunding platform.
  3. GW Crowdfunding may not be used in any capacity for personal, private, or for-profit ventures, projects, or programs. Only projects with an approved GW fundraising account may use the platform. Crowdfunding teams are strictly prohibited from personal profit or misuse of raised funds.
  4. Please note that projects will be rejected or canceled if they wish to raise funds for, but not limited to, the following items or are found to contain the following components:
    • Programs, events, or activities that are not associated with an approved university program, event, or activity
    • Misuse of university logos, brands, or intellectual property
    • Violation of Federal, state, and local laws
    • Violation of GW code of student conduct or code of academic integrity
    • Items, services, or equipment that has already been purchased
    • Payment of debt
    • Select equipment or tangible good rentals
    • The counting of pledges or unfulfilled gifts
    • The counting of gifts made outside of the gift period. Only gifts made while the crowdfunding project is live will be counted
    • Promises of shares or ownership to donors in relation to the project
    • Any team member found to have a personal financial interest in the approved project
    • Any team member without a clear affiliation with the university
    • The promise of tangible goods, gifts, or premiums to donors

Advisors - Office of University Advancement

  1. Every GW Crowdfunding project and team must have a staff advisor from the Division of University Advancement. If a team does not have a point of contact within the Division of University Advancement, please contact givingatgwu [dot] edu for assistance.
  2. All GW Crowdfunding projects must have an approved and associated development fundraising account that is owned and operated by the university. Advisors must assist with identifying and providing the appropriate account to Annual Giving staff.
  3. The staff advisor is responsible for obtaining all necessary approvals from senior leadership and ensuring the financial processes are in place at the school, college, or unit for the project team to receive funds raised at the campaign's conclusion.

Project Financials and Budget

  1. All GW Crowdfunding projects must have an approved and associated development fundraising account that is owned and operated by the university. If a group or project does not have an account to use, this may disqualify the project from consideration.
  2. Each project should have clear goals, milestones, and deliverables (example: $5,000 will purchase airfare for 5 medical students to travel abroad on a GW-approved program to volunteer their medical services). Projects without a clear goal or deliverable may disqualify the project from consideration.
  3. Projects that raise funds that fall short of the goal will be asked to use the funds to partially support the proposed project (example: Only $3,000 of the $5,000 project goal was raised. Only 3 out of 5 doctors are able to travel abroad on a GW-approved program).
  4. Under no circumstances may funds from GW Crowdfunding projects be misused or used in any capacity, for personal, private, or for-profit ventures, projects, or programs. Additionally, funds may not be used in a manner that violates federal, state, and/or local laws and/or GW rules and regulations.
  5. After project completion, project teams work with their advancement advisor and applicable business office staff to access the funds raised for their programs once gift processing is finalized. It’s not the responsibility of The Office of Annual Giving to manage this process, please consult with your advisor.

Marketing and Outreach

  1. All videos, content, photos, and messaging must be accurate, respectful, and appropriate. All content is subject to editing, and the Office of Annual Giving reserves the right to remove or edit any content.
  2. GW is committed to creating an open, inclusive, and respectful community and environment in accordance with our values. The Office of Annual Giving reserves the right to discontinue a current or future project if a project or team's content, messaging, communication or behavior contradict or violate these values in any way.
  3. The Office of Annual Giving will not disseminate contact information or data to crowdfunding teams for any reason. It is the responsibility of the crowdfunding teams to leverage their personal and professional contacts and networks to promote the campaign.
  4. Projects and teams must not use any university logos, brands, or intellectual property. Misuse can result in campaign termination.
  5. Projects and teams must not make any promises of shares or interest in any project. Additionally, no promises of goods, services, or premiums in exchange for a gift must be made. Such communication can result in campaign termination.

 

The Office of Annual Giving is pleased to provide fundraising advice to support approved projects. However, each team is expected to actively and personally solicit their networks to achieve their fundraising goals.

Questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at givingatgwu [dot] edu (giving[at]gwu[dot]edu).