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GW Raise Policies and Procedures

Project Selection and Termination

  1. All projects for the GW Raise platform will be chosen by, in its sole discretion, the Department of Annual Giving at The George Washington University.  The Department 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, or they will not be allowed to go live on the platform and will be asked to apply again during a subsequent application cycle. GW reserves the right to reject donations obtained by any outside crowdfunding platform.
  3. GW Raise may not be used, in any capacity, for personal, private, or for-profit ventures, projects, or programs. Any project that GW will define, in its sole discretion, as one falling into these categories will not be considered. Only projects with an approved GW fundraising account may use the platform for approved crowdfunding projects.  Crowdfunding teams are strictly prohibited from personal profit or misuse of raised funds.
  4. Please note 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 financial or personal 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
    • An excessive fundraising goal that is inappropriate for the crowdfunding platform (generally, any goal over $15,000)
    • The applying team has already had a crowdfunding project in the previous cycle

 

Advisors - Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR)

  1. Every GW Raise project and team must have a staff advisor from the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.  If a team does not have an apparent point of contact within the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, please contact [email protected] for assistance.
  2. All crowdfunding projects on GW Raise 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 any 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 the funds at the campaign's conclusion.
  4. We welcome participation by donors wishing to make large gifts.  However, due to fees and processing costs, all known gifts coordinated by gift officers must be processed internally and uploaded on the platform's backend.  Failure to do so will incur a gift processing fee that is charged back to the gift officer's school, unit, or college.  

Project Financials and Budget

  1. All crowdfunding projects on GW Raise 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 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 Raise 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 DAR advisor and applicable business office staff to access the raised funds for their programs once the gift processing is finalized. It’s not the responsibility of The Office of Annual Giving to ensure 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 future or current 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 and equipped platforms 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 [email protected].