Eligibility | Examples | Not Eligible | How does it work?
Please email questions to Matches @ ioby.org
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Eligibility Requirements:
To access the Suffolk County Thriving Communities Match Program, the project must comply with these requirements.
1. Projects must take place within Suffolk County limits, and be for the benefit of Suffolk County residents.
2. Projects must be temporary in nature, such as community events or short term demonstration projects. Temporary means any physical objects cannot have a lifetime of more than a year.
a. The two exceptions are: 1)trees and plants, and 2)murals or other art installations, both of which are approved even though they will have a lifetime longer than a year.
3. Projects must demonstrate a placemaking goal, such as community events or temporary improvements to public spaces. Permanent renovations are not eligible. Examples are below, but eligibility is not limited to that list. Please submit your idea: ioby.org/idea
a. Projects that need permitting or permission need to secure that from the city before fundraising. Please speak with the city for any temporary crosswalks, temporary bike lanes, or other temporary projects on public streets. Permanent installations are not eligible.
4. Projects must create a public benefit and be non-profit in nature; and not aimed at private profit for a specific individual, family, or business.
5. Projects must be led by or in partnership with the residents of the community where the project is taking place.
6. To be eligible to fundraise on the ioby platform, the Project Leader must:
a. Be a 501c3 organization or other tax-exempt nonprofit entity; or
b. Be fiscally sponsored by a 501c3 organization or other tax-exempt nonprofit entity; or
c. Agree to use ioby’s fiscal sponsorship service.
7. Projects must be specific. All ioby campaign pages must include a budget outlining how funds will be spent. The majority of funds (51% or more) must be spent on materials for the public benefitting project, and a minority of the budget (49% or less) may be used for staff costs to implement the project.
8. Projects must complete fundraising and cash out by March 1st 2025, or sooner.
9. Projects must implement and complete a report by June 30, 2025, or sooner.
10. ioby policy requires that match participants achieve a minimum of five distinct donors in order to cash out with matching funds. Here's why.
11. ioby reserves the right to decline eligibility at any time.
New to ioby match programs?
Click here to read frequently asked questions.
Please note: All donations to all projects on ioby are fully tax-deductible.
You do not need to be a formal nonprofit to access match funding and raise tax deductible donations on ioby. ioby is a 501c3 nonprofit and can serve as the fiscal sponsor for projects led by individuals or informal groups. ioby can also disburse funds to your local nonprofit fiscal sponsor if you prefer (including 501c3's, schools, municipalities, government agencies, and places of worship).
Examples of Eligible Projects:
Projects must be temporary placemaking materials; permanent renovations are not eligible.
- Organizing solutions to transit gaps, such as bike groups, bike shares, carpools, and other ideas to address inequities in transit systems.
- Temporary traffic calming, such as seasonal planters or public art.
- Artistic bike racks and bus stop art.
- Community stewardship of public parks, trails, libraries, and other civic spaces by hosting events and providing temporary improvements; permanent renovation materials are not eligible.
- Trees, gardens, and other planting.
- Pedestrian safety events and temporary improvements; permanent renovation materials are not eligible.
- Events that activate underutilized spaces, such as abandoned buildings, transit hubs, libraries, vacant lots, and more, to support a community development plan.
- Community surveys or other research projects for transportation systems and public space improvements.
- Events such as Open Streets that get a permit to close streets temporarily.
- Murals on a local school or neighborhood building
- Public art installations in a local park
- Community gardens
- Free public concerts
- Free film screenings in a local plaza or community space
- New classes offered at the local community center
- New event series for local residents to gather and build community
- Or your own great project idea!
Please send questions to Matches @ ioby.org
Ineligible:
- Because all ioby projects must have a public benefit, projects that benefit one specific individual, family, or business are NOT eligible.
- Projects involving: political campaigning, lobbying, or contributions to political campaigns are NOT eligible.
- Fundraising for a pool of funds to be re-granted to others or used for an unspecified purpose in the future is NOT eligible.
- General operating support or funding new staff hires for nonprofits is NOT eligible.
- ioby may determine a project ineligible at any time.
How does it work?
New to ioby match programs? Click here to read frequently asked questions.
Should the goal I set on my fundraising page include the amount of match funding I hope to receive? Yes. For example, if you need $6,000 to implement your project, your public goal on your page would be $6,000—you would only need to fundraise $3,000 of that goal, which would be matched as you fundraise, for as long as matching funds are available.
How does match funding on ioby work? When you fundraise on ioby with match funding, donations to your campaign will be doubled instantly, so you move toward your goal twice as fast. So if someone donates $25, your page will reflect a donation of $50!
How do I get approved for this match program? Just submit this intake form and our team will be in touch by email!
If I’m approved for match funding, am I guaranteed to receive a specific amount? No, this is not a grant program. ioby matching funds are won by donors to your campaign, and donors are matched on a first-come basis to all participating campaigns so that funding flows toward projects with the most urgent funding needs and active teams. Your team needs to raise a dollar to receive a dollar, and no amount of match funding is guaranteed in advance. If you begin a campaign, but then stop fundraising for several weeks, there is no guarantee that match funding will still be available.
Who is eligible to receive matching funds? Individual residents, volunteer groups of friends and neighbors, 501c3 nonprofits, schools, places of worship, and other civic organizations.
You do not need to be a formal nonprofit to access match funding and raise tax deductible donations on ioby. ioby is a 501c3 nonprofit and can serve as the fiscal sponsor for projects led by individuals or informal groups. ioby can also disburse funds to your local nonprofit fiscal sponsor if you prefer (including 501c3's, schools, municipalities, government agencies, and places of worship).
What if I have more than one eligible project idea? It’s best to pick one thing to crowdfund for at a time. If you’re trying to decide between several possible funding needs, keep in mind that crowdfunding works best for projects that are concrete and specific, where residents will be able to see the results or participate in the project they helped fund.
How do I know if match funding is still available for my project? When you share your project idea, our team will alert you in the case that match funds are running low and you may not be able to access the maximum amount; then you can decide if you would like to go forward with fundraising or not. We'll also alert you if matching funds begin to run low while you are fundraising with us.
How long will the match fund be available? This will depend on how many projects participate, and how much they raise. Funding will be distributed on a first-come basis as participants crowdfund. We update you by email.
Does it cost anything to fundraise on ioby? For projects participating in this ioby match program, the only required cost is the 4% processing fee we pass on to our secure third-party processor. This 4% is retained from the total you raise at the end of your campaign, nothing is paid up front. ioby's fiscal sponsorship service is optional and available at 8%. ioby fees are explained here.
Shouldn't I set a really big goal and hope for the best? You will only receive match funding equivalent to what you raise, so we encourage you to aim for an amount of funding that fits your team’s fundraising capacity and immediate budget needs. Also, it makes crowdfunding more difficult to set a larger goal than you have a plan to reach, because donors are less likely to give to campaigns that don't look likely to meet their goal. Our webinars, campaign planning tools, and your ioby Success Strategist can all help you set a goal that fits your team size and fundraising plan.
Does match funding apply to any donation? Match funding is meant to make it easier for you to reach out to your networks broadly to ask for donations, and not meant for doubling just one or two large gifts. For that reason, we’ll only be matching up to the first $1,000 of any single donation.
Does ioby accept checks and can they be matched? Yes. It's not standard practice, but if you have a donor who prefers to give by check instead of credit card, they can send their check to ioby to be applied to your campaign. ioby's donation processing fee of 3% also applies to check donations, and check donations can be matched. We won’t be able to match a check donation until we receive and process the check, whereas online donations are matched instantly.
What if I use up all the match funding I was originally planning for, but want to keep fundraising? Great! With ioby’s flexible finish policy you can always raise your goal mid-campaign if needed. If match funding runs out, you are also welcome to keep fundraising unmatched dollars.
What happens if I don’t meet my goal? Our trainings and one-on-one support are intended to give you and your team the best shot as success. However, if you fall short of your goal, you'll still keep anything you raised and match funding you've earned. When you close your campaign, your Leader Success Strategist will ask you to adjust the budget on your page to show how you’ll use the smaller amount of funds toward your project.
When will I receive my match funding? Donations to your ioby campaign page will be doubled instantly as people donate to your page. When you decide to close your campaign, you’ll receive the total you raised plus match funding as one lump sum, via check or e-payment. The 4% fee for our secure payment processor will be retained from that total. We will ask you to electronically sign a simple project agreement or fiscal sponsorship agreement before sending your payment.
What reporting is required if I participate? All ioby project leaders are asked to complete an online survey that we'll ask you to fill it out at the point that you close your campaign and request your funds. It should take about 10 minutes to fill out, and helps us consistently improve our crowdfunding coaching services.
Example funding scenarios:
Your original goal: $6,000
You raise: $2,000
Match funding: $4,000
Total disbursed at end of campaign: $6,000*
Your original goal: $10,000
You raise: $3,333
Match funding: $6,666
Total disbursed at end of campaign: $9,999*
Your original goal: $15,000
You raise: $5,623
Match funding: $10,000
Total disbursed at end of campaign: $15,623*
*Minus ioby fees.
Your page will continue to accept donations after your goal is met and you can raise your campaign goal at any time during your campaign. When the maximum allowable match has been won by your donors, the match will automatically shut off. At that point, donations will no longer be matched. You are always welcome to continue fundraising additional unmatched dollars.