We think it’s wonderful that you’ve chosen to support someone through Hope Fundraiser in their time of need. However, because every fundraiser has different circumstances, there can be times when unrequested refunds will be issued. You could receive an unexpected refund because:
The Hope Fundraiser organizer decided to deactivate their fundraiser
The Hope Fundraiser organizer may have decided to deactivate their fundraiser and refund all donors. If you’re a donor, it would be best to get in touch with the Hope Fundraiser organizer for more information. If the fundraiser is still active, you can use the contact button to reach out to them. If it’s deactivated, we can assist you in contacting them if needed.
The donation couldn’t be verified
The Hope Fundraiser Risk team or our payment partners may proactively refund donations if we’re unable to verify a donor’s identity. These security measures are designed to protect Hope Fundraiser organizers from fraudulent donations. If you’re a donor and would like to contribute again, we can work with our payment processor to verify your identity by reviewing your government-issued ID or a link to your social media, such as Facebook or LinkedIn. Please get in touch with us by clicking “Contact Us” on this page to get that process started.
The Hope Fundraiser organizer didn’t verify their account or transfer funds within required deadlines
Due to federal regulations, our payment processors can’t hold funds for extended periods of time. Our team sends several reminders to the Hope Fundraiser organizer to assist them with the transfer process.
If a Hope Fundraiser organizer doesn’t verify their account within the required time frame, their donations will be automatically refunded in full back to donors. Donors will receive funds back to the card used to make the donation within 3-10 business days.
The donation was disputed with a card provider
Donors have the right to dispute their donation with their card issuer. This usually happens if the donor doesn’t recognize the charge in their bank statement.
This results in the card issuer pulling the funds from the Hope Fundraiser organizer’s payment account (not their personal bank account). If you’re a Hope Fundraiser organizer, read this article to learn more about addressing a disputed charge.
The donation was made by the Hope Fundraiser organizer
Hope Fundraiser organizers aren’t allowed to donate to their own personal fundraisers, even if the donation was given to you by someone else by cash or check.
This can be seen as a cash advance in the banking world, and these donations will need to be refunded.