Beachfunder Guidelines

Before crowdfunding, it is the project-lead’s responsibility to read through the Crowdfunding Guidelines. The project-lead will be asked to sign the Guidelines prior to crowdfunding launching.  

How are projects approved? 

Project applications are individually reviewed and approved by University Relations and Development (URD) prior to launching on https://beachfunder.csulb.edu/. An active crowdfunding project may be discontinued based on failure to comply with these Crowdfunding Guidelines.  

How are gifts processed and project funds deposited?  

All projects must have an active philanthropic gift fund set up through the 49er Foundation through which gifts can be accepted and then distributed to the respective campus unit’s account. Groups may use a gift fund associated with a sponsoring unit, such as a department, program or center, with the approval of the unit and the gift processing team. If an appropriate sponsoring unit gift fund is not available, URD will determine whether or not the project qualifies for its own gift fund (not guaranteed). Gift funds and accounts must be approved before the project can begin fundraising. 

All monies must be used for the project’s stated purpose. Individuals are strictly prohibited from keeping any portion of the funds raised as a profit or compensation. All projects must be non-profit in nature. Details outlining the use of raised funds should be provided in the project application. 

A 5% gift fee is applied to each philanthropic gift, including those made through Beachfunder, CSULB’s official crowdfunding platform. Funds deposited into project accounts will already have these fees removed from their totals; however, project totals online will display the full gift amount. 

Most gifts will be raised online through https://beachfunder.csulb.edu/. Some offline gifts may be used toward the project’s goal. Crowdfunding projects cannot count gifts from pledges, bequests, gifts already allocated to another fund, matching gifts, or money raised through sales, such as bake-sales, car washes, or other “give-to-get” fundraising. All gifts must be collected prior to the project’s deadline. 

There is a $10 minimum gift amount set through Beachfunder. The 49er Foundation will issue official tax receipts to donors. All offline gifts raised outside of the crowdfunding platform must be delivered to URD located in Brotman Hall, Suite 387 for immediate deposit. This is to ensure that the donor receives proper gift credit and tax receipts. 

What kind of projects are acceptable? 

Projects must support CSULB programs and initiatives. Funds cannot be redirected to a third-party, external charity or other non-profit. CSULB cannot act as a “pass-through” entity to provide funding to other charities. All content on project pages must be approved by CSULB prior to being published.  

When applying for CSULB crowdfunding, project-lead agrees to provide the following: 

  • Project description and case for support 
  • Video (it is the project-lead's responsibility to create and edit any content used) 
  • Images for description, social sharing and crowdfunding home page 
  • Budget breakdown (how donations will be spent) 
  • Signed Crowdfunding Guidelines (must be signed before the project can begin fundraising) 
  • Project updates throughout the fundraising window 
  • Ongoing outreach to promote the project after launch 
  • Thank you message after fundraising concludes to acknowledge donors and share project progress 

**Specific to ASI Student Organizations: Beachfunder is only able to accommodate one ASI crowdfunding project per month. All student organizations are only eligible for ONE crowdfunding project per academic year. 

***Specific to the Office of Development (when development is the lead on a project): There is a two-project limit per semester, per college/unit, for Beachfunder projects. 

How do I market my project? 

Projects should have specific goals and be driven by tangible accomplishments – for example, purchasing new equipment, funding travel fees, or providing student workshop opportunities.  

It is up to the project team to market their crowdfunding campaign. The larger the crowdfunding project team, the more likely the project will be successful. It is strongly encouraged that groups consist of at least three people who can assist with marketing and outreach.  

Project leads are responsible for promoting their crowdfunding campaigns and can use multiple channels including via social media, email, phone, and on-campus, when appropriate. In addition, project teams are responsible for preparing thank-you messages and submitting regular project updates. 

URD does not provide any contact data for alumni, parents, friends or students. It is up to the project’s crowdfunding team to contact their personal contact lists and encourage them to participate and support their projects. While URD may promote the crowdfunding platform through other communication, groups should not rely on this for fundraising success. URD will work with groups to generate ideas for marketing and outreach. 

Monetary premiums and perks should not be used to incentivize gifts. Such items as t-shirt giveaways or other promotional items are not permissible, as they affect a donor’s right to a tax deduction. 

How long can my project run? 

Projects will be hosted on the crowdfunding platform for a pre-determined amount of time, typically one month. Some exceptions may apply. The same group may not fundraise in consecutive monthly campaigns but may be eligible for future crowdfunding efforts. 

If the project is not fully funded within the allotted timeframe, any monies raised will still be allocated to the project. All funds, even without meeting the goal, should be spent to offset the cost of the promoted project and utilized to the group’s best ability.  

What is the CSULB 49er Foundation? 

The mission of the 49er Foundation is to actively promote philanthropy and manage donated resources for the advancement of CSULB. All projects must comply with the institution’s mission. Projects cannot violate any laws. CSULB reserves the right to decline any project based on content or discontinue an active project at any time due to changes in the group’s eligibility status. 

URD reserves the right to amend these guidelines as necessary to better serve its crowdfunding partners, and position teams and their projects for success.  

For questions, please contact Mak Frederick, Digital Giving Associate at Mak.Frederick@csulb.edu or 562.985.6090 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last revised: 1/1/24