This policy explains how donations, fees, refunds, and disputes work on the Platform. It is part of our Terms of Service. Capitalized terms have the meanings given there.
1. Your donation goes to the Organization, not to us
When you donate through RaiseClear or TeamRaised, you are giving directly to the team, club, or organization running the campaign (the "Organization"). Payment is processed by Stripe, Inc., and the funds settle directly to the Organization's own Stripe account. Virtual Caffeine IO LLC ("VCIO"), which operates the Platform, never holds, controls, or takes custody of your donation. We are not a charity and we are not the recipient of your gift.
The Platform is a neutral venue. We do not vet, endorse, or guarantee any Organization, campaign, or its tax status, and you give at your own discretion and risk. Any dispute about your donation, including how the funds are used, is between you and the Organization.
2. What it costs
For each donation, two fees apply and are shown to you before you confirm:
- Payment processing, charged by Stripe and passed through at cost (currently 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction; Stripe sets this rate).
- A flat 2% platform fee that supports the running of the Platform.
We keep pricing simple on purpose. The exact amounts for your donation are shown at checkout and itemized on your emailed receipt, which reflects the actual amounts charged.
You can choose to cover the fees. At checkout you may add an optional amount so the fees do not come out of the Organization's gift, which lets the Organization keep the full amount you intended to give. Covering fees is entirely optional: you can adjust it or decline it, and the Organization receives your donation either way. If you cover the fees, the extra is added to your total and is part of your donation; if you do not, the fees are deducted from the donation as usual.
3. Receipts and tax-deductibility
You will receive an email receipt confirming your donation. Keep it for your records. If you chose to cover the fees, your receipt itemizes them, and note that the portion of your payment that covers processing or platform fees may not be tax-deductible even where the donation itself is.
Whether your donation is tax-deductible depends on the Organization's actual tax status and on your own circumstances. We do not verify whether an Organization is a registered nonprofit, and donations to Organizations that are not qualified tax-exempt organizations are not tax-deductible. The Platform does not display any "verified charity" badge, and nothing here is tax advice. If deductibility matters to you, confirm the Organization's status with the Organization, keep your receipt, and consult your own tax advisor. Where the law requires a formal donor acknowledgment, it is the Organization's responsibility to provide it.
4. Refunds
Donations are voluntary gifts and are generally intended to be final. Because funds settle directly to the Organization and we never hold them, VCIO cannot issue refunds and does not decide whether one is granted. Any refund is at the Organization's discretion and is issued by the Organization through Stripe.
If you believe a donation was made in error (for example, a duplicate charge or a wrong amount), or you want to request a refund:
- Contact the Organization that ran the campaign first; it controls the funds and can issue a refund through Stripe.
- If you cannot reach the Organization, contact us at hello@teamraised.com. We will try to help you connect with the Organization and can share what our records show, but we cannot move or return funds that have settled to the Organization's account.
When a refund is issued, you receive back the amount you were charged (in full, or the partial amount refunded). Stripe does not return the original card processing fee, so a refund carries a small processing cost that the Organization bears. RaiseClear returns its 2% platform fee on refunded donations, so we do not keep our fee when a gift is refunded. If you chose to cover the fees at checkout, the amount you covered is included in your refund.
5. Chargebacks and disputes
If you do not recognize a charge, we encourage you to contact the Organization and us before disputing it with your bank, so a genuine error can be fixed quickly. A payment dispute (chargeback) is handled through Stripe and is ultimately decided by your card issuer. Because donations settle to the Organization, a chargeback is a matter between you, the Organization, and Stripe; the Organization bears the disputed amount and any related fee. Filing a chargeback for a donation you knowingly and validly made may be treated as abuse under our Acceptable Use Policy.
6. Failed, pending, or duplicate payments
If a payment fails or is declined, no donation is recorded and, in most cases, no charge is completed; a temporary authorization hold from your bank, if any, is released by your bank on its own schedule. If you see what looks like a duplicate charge, contact the Organization or us and we will help you sort out what actually posted.
7. Questions
Virtual Caffeine IO LLC
doing business as RaiseClear and TeamRaised
Camano Island, Washington, USA
hello@teamraised.com