How we keep IVA CROWD worth trusting
Crowdfunding only works if a stranger is willing to send money to someone they have never met. Everything on this page exists to make that decision reasonable: who we check, what we require, what happens when something goes wrong, and where our limits honestly are.
Before a campaign goes live
- Identity verification. Every organiser must verify their identity with a government-issued document before any funds can be withdrawn. Organisations must additionally provide registration documents and name an authorised representative.
- Campaign review. Campaigns are reviewed by our team before publication. We check that the purpose is clear and lawful, that the goal and description are consistent, and that claims about organisations, endorsements or medical outcomes are supported.
- Payout account matching. Payouts are only sent to an account in the verified name of the organiser or their organisation. We do not send funds to third-party accounts.
While a campaign is running
Review does not stop at publication. We monitor for unusual contribution patterns, sudden changes to a campaign's stated purpose, and reports from backers. Payouts on campaigns under active review are held until the review concludes.
Backers can report any campaign directly from its page. Every report is read by a person on our Trust & Safety team, not routed to an automated filter.
What is not allowed
- Fraud, misrepresentation, or raising funds for a purpose other than the one stated on the page.
- Campaigns for illegal activity, weapons, controlled substances, or the evasion of sanctions.
- Financial products: investments, loans, securities, interest-bearing arrangements, or anything promising a financial return.
- Hate speech, harassment, incitement to violence, or targeting of individuals.
- Unproven or dangerous medical claims, including treatments presented as cures without credible evidence.
- Gambling, lotteries, prize draws and raffles where local law does not permit them.
- Impersonating another person or organisation, or fundraising on their behalf without documented authorisation.
- Adult content, and any content involving minors in a sexual or exploitative context.
This list is not exhaustive. The full and binding rules are in our Terms of Service.
When something goes wrong
If you have backed a campaign and believe it is misrepresented, abandoned, or fraudulent, report it. Our process:
- Within one business day a member of the team reviews the report and, where appropriate, places a hold on the campaign's payouts.
- We contact the organiser and give them a defined window to respond with evidence or clarification.
- We decide and act. Outcomes range from requiring an edit or a public update, to suspending payouts, to removing the campaign and refunding contributions where funds are still recoverable.
- We tell you what happened. The reporter receives an outcome, within the limits of what we can share about another user.
Refunds
Contributions are donations, not purchases, and are generally not refundable simply because a backer changes their mind. We will refund where a campaign is removed for a policy breach and the funds have not been paid out, where a contribution was made in error or duplicated and is reported promptly, or where a payment is found to be unauthorised.
Once funds have been paid out to an organiser, our ability to recover them is limited. This is the honest boundary of any crowdfunding platform, and it is why verification and campaign review happen before money moves, not after.
Protecting your account
- Use a unique password and enable two-factor authentication in your account settings.
- We will never ask for your password, card number or one-time code by email, phone or chat.
- Payout account changes trigger an email alert to the address on file and a short security hold.
- Card details are handled entirely by our payment providers under PCI DSS and are never stored on our servers.
Reporting a security issue
If you have found a vulnerability, please report it to our security contact before disclosing it publicly. We will acknowledge within two business days, keep you updated while we investigate, and we will not pursue action against researchers who test in good faith, avoid privacy violations and do not degrade the service.
Contact Trust & Safety
To report a campaign, appeal a decision, or ask about a hold on your account, use our contact form and mark your message for Trust & Safety. Appeals are reviewed by someone who was not involved in the original decision.