Frequently Asked Questions

EffortX is a milestone-based donation platform that ensures your contributions create verified, measurable impact. The first milestone (capped at 40% of the goal) pays out when a project is fully funded so work can start. Every later milestone is released only after we verify evidence for the one before it, protecting donors and maximizing transparency.

Each charity or project is reviewed by EffortX during onboarding. We assess legitimacy, governance, past work, and alignment with our impact standards before allowing fundraising on the platform.

Unlike traditional platforms that release all funds upfront, EffortX uses milestone-based funding. The first milestone (capped at 40% of the goal) pays out when a project is fully funded so work can start, and each later milestone pays out only after we verify evidence for the one before it. At least 60% of every goal stays gated behind verified progress. This protects donors, ensures accountability, and keeps your donation tied to measurable impact.

EffortX Foundation Ltd is an Australian not-for-profit company (limited by guarantee) that has applied to the ACNC for charity registration. That registration is currently pending. We fund verified charitable projects delivered by in-country partners, and our board oversees how every donation is used.

We support a wide range of verified charitable projects including education, healthcare, environmental conservation, disaster relief, community development, and more. All projects must demonstrate clear goals, measurable milestones, and evidence-based impact.

Choose any verified project, select a one-time or monthly donation amount, and complete payment with your credit card. You'll immediately see your contribution reflected in the project's progress and receive updates as milestones are completed.

We currently accept credit and debit cards through our secure payment processor, Stripe. All payments are processed securely and your card information is never stored on our servers.

We charge a 5% platform fee to cover operational costs like project verification, milestone review, payment processing infrastructure, and platform maintenance. Additionally, standard payment processing fees apply (charged by our payment provider, Stripe). The majority of your donation goes directly to your chosen project or the Community Fund.

Our 5% platform fee enables us to thoroughly verify every charity, review the milestone evidence that unlocks each later payout, maintain secure payment infrastructure, and provide transparent reporting. This ensures your donation creates verified, measurable impact, not just good intentions.

You'll receive an emailed acknowledgement of your donation straight away, and you can download it any time. Please note that EffortX Foundation's charity registration and deductible gift recipient (DGR) endorsement are still pending, so donations are not currently tax-deductible. If endorsement is granted we'll let you know and reissue receipts for eligible donations.

Monthly donations provide consistent support to your chosen project. Your card is automatically charged each month on the date you signed up. You can change the amount, switch projects, or cancel anytime from your impact dashboard.

Your monthly donation automatically continues supporting other verified projects through the EffortX Community Fund, so your impact doesn't stop. You're always in control and can choose a new project to support at any time from your impact dashboard.

Absolutely. You have full control. From your impact dashboard, you can change the amount, switch to a different project, or cancel anytime. Changes take effect on your next billing date.

You'll receive a receipt immediately after each monthly charge. You can view your upcoming charges and billing date anytime in your impact dashboard.

Milestones are specific, measurable goals that break a project into verified stages. For example, 'Build school foundation,' 'Install roof,' 'Purchase desks.' The first milestone (capped at 40% of the goal) pays out as soon as the project is fully funded so work can start. After that, evidence (photos, receipts, reports, third-party confirmation) for each milestone unlocks the payout for the next one.

EffortX Foundation staff review all milestone evidence. Verified evidence for each milestone unlocks the payout for the next one, so every payout after the first is gated behind verification. Projects must provide clear proof of progress such as reports, media, receipts, or third-party confirmation. If satisfactory evidence is not provided, the next payout stays locked until proper verification is submitted.

Most milestone verifications are completed within 3-5 business days of evidence submission. Urgent or time-sensitive milestones can be expedited. You'll receive notifications when milestones are verified and funds are released.

If a charity cannot complete a milestone, they must provide documentation and explanation. Depending on the situation, the project may be paused or milestones adjusted. If a project is cancelled, all remaining funds are reallocated to the EffortX Community Fund and all donors are notified.

Yes! If you know a charity or project that would benefit from milestone-based funding, you can recommend them through our 'Suggest a Project' form. We'll review the organization against our verification standards and reach out if they're a good fit.

The Community Fund is a flexible pool of donations managed by EffortX Foundation. Funds are strategically allocated to verified projects based on urgency and impact, ideal for emergency response, projects needing a final funding push, and time-sensitive opportunities.

Direct donations support one project through completion. Community Fund donations are flexibly allocated across multiple verified projects based on urgency, ideal for emergency response and time-sensitive needs. Choose Community Fund for maximum flexibility and trust our foundation to allocate where impact is greatest.

EffortX Foundation staff allocate funds based on verified needs: emergency response, projects close to milestone completion, and time-sensitive opportunities. All decisions are recorded and visible in your impact dashboard.

Yes. Once allocated, you'll see exactly which project(s) received your support in your impact dashboard, along with project updates and verified milestone completions.

Absolutely. You can redirect your monthly support to any verified project at any time from your settings. Past Community Fund allocations remain tracked in your impact history.

Yes, creating an account allows you to track your donations, receive project updates, manage monthly giving, and view your impact dashboard. Account creation takes less than a minute during checkout.

Log into your account, go to Settings > Payment Methods, and you can add, update, or remove payment methods. Changes apply to future donations only.

Yes. Your impact dashboard shows all donations, which projects you've supported, milestone completions, and a running total of your impact. You can download receipts and annual summaries anytime.

Log into your account, go to Settings > Account, and you can update your email address or password. You'll receive a confirmation email after making changes.

Yes. Go to Settings > Account > Delete Account. Note that deleting your account doesn't cancel active monthly donations. Please cancel those separately first. Your donation history will be archived for tax and legal compliance.

You'll receive email notifications when projects you support complete milestones, post updates, or reach funding goals. You can also view all updates in your impact dashboard and adjust notification preferences in settings.

Updates include milestone evidence, progress reports, photos, videos, payout confirmations, and impact measurements. You'll see exactly how your contribution is being used, with verified proof at each stage.

Yes. Our Transparency page shows all platform financial activity in real-time: donations received, funds allocated to projects, milestone payouts, and Community Fund distributions. Every transaction is recorded and visible to all users.

Charities must provide evidence for each completed milestone to unlock their next payout, and we encourage monthly progress updates. Projects without activity or updates for 60+ days are flagged for review and may be paused until updated information is provided.

If you have concerns about how a project is using funds or meeting milestones, please contact us immediately at hello@effort.giving. We investigate all concerns and take appropriate action, including pausing funding or removing projects if necessary.

We use multi-layer protection: thorough charity vetting before approval, milestone-based funding where the first milestone (capped at 40% of the goal) is released when a project is fully funded and every later milestone is released only after we verify evidence for the one before it, continuous monitoring of project activity, and rapid response to donor concerns.

If we discover fund misuse, we immediately suspend the project, conduct a full investigation, and work with donors to recover or reallocate funds. The charity is permanently banned from the platform and we report serious cases to relevant authorities.

Yes. We use bank-level encryption (TLS 1.3) for all data transmission. Payment information is processed by Stripe, a PCI-compliant payment processor. Your card details never touch our servers. We never sell or share your personal information.

Refunds are handled case-by-case. If a project hasn't started or funds haven't been released to the charity, refunds are typically approved. Once funds are released for completed milestones, refunds are generally not available as the work has been done. Contact hello@effort.giving to discuss your situation.