Project Eligibility

Gifts made on the Cornell Crowdfunding platform are treated as gifts to Cornell University. They are tax-deductible under Cornell’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. They go through Cornell’s online giving, gift processing, receipting, and recording protocols. So, use of the platform is restricted to projects that meet our eligibility criteria.

  1. Projects must plan to raise at least $5,000.
  2. Projects must have a Cornell sponsor (college/unit faculty or staff member).
  3. Funds raised must be used under the supervision of the Cornell sponsor. Projects raising money that will be passed along to other nonprofits are *not* eligible.
  4. Projects must have the approval of the ranking development officer in their relevant college or unit. Not sure who this is for your area? Contact us at cfund@cornell.edu.Projects that do not meet all four of these criteria are not eligible to use the Cornell Crowdfunding platform.Questions about your project’s eligibility?