Frequently Asked Questions

ib4me is a crowdfunding platform designed specifically for Sierra Leone. We connect people and communities with donors who want to help. Whether it's education, personal needs, community projects, health expenses, or emergency relief, our platform supports any meaningful cause. Anyone can start a campaign, and every campaign shows whether its organizer has verified their identity so donors can judge for themselves.

Starting a campaign is free and easy. Simply create an account, click 'Start a Campaign', and fill in details about your cause, including beneficiary information, description, and funding goal. You can also attach supporting documents — they are optional, but they help donors trust your campaign.

Yes, creating a campaign on ib4me is completely free — there is nothing to pay up front. Fees (3.6% for individuals, 3.0% for organizations) are deducted from donations as they come in, so you only ever pay a fee on money you have actually raised.

Immediately. There is no approval queue — as soon as you publish, your campaign is live and can receive donations. Identity verification is a separate, optional step: submit your documents from your dashboard and, once approved, your campaigns show a verified badge instead of the 'Unverified Organizer' one.

We accept multiple payment methods including Orange Money, AfriMoney, and international credit/debit cards. All payments are processed securely through our partner Monime.

You are charged exactly what you enter — there is no surcharge added at checkout. Fees come out of the donation instead: for a Le 100 donation to an individual campaign, roughly Le 96.43 reaches the campaign after the 1.0% payment processing fee and the 2.6% platform fee.

Total fees are about 3.6% for individual campaigns and 3.0% for organization campaigns. That is a 1.0% payment processing fee (charged by Monime, our payment provider) plus a platform fee of 2.6% for individuals or 2.0% for organizations. Fees are deducted from the donation, never added on top of it. Withdrawing to a mobile money wallet also carries a 1.0% fee charged by the mobile money provider.

Yes, you can choose to make your donation anonymous. Your name won't be displayed publicly on the campaign page. We still ask for your email so we can find your donation if you ever need help with it.

Your donation details — the campaign, the amount you paid, and the date — are shown on the confirmation page as soon as your payment completes. Save or screenshot that page: we do not email receipts yet.

Organizations include registered NGOs, charitable organizations, schools, community groups, and other legal entities. Choose 'Organization' when you create your account and tell us your organization's name — you can add your registration details and documents afterwards from your dashboard.

Organization accounts get a reduced platform fee of 2.0% (vs 2.6% for individuals), bringing their total fee to 3.0%. This helps established organizations maximize the impact of donations they receive.

Go to Verification in your dashboard and submit your registration certificate, representative ID, proof of address, and tax certificate. Our team reviews them, usually within 1-2 business days. Verification earns your campaigns a verified badge — the reduced organization fee applies from the moment you register as an organization, whether or not verification is complete.

No — campaigns publish immediately, so anyone can start raising money without waiting on us. What we verify is the organizer: identity documents for individuals, registration documents for organizations. A campaign whose organizer has not completed that check carries an 'Unverified Organizer' badge, and we moderate campaigns after publication, taking down any that break our terms.

We have a zero-tolerance policy for fraud. If we discover a campaign is fraudulent, we immediately suspend it, block any pending withdrawal, and report the incident to relevant authorities. Contact us straight away if you believe you have donated to a fraudulent campaign.

We take data protection seriously. All personal and financial information is encrypted and stored securely. We never share your data with third parties without your consent, except as required for payment processing.

It means the organizer has not completed identity verification (KYC), so we have not independently confirmed who they are. It is not a judgement about the campaign — campaigns are not pre-approved either way. We encourage donors to exercise their own judgement when donating to campaigns with unverified organizers.

Yes. Email us at ib4me.organisation@gmail.com with a link to the campaign and what concerns you. We investigate all reports thoroughly.

Request a withdrawal from your dashboard and choose a mobile money number or bank account. We check that the mobile money number is registered and show you the exact fee and the amount you will receive before you confirm. Requests that meet the minimum withdrawal threshold are sent straight to the payment provider, typically arriving within 2-3 business days; anything below the threshold waits for an admin to review it first.

Yes, you can post updates to keep donors informed about your campaign's progress, and you can edit your campaign's details at any time.

If you exceed your funding goal, you can either close the campaign or continue accepting donations for additional needs. Any unused funds should be used for the beneficiary's ongoing needs.

Absolutely! Sharing on social media is one of the best ways to reach more potential donors. We provide easy sharing buttons for WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms.

Email our support team at ib4me.organisation@gmail.com or use the contact form. We typically respond within 24 hours, Monday to Saturday.

Yes, we provide tips and resources to help your campaign succeed. Our team can offer guidance on storytelling, setting realistic goals, and promoting your campaign effectively.

You can still withdraw whatever funds have been raised (above the minimum threshold) to help with expenses. We encourage keeping donors updated and sharing your campaign widely to maximize donations.