Negative Balance & What It Means For Your Fundraiser

Negative balances are rare, but they can happen. Here is what one means and how to clear it.

What a negative balance is

Your available balance is the money your fundraiser has raised, minus any refunds and the withdrawals you have already taken. If a donation is refunded or disputed after you have withdrawn those funds, the math can dip below zero. That is a negative balance.

It does not mean you did anything wrong. It usually comes down to timing: money went out before a refund or chargeback came in.

How it gets back to zero

New donations count toward it first. If your fundraiser keeps receiving donations, they automatically offset the shortfall before any new funds become available to withdraw. In many cases the balance corrects itself this way without you doing anything.

If donations do not cover it, reach out to our team and we will work out repayment together. Email support@giftofparenthood.org or use our contact page. Please do not ignore a negative balance; the sooner we hear from you, the easier it is to resolve.

How to help prevent one

• Encourage donors with a billing question to contact us before disputing a charge with their bank. Most issues are faster and cheaper to resolve directly. Our Refund & Cancellation Policy explains how refund requests are handled.
• Keep your fundraiser story and updates current. Donations that donors clearly recognize on their statement are far less likely to be disputed.

Questions?

If you see something in your balance that does not add up, we are happy to walk through it with you. Email support@giftofparenthood.org and our team will take a look.