Commercial Campaigns & Donor Rewards
How Fund Community First and NexusMart Work Together
Fund Community First is a Canadian social enterprise delivering 0% platform fees — so more money goes directly to communities, not platforms.
FundCommunityFirst.ca is a crowdfunding platform only, built to help people and communities raise funds transparently, ethically, and with 0% platform fees.
Most campaigns on FundCommunityFirst simply collect donations for a cause.
Some campaigns, however, include commercial or redeemable value — such as selling products, offering services, issuing gift cards, credits, or rewards that can be redeemed later.
Because fundraising and commerce are treated differently under consumer and payment laws, these campaigns require additional tools and protections.
That’s where NexusMart comes in.
An Important Clarification (Please Read)
Not all rewards are commercial.
Many campaigns offer symbolic or appreciation-based thank-you items, and these do NOT count as commercial or redeemable value.
These are NOT commercial and remain fully on FundCommunityFirst:
- Thank-you shirts (e.g. charity awareness shirts)
- Handmade items (knitted mittens, crafts, keepsakes)
- Stickers, bracelets, buttons
- Recognition perks (names listed, thank-you notes)
- One-time or low-value appreciation gifts
- Items given purely as a gesture of thanks
These items:
- Are not sold at scale
- Have no stated cash or redeemable value
- Are not transferable or redeemable
- Are not marketed as purchases
They are considered expressions of gratitude, not commercial transactions.
What Is Considered Commercial or Redeemable Value
A campaign is considered commercial if it offers anything that functions like a purchase or prepaid value.
This includes:
- Products sold in quantity
- Paid services or experiences
- Gift cards or store credits
- Vouchers, discounts, or prepaid value
- Tiered rewards tied to specific dollar amounts
- Future rewards that must be redeemed later
If it looks like a sale, it’s treated like commerce.
The Simple Test
Ask yourself:
“If this were not a fundraiser, would this be considered a sale or prepaid purchase?”
- If no → donation-only campaign
- If yes → commercial or redeemable campaign
Clear Role Separation
This structure protects donors, campaign creators, and the platform.
When NexusMart Tools Are Required
If a campaign includes commercial or redeemable value, NexusMart tools must be used.
This requirement exists to:
- Protect donors
- Clearly separate donations from commerce
- Ensure consumer and payment law compliance
- Properly manage operational and legal risk
What Campaign Creators Are Charged For (And What They Are Not)
You are not charged for:
- Posting a campaign
- Raising funds
- Receiving donations
- Being listed on Fund Community First
You are charged (by NexusMart) for:
- Commercial compliance services
- Reward and gift card handling
- Consumer protection processes
- Refunds and dispute resolution
- Ongoing oversight (if applicable)
These are service and compliance fees, not platform fees.
This model is similar to how:
- Payment processors
- Escrow providers
- Ticketing platforms
How This Works During Campaign Setup
When creating a campaign, you may be asked:
“Does your campaign offer products, services, gift cards, credits, or other redeemable value?”
If you select No
- Your campaign proceeds entirely on FundCommunityFirst
- Symbolic or appreciation rewards are allowed
- No platform fees apply
If you select Yes
- Your campaign remains hosted on FundCommunityFirst
- Required commercial features are enabled using NexusMart tools
- Compliance and consumer-protection processes are applied automatically
Why This Matters
This structure allows FundCommunityFirst to:
- Remain fee-free for fundraising
- Support families, charities, and community causes without burden
- Stay ethically and legally focused on crowdfunding
And it allows NexusMart to:
- Handle commerce professionally
- Protect donors and campaign creators
- Manage risk where redeemable value exists
Still Unsure?
If you’re not sure how your rewards are classified, we’ll guide you before launch.
📧 info@fundcommunityfirst.ca
📞 709-770-1796
One Simple Way to Remember It
FundCommunityFirst handles fundraising.
NexusMart provides tools only when a campaign includes commerce.