Donor & Contribution Disclosures

Required by CHIP's Terms of Service and applicable state and federal law. These disclosures appear in every donation flow on the Platform.

DRAFT — requires review by payments counsel and election-law counsel before publication.

1. Platform Disclosure (All Arcades)

Required on every chip-in flow, before the Player confirms payment:

CHIP is a technology platform, not a charity or political committee. Your chip-in is processed by [Payment Processor Name] and settles directly to the Creator's designated account. CHIP never takes custody of your funds.

CHIP charges the Creator a platform fee based on processed volume (see Pricing). This fee is separate from your chip-in and is not deducted from your contribution amount.

2. Tax Status Disclosures

The applicable disclosure must appear on every chip-in flow, based on the Creator's entity type.

2.1 501(c)(3) Charitable Organizations

[Creator Name] is a section 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. [Creator Name]'s EIN is [XX-XXXXXXX].

No goods or services were provided in exchange for this contribution.

If goods/services were provided (e.g., event ticket, merchandise):

The tax-deductible portion of your contribution is $[amount] (total contribution minus $[fair market value of goods/services received]).

2.2 501(c)(4) Advocacy Organizations

[Creator Name] is a section 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. Contributions to 501(c)(4) organizations are NOT tax-deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

2.3 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) — Combined / Dual Entities

[Creator Name] operates both a 501(c)(3) charitable arm and a 501(c)(4) advocacy arm. Your contribution is being directed to [c3 / c4 / split TBD]. Contributions to the 501(c)(3) are tax-deductible. Contributions to the 501(c)(4) are NOT tax-deductible. Please confirm your allocation before proceeding.

2.4 Political Action Committees (PACs)

[Creator Name] is a federal political action committee (PAC). Contributions to PACs are NOT tax-deductible. Federal law requires us to collect your name, address, occupation, and employer for contributions exceeding $200 in a calendar year. This information is reported to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

2.5 Candidate Campaigns

[Creator Name] is a federal candidate campaign committee. Contributions to candidate campaigns are NOT tax-deductible. Federal contribution limits apply: $[limit] per individual, per election. Federal law requires us to collect your name, address, occupation, and employer for contributions exceeding $200 in a calendar year. This information is reported to the FEC.

Contributions from foreign nationals, federal government contractors, and corporations are prohibited. By proceeding, you confirm you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident making this contribution from your own funds.

2.6 Community / Unregistered Groups

[Creator Name] is a community/grassroots organization, not a registered charity or political committee. Your contribution is NOT tax-deductible. [Creator Name] has not registered as a charitable organization in all states — your contribution may not be eligible for a charitable tax deduction. Please consult a tax professional.

3. State Charitable Solicitation Disclosures

Required for 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) Creators that solicit in certain states. CHIP will display the applicable state disclosure(s) based on the Creator's registration status and the Player's location.

Template (Generic)

Financial and other information about [Creator Name]'s charitable activities may be obtained by contacting [Creator Name] at [address/email] or by contacting the following state agencies:

Florida: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA OR ONLINE AT www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. [Registration #: TBD]

New York: Upon request, a copy of the latest annual report can be obtained from [Creator Name] or from the Office of the Attorney General, Charities Bureau, 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10005.

California: [Creator Name]'s financial statements are available upon request.

[Additional state disclosures as applicable — see State Disclosures for full state-by-state language]

4. Fee Disclosure

Required on every chip-in flow:

4.1 Standard Fee Disclosure

What you'll pay today: $[amount]
What [Creator Name] receives: $[amount minus payment processing fee]
Payment processing fee: $[amount] (charged by [Payment Processor Name])
CHIP platform fee: $[amount] (paid by [Creator Name] from total volume processed — not deducted from your contribution)

4.2 Player Tip (Optional Fee Cover)

Cover CHIP's platform fee? ☐ Add $[X.XX] to cover CHIP's platform fee on this chip-in. This tip goes to CHIP, not to [Creator Name], and is not tax-deductible.

This option must be:

  • Unchecked by default
  • Clearly labeled as a tip to CHIP
  • Clearly noted as not tax-deductible

5. Refund Disclosure

Required on every chip-in flow:

Refund policy: [Creator Name]'s refund policy is: [Creator-defined policy OR "Contributions are generally non-refundable. If you believe an error was made, contact [Creator contact] or CHIP at support@chip.discnxt.com within 30 days."]

6. Political Contribution-Specific Disclosures

6.1 FEC Required Disclaimers (Federal Candidates/PACs)

For federal candidate and PAC arcades, the following must appear:

Paid for by [Creator Name]. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. (if not authorized by a candidate)

OR

Paid for by [Creator Name] and authorized by [Candidate Name].

AND

Contributions to [Creator Name] are subject to the limits and prohibitions of the Federal Election Campaign Act. Contributions from foreign nationals, federal contractors, and corporations are prohibited. All contributions must be made from the donor's own funds and may not be reimbursed by another person.

6.2 Contribution Limit Notice (Federal Candidates/PACs)

Federal law limits contributions to $[limit] per individual, per [election/cycle]. By proceeding, you confirm that: (1) you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, (2) you are making this contribution from your own personal funds, (3) you are not a federal government contractor, and (4) this contribution, together with any prior contributions to [Creator Name] this cycle, does not exceed your applicable contribution limit.

6.3 FEC Reporting Notice

Federal law requires [Creator Name] to report to the FEC the name, address, occupation, and employer of any individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year. Your information will be included in FEC reports that are publicly available.

7. No Investment or Expectation of Return

Your chip-in is a contribution, not an investment. You receive no equity, ownership, or financial return. The "win" in CHIP's "Chip in. Stack up. Win." refers to the funded objective, not a monetary prize or payout.

8. Consent to Electronic Communications

By proceeding, you consent to receive electronic communications from CHIP regarding your account and chip-ins (transactional) and from [Creator Name] regarding their arcade (per your contact preferences). You may manage your contact preferences in Settings at any time.

DRAFT

These Donor & Contribution Disclosures require review by (a) payments/fintech counsel and (b) election-law counsel before processing any funds. State disclosure language must be verified against current statutes. FEC limits must be updated with current cycle amounts. Payment processor name must be added. See also: State Disclosures for full state-by-state charitable solicitation language.