PIF World
What is PIF World?
PIF World is a crowdsourcing platform for a better world.
What does PIF mean?
In the film, Pay It Forward, a young boy discovers a system to do good for others. After doing a good deed, the recipient must then perform a good deed for someone else. In this way, good deeds multiply endlessly and can have enormous potential to change the world.
From the movie came the idea for a platform that provides the tools for people to connect and make a positive social impact. PIF World has taken this concept and brought it online. On the PIF World platform individuals, nonprofits and companies can team up to bring about social change.
What is your business model?
PIF does not take a percentage of the donations received, meaning that donations go entirely to the specified nonprofit. We provide a membership model for nonprofit organizations and companies scaled according to size and revenue of the organisation.
In addition, we offer consulting services for nonprofits and companies to enhance community building and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Our business model enables us to be independent and sustainable.
What technology does Pifworld use?
For our website we use a wide variety of stable, time-tested open-source software, including Java and MySQL backbone, as well as the latest technological breakthroughs, such as Node.js, nginx and AngularJS. In addition, our systems are located in a secured data centre operated by an independent party.
How do I contact PIFWorld?
You can send an email to:
Accountability
Donations
If I donate, where does my money go?
100% of your donation goes directly* to the nonprofit you choose to support.
* For CSR Employee Engagement programs and related projects, it is also possible that your donation goes to the Play it Forward Foundation. This Foundation collects and disburses project donations towards the nonprofit organisation of your companies choice.
Are my transactions secure?
Yes, financial transactions are automatically processed by PIF's payment service provider, Adyen.
Are my donations tax-deductible?
This depends on your jurisdiction and the nonprofit you are donating to. Ask your local tax-advisor for more information.
How much do I pay for transactions?
Each time you make a transaction from your bank account or credit card, you will pay transaction costs. For each transaction done through iDeal, you pay € 0,45. The transactions costs for Visa or Mastercard can be calculated using the formula: 1,7% X (total amount of the transactions + € 0,37).
Does PIF World screen the nonprofit organisations on PIF World?
Foundations organised under Dutch law with a bank account in the Netherlands can place a project on PIF World. For international nonprofits we check case by case.
Although PIF takes great care selecting partner organisations, it does not take responsibility for the quality of the projects or their execution. Whether or not to donate is entirely up to each person.
Projects
Does Pifworld screen nonprofits or projects before they launch?
PIF World screens nonprofits, although we do not investigate a nonprofit's ability to complete their projects. Supporters ultimately decide the validity and worthiness of a nonprofit by whether or not they decide to support it.
To help users to carry out their own due diligence, we suggest finding more information about the extent to which the project may contribute to a positive change for man, animal, or planet. Other important criteria are financials, project budget, project plan and sustainability of the project.
Who is responsible for completing a project?
By joining PIF World, foundations agree to the terms and conditions of PIF World and, by that, nonprofit's legally bind themselves to complete projects that are put on PIF World. They also agree to update the users on the progress of the project.
Can PIF refund the money if a project is not completed?
No. PIF doesn't issue refunds as transactions are between nonprofits and supporters.
Why can't PIF guarantee donated funds?
Our goal is to create a vast network of people, nonprofit's and companies to work together – as we think that is the only way to go. Every party has their own accountant standard, website and certification and we think it should be the responsibility of every individual supporter to choose to support yes or no.
Privacy
How does PIF guarantee my privacy?
Please check our Privacy Statement to learn more about the data collected about you, with whom it is shared, and for what purposes. PIF does not provide your email address or other personally identifiable information to other users or to third parties without your permission. To contact you, members can only use the communication mechanisms on the platform (pifworld.com).
What information do others see about me?
If you have donated without becoming a member on PIF World, others can see your name, city and country of residence, in addition to which project you have donated to and the amount of each donation. If you have left a comment with your donation, this will also be visible to others.
If you are a member, other users can see your name, city, country of residence and your profile. Any additional information you have added to your profile is also visible. Members can also see a list of your friends, the projects you donated to, and the (accumulated) amount of your donations. If you would like the amount of your donations to be hidden from others, you can change this in your profile.
Where can I find the small print?
You will find the Privacy Statement & General Conditions at the bottom of the website.
Nonprofit Questions
Create an Organisation Page
How do I create a page for my nonprofit?
You can create a page for your nonprofit by clicking on this link and following the directions given on the sign up page.
What nonprofit organisations can use PIF World?
We allow nonprofits to fund activities and projects in the areas of Arts & Culture, Education, Emergency, Entrepreneurship, Healthcare, HIV/AIDA, Human Rights, Media, Nature, Sports, Water and Wildlife.
What criteria does a nonprofit have to meet?
In principle, foundations organised under Dutch law with a bank account in the Netherlands can become active on PIF World. If you are interested, just get started by creating your page. If you want to fundraise, please contact us at
A nonprofit can become active on the website only after PIF has positively evaluated the application. The most important criteria is the manner and extent to which the organisation may contribute to a positive change for man, animal, or planet.
Whether or not the nonprofit receives donations is completely up to the users of the website. Although PIF takes great care selecting nonprofits and their projects, it does not take responsibility for the quality of the projects or their execution. All users on PIF World need to carry out their own due diligence based on the information provided.
If my nonprofit joins PIF, how do I receive my money?
100 percent of your donation goes directly to the foundation you choose to support. All financial transactions are automatically processed by PIF's payment service provider, Adyen.
For transactions online, banks charge a transaction cost. For each transaction through iDeal, you pay € 0,45. The transaction costs for Visa or Mastercard can be calculated using the formula: 1,7% X (total amount of the transactions + € 0,37).
Projects
How do I start a project?
To start a project, you must first log in to your nonprofit page. From the dashboard click on the button “Add Project.” Then you may enter all the details of the project and begin fundraising!
What is the maximum fundraising period for a project?
In principle, the fundraising period is a maximum of six months. This ensures that Pifworld remains a dynamic environment and that projects can be realised within a reasonable timeframe. Within this six-month period, the project budget has to be reached.
Can I run more than one project at once?
Yes, you can have multiple projects at the same time. Having multiple projects is only advisable when there are ways to involve enough supporters to donate to each project.
Supporter Questions
Become a member
How do I join?
First, you have to register on Pifworld and confirm your registration with the provided email account (if you can't find the message, check your junkmail). Then fill in your information on your profile and voilà!
Who can join?
Anyone who wants to make a positive change! However, if you are younger than 16 years old, you should get the consent of your parents or guardian to create an account on Pifworld.
What are the benefits of becoming a member?
- You have your own profile, which you can personalize and share.
- You have access to detailed project information.
- You can swiftly, easily and safely donate online.
- You can connect with people, nonprofits and companies to have a larger impact.
- The full amount of your donation goes directly to the specified project.
- You can follow the progress of projects and receive video, blog and photo updates.
How can I invite people?
You can connect with people who already are members of PIF World or you can invite external contacts. Inviting friends outside Pifworld is easy. You can do this manually (one-by-one), or you can import your contacts from social networks like Facebook, MySpace or web-based e-mail, such as Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail. That way you can invite (groups of) your friends all at once. Use the "Invite friend" button on your profile page.
Donations
How can I donate money?
Once you find a project you like, just press the green button "Support". A pop-up will open where you can indicate the amount of money you want to donate. You can also leave a comment why you feel this project deserves your support.
How do I select projects I want to donate to?
Click on 'nonprofits and you will find a list of organisations and projects. Here you will You can select the projects by theme, name, location, target and fundraising status.
Can I only donate money?
No, there are lots of other ways to donate. One of the best ways to contribtue is by sharing information. You can let others know about cool projects on PIF World and ask for their support by e-mail or by sharing on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other similar sites. You can also invite your friends, family and colleagues to join PIF World. Another great way to get involved is by writing a blog or by sharing knowledge about specific issues.
How much of my donation goes to the project or organisation?
100 percent of your donation goes directly to the nonprofit you choose to support.
Are there transaction costs?
Transaction costs include the payment processing costs (carried out by our payment provider, Adyen), the commission fees charged by the financial institutions (like credit card companies and banks), and a mark-up for contingency.
Why is there a mark-up for contingency?
Electronic financial transactions bear the risk of “charge back” - users disputing a payment or the amount of payment. When donations are charged back by users, the payment service provider charges PIF Foundation for the related costs. Therefore, a provision is made by PIF Foundation to anticipate these risks.
Is there a minimum donation?
5 euros is the minimum donation allowed.
Is there a maximum donation?
€2,000 is the maximum amount allowed. However, you can donate €2,000 an unlimited number of times. For security reasons, our payment service provider only supports payments up to €2,000.
Is it possible to hide the amount of my donations from others?
Yes, it is possible to hide the amount of your donations from others. To change your settings go to your profile and click on "Edit profile." Under your profile picture, click on the box next to "Donations not visible."
Where can I see my donations on the website?
There is an overview of your transactions, in your personal dashboard.
Who is responsible for fulfilling the promises of a project?
It is the responsibility of the nonprofit to fulfill the promises of their project. PIF reviews projects to ensure they do not violate the project guidelines; however, PIF does not investigate a nonprofit’s ability to complete its project.
Fundraising
Can I fundraise for more than one project on Pifworld?
No, on Pifworld you can only fundraise for one project at a time. However, you can change the project you are fundraising for at any moment.
How can I change the project for which I am fundraising?
You can only fundraise for one project at a time. If you want to change the project you are fundraising for, you can select a new project. The old project will then automatically be replaced with the new one.
How can I send a fundraising request to my friends?
Go to your profile and press the “Fundraise” button. You can send invitations one-by-one, or you can invite all your friends at once, for example from LinkedIn, Facebook or Hotmail.
Blog
How do I start a blog?
You don’t actually have to “start” your blog - it’s built into your profile! Go to your dashboard. On the left you will see a menu with a button stating “Blog” From there you can blog to your heart’s content.
How do I erase a blog post?
To erase a blog post you need to visit the page of the blog post. At the bottom of the post click “Edit this post.” You will be taken to another page where you can then click on “Delete this post.”
Who can see my blog?
Your blog can be seen by anyone - those who are members of PIF World and those who are not. You can share your blog with anyone.
Create a Group
How do I create a group?
To start a group, click on this link - start a group. Click on it and follow the wizard.
How do I become a group leader?
By starting a group, you will become the group leader.
Companies
How do I create a company page?
To start your company page, click on this link - start a company. Click on it and follow the wizard to enter your company informatin.
How do I get my employees to use Pifworld?
You can use the invitation tool to send every employee a activation link for their personal profile.
How do I create a group?
To start a group, click on this link - start a group. Click on it and follow the wizard.
How do I become a group leader?
By starting a group, you will become the group leader.
Troubleshooting
I forgot my password. How do I get a new one?
In the login, click on “Forgot your password?” Enter your email address and you will receive an email with a new password. If this email doesn't arrive within twenty minutes, please check your junk mail.
I forgot my username. How can I retrieve it?
In the login, click on “Forgot your username?” Enter your email address and you will receive an email with your username. If this email doesn't arrive within twenty minutes, please check your junk mail.
Why was my username rejected during sign up?
Your username was rejected because another member is already using it. Choose a different username to continue.
I did not receive a confirmation email, what now?
If your confirmation email doesn't arrive within twenty minutes, check your junk mail folder. If you still can't find your confirmation email, please contact
How do I report offensive content?
If you find offensive content, please contact
How do I submit a bug report?
Comments and suggestions can be sent to
How do I change my password?
On your profile page you can change your password.
How do I upload an image to my Profile?
Go to your profile and hover over the existing image. A tab saying “Change your avatar” should appear. Click it and follow the instructions.
Can I change my email address?
On your profile page you can change your email address.
Which browsers can be used to view Pifworld?
Because Pifworld uses the latest technology, we advise Safari, Firefox, Chrome, or Internet Explorer 9.0 or higher.
How do I delete my account?
Go to your profile page and click on "Edit profile." Under the profile picture, click on "Delete my account." If you delete your account, your profile will be removed as well as the messages you sent to other members.
What is the organisation structure?
All activities are carried out by Play it Forward B.V. (PIF BV). Play it Forward B.V. is a social enterprise funded by private investors who want to enable people worldwide to make a positive change. Reasons to choose for this legal is entity is a. to be self providing and not to be dependent on gouvernment grants, b. to be independent and c. to create a way to build the best product for a better world.
Does PIF have a quality mark?
The articles of association of the PIF Foundation are in conformity with the requirements of the Centraal Bureau Fondsenwerving (CBF).