About Payouts
How do payouts work for matching funds?
How payouts work
Money flows through two different channels:
Crowdfunding contributions directly from donors. Donations via the Ma Earth platform arrive directly in project's or host partner's Stripe account.
Matching grants from the Ma Earth Foundation or other matching pool contributors. Matching funds and any bonus funds are sent as one transfer directly to project's or host partner's bank account after the funding round closes and matching funds are finalized.
Crowdfunding contributions appear in a project's or host partner's Stripe Connect account immediately as donations come in. Payouts can be set to transfer automatically to the project's or host partner's bank account within a few business days (exact timing depends on organization location).
Note: You do not have to wait for the funding round to close to transfer crowdfunding donations, but it can take 7–14 days for the first funds to become available in Stripe if you have a new account.
Host partners are encouraged to pay out all crowdfunding donations and matching funds to their bank account in one transaction after the round ends.
If automatic payouts are paused, you can initiate a manual payout from your Stripe Dashboard.
Receiving Matching Funds
After the funding round closes, there are three steps before matching funds become available for to use in the project.
Calculations complete (within one week after campaign closes) following Ma Earth's algorithm for calculating matching funds.
Matching funds transferred (to project's organization or host partner, up to 4 weeks after round closes)
Funds available to use (immediately after transfer settles in recipient's bank account)
The total funds received from a funding round include:
Direct contributions: The amount community supporters contributed during the campaign.
(These contributions are sent directly to the project's or host partner's Stripe account; they are not sent by Ma Earth.)
Matching funds: Additional funding based on how many supporters the project had and how much they contributed (learn more about quadratic funding).
Bonus funds: Bonus funds distributed if all projects in the round reach the collective funding goal.
(Matching funds and bonus funds are sent together as a "matching grant" in one transfer to the project's or host partner's bank account after the funding round is complete and matching calculations are finalized.)
Subtraction of host partner administrative expenses: If project is working with a host partner, they will subtract an agreed-upon percentage before sending the funds to the project's organization.
Subtraction of additional transfer fees, including bank wire transfer, forex exchange, and withdrawal fees, which vary depending on location and financial institution.
Example (no host partner):
Direct contributions
$1,000
Matching funds
$2,000
Bonus funds
$1,000
Subtotal
$4,000
Stripe fees on donations (~5%)
-$50
Bank and FX fees (~3%)*
-$120
Total
$3,830 USD
Example (with host partner):
Direct contributions
$1,000
Matching funds*
$2,000
Bonus funds
$1,000
Subtotal
$4,000
Stripe fees on donations (~5%)
-$50
Host partner administrative expenses (5–15% of total funds)
-$200–600
Bank and FX fees (~3% of total funds)*
-$120
Total received by project
$3,630–3,230 USD
*Depending on the jurisdiction, matching funds payouts (from Ma Earth to project or host partner) will be subject to bank wire transfer, forex exchange, and withdrawal fees. For these examples, we have used a rough estimate of 3% for these fees, but final numbers will vary depending on location and financial institution.
How do matching funds transfers work?
For Funding Round 3, matching grant payments were sent via Wise, a secure international money transfer service.
Currency conversion
If your bank account is in a currency other than USD, your payment will be converted using the current exchange rate at the time of transfer. If you have a USD bank account, you can receive funds in USD and skip this conversion step.
Other fees
Wise charges a small transfer fee, plus a currency conversion fee if applicable. These fees are deducted from the grant amount before it reaches the recipient account and is not covered by Ma Earth. Visit wise.com/pricing for up-to-date fee information.
Local taxes
Some countries automatically deduct local taxes from incoming international transfers. For example, Brazil applies a tax on incoming foreign transfers, which will reduce the amount you receive.
If you are a project with a host partner:
Funds go to your host partner's bank account. Your host partner then transfers funds to you according to your agreement with them.
Fees deducted before payout
Payment processing (Stripe): ~3% This covers the cost of securely processing all contributions. These fees go to Stripe, not Ma Earth.
Stripe processing fees range from 1.5% + €0.25 for domestic European card payments to ~5.25% for international cards with currency conversion, with most transactions on the platform likely falling in the 2.9 - 4.25% range.
Manual payouts are available in all regions except Brazil and India, where payouts are always automatic and daily. In most regions, manual payouts typically take 1-4 business days to arrive in your bank account after initiating the manual payout.
Stripe doesn’t charge a fee to initiate normal payouts. However, most non-primary currency payouts (payouts in a currency other than your Stripe account’s local currency), do incur Stripe fees. (Learn more in Stripe's support center.)
Donors may choose to cover the cost of processing fees during checkout so that 100% of their donation goes to land stewards.
A note on understanding how fees and tips display in your Stripe dashboard and Ma Earth payouts dashboard
Due to some variability in Stripe fees, if a donor chooses to cover processing fees, you may see a slight discrepancy between the "Donation" total and the "Net funding" total displayed on your 'Payouts' dashboard. Stripe fees covered by donors will not be calculated and therefore will not appear in the total "Stripe fees" column of your 'Payouts' dashboard.
Be advised that fees may appear higher in your Stripe dashboard than they do in your Ma Earth dashboard, because Stripe combines the optional tip for Ma Earth with their payment processing fees. As the tip does not impact your donation or payout totals, it is not included in the fee shown in your payouts dashboard on Ma Earth. To see the precise breakdown of fees and tips for a given donation, click on a specific transaction in your Stripe dashboard.
Payment processing fees are deducted automatically before funds are transferred to the project or host partner. Host partner fees are calculated based on the total donation amount, before Stripe fees. Additional fees such as bank wire transfer, forex exchange, and withdrawal fees will vary depending on location and financial institution and are outside of Ma Earth or the host partner's control. These additional fees will impact the final amount of funding that reaches the project.
Timeline after campaign closes
Day 1 (campaign closes): Funding round complete. No more funds can be added.
Week 1 (calculations): We calculate matching funds for projects (including bonus funds).
Week 2 (notifications): Projects and host partners receive an email with final matching grant totals.
Up to 4 weeks from end of round: Funds are transferred to recipient organization or host partner.
Total time: Up to 4 weeks from campaign close for matching funds payout.
Tracking your payout
In your Ma Earth dashboard, you can see:
Campaign performance (during campaign)
Final totals (after campaign closes)
Matching funds payment status:
"Calculating" = We're determining final amounts
"Processing" = Transfer initiated
"Complete" = Funds sent to your bank/host partner
You'll receive emails at each stage:
When campaign results are available
When matching funds transfer is initiated
If you have a host partner
The process:
Funding round closes
Ma Earth calculates matching funds
Funds transferred to your host partner
Your host partner receives funds
Your host partner works with you to implement the project
Stay in touch with your host partner about:
When to expect the transfer from Ma Earth
Their timeline for transferring to you
Any documentation they need from you
Their administrative expenses (typically 5-15% of total funding received)
Note: Administrative expenses retained by host partner are separate from payment processing, wire tranfer, FX, and currency conversion fees.
Example:
Direct contributions
$1,000
Matching funds
$2,000
Bonus funds
$1,000
Subtotal
$4,000
Host partner expenses (5-15% of total funds)
-$200–600
Stripe fees on donations (~5%)
-$50
Bank and FX fees (~3% of total funds)*
-$120
Total received by project
$3,630–3,230 USD
Tax implications
Tax treatment of funds received through Ma Earth depends on your country, your organization's legal status, and your host partner's location (if applicable). We cannot provide tax advice. Please consult your accountant or financial advisor on how to report and treat these funds.
Common payout questions
What currency are donations made in?
All donations are made in USD (US dollars). If your Stripe connected account receives funds in a different currency, note that there will be an additional 2% currency conversion, or FX fee on every donation.
If you have a USD (US dollar) bank account, you may wish to add it to your Stripe account, even if your organization is based outside the US. This allows you to receive funds directly in USD, which is subject to a 1% multi-currency settlement fee rather than the 2% FX fee.
Can I change my bank account after the campaign?
Yes, before we initiate the transfer. After the transfer begins, we cannot redirect funds.
What if I don't receive funds?
First, check with your bank. For payouts via Stripe, check with Stripe too. Sometimes transfers take 1-2 extra days. If it's been more than 5 business days after we confirmed the transfer, contact us.
Can I get matching funds early?
No. We need time to calculate final amounts, process all contributions, and handle any issues. Early payouts aren't possible.
Can I receive matching funds in installments?
No. All funds are transferred at once after the campaign closes.
Can donations collected outside of the Ma Earth platform count towards matching grant calculations?
No. Only donations collected and facilitated by Ma Earth count towards the calculation of the matching grant.
Can I pool donations from my community and then donate them together as a single transaction on Ma Earth?
One large donation will not be recognized by the quadratic funding calculation as distinct donations and will negatively impact the calculation of your matching funds. It is not possible to log distinct donations with Ma Earth if they are not received through the platform.
What if the collective goal wasn't reached?
Your project still gets funded. You still receive your direct contributions and matching funds, just not the bonus funds.
Do I need to wait to start work?
That's up to you. Some projects begin immediately using their own resources, then reimburse themselves when Ma Earth funds arrive. Others wait for funds to arrive before starting.
Need help?
Related help articles:
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