Understanding Gross vs Net Donations in ServiceReef

Modified on Mon, 15 Sep at 5:37 PM

ServiceReef offers organizations the flexibility to determine how donation amounts are displayed and credited toward participant fundraising goals. This is done through a setting that toggles between showing gross and net donation amounts.

This article will help you understand the difference between these two modes and how they affect participant balances, donor perception, and organizational accounting.

The Difference Between Gross & Net Amounts

Term	Description
Gross Amount	The full amount of a donation, including any transaction/processing fees.
Net Amount	The donation amount after transaction fees are subtracted (the amount the organization actually receives).

The Difference Between Gross & Net Amounts

You can toggle between gross and net views in your Organizational Preferences.

Navigation Path:
Org Settings > General > Preferences > "Show gross amounts to participants when fundraising?"

Enabled (Gross): Donors and participants see the full donation amount.
Disabled (Net): Donors and participants see only the amount received after fees.

This setting applies across all trips and opportunities in your organization and can be flipped at any time. It only affects what is displayed, not how the funds are processed or stored.

How It Affects Participant Fundraising

Let’s walk through an example to see how this setting impacts what a participant sees:

Scenario:

Trip cost = $3,050
Donation = $350
Credit card processing fee = $8.18

Setting	Displayed Raised Amount	Balance Remaining
Gross (on)	$350	$2,700
Net (off)	$341.82	$2,708.18

In gross mode, the full $350 donation is shown as credited.
In net mode, only $341.82 is shown because the organization actually receives less due to Stripe fees.

*The net comes from Stripe and therefore may vary from the examples provided based on the type of card used for payment.

What If the Donor Covers the Fees?

When a donor chooses to cover the fees, the fee amount is added to the donation total.

Example:

Intended donation = $350
Fee = $8.18
Donor covers fee → Total charge = $358.18

In this case, gross reflects $358.18 as the donation, because the donor covered the additional $8.18. In net mode, $350 is shown as the donation amount credited.

Behind the Scenes: Where to See Gross & Net

You can always view the gross vs net amounts of each transaction in the Donations and Payments section of the Opportunity.

Navigation Path:
Trip > Financial > Donations and Payments

Best Practices: Choosing Whether or Not to Enable the Gross Amount Setting

Situation	Recommended Setting
You want participants to raise enough to cover the platform/transaction fees	Show gross amount
You want a simpler experience for participants and plan to absorb fees as an org	Show net amount

The gross amount setting usually means you have factored processing fees into the total amount you are asking your participants to raise.

If you're still unsure which to choose, contact support or schedule a time with our team to walk through your fundraising strategy.

Important Notes

The “amount raised” field is what changes based on this toggle.
The “balance due” is simply calculated as:
Trip Cost - Amount Raised
If fees are not factored into the trip cost, you should use net mode to ensure accurate fundraising expectations.
You cannot isolate Stripe fees separately on the participant dashboard, but they are available in transaction exports.

Language You Can Use with Participants

“You’ve raised $350 toward your goal. Because credit card fees reduce the amount we actually receive, your progress may look slightly different depending on whether those fees were covered."