VolunteerBadge runs two referral programs. Which one fits depends on who you are:
- Customers (nonprofit leaders and volunteers) earn free checks and free badge renewals through Refer & Earn.
- Creators (YouTubers, podcasters, newsletter writers, consultants and coaches) earn cash commissions through the affiliate program.
Refer & Earn (customers)
Your organization's personal link is in your dashboard under Refer & Earn. A nonprofit that signs up through it gets 2 free credits. Your organization earns 3 credits once that nonprofit verifies its tax-exempt status and runs its first check. Volunteers find their invite link on their badge page and earn a free badge renewal each time a friend earns a badge. These rewards are credits and renewals, never cash. Ready-made posts and graphics are in the sharing toolkit.
Affiliate program (creators)
Creators apply on the affiliate program page, where an earnings calculator shows how referrals add up. A person reviews every application. Once approved, you get a personal link like volunteerbadge.com/go/YOURCODE. Add ?to=/pricing (or any page) to land people somewhere specific.
What you earn
You earn a share of every purchase a referred account makes, for the life of the account. That includes credit packs, automatic top-ups, quarterly re-screens, and volunteers paying $10 for their own check or badge renewal. The rate slides with the per-check price:
| What they buy | Per check | Your rate | You earn per check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single check | $10 | 10% | $1.00 |
| 10-check pack | $9 | 9% | $0.81 |
| 50-check pack | $8 | 8% | $0.64 |
| 100-check pack | $7 | 7% | $0.49 |
| 150-check pack | $6 | 6% | $0.36 |
| 200-check pack | $5 | 5% | $0.25 |
- Activation bonus: $20, once, for each referred nonprofit whose first purchase is $90 or more.
- Champion tier: after 50 paying referred accounts, every rate goes up by 2 percentage points.
- Your audience gets 2 free checks: nonprofits that sign up through your link start with 2 welcome credits.
How referrals are tracked
Anyone who follows your link and creates a new organization or volunteer account within 90days is yours. The match is locked in when the account is created. Existing customers, your own accounts, and organizations you work for don't count.
Getting paid
Each commission is held 60 days to cover refunds and chargebacks. After that, payouts go out monthly by direct deposit through Stripe once your balance reaches $25. We'll invite you to connect your bank account and tax details before your first commission clears.
Always disclose