This guide is meant to help members navigate our Donation Request policy. The examples provided herein are meant to help illustrate our rules and are in no way exhaustive or all-inclusive of the language that may result in a violation. Think of this page as a “what not to do” guide to help you avoid violating our Donation Request policy.

What is a Donation Request?

We define a donation request as any attempt, overt or implied, to request a donation from other members on our platforms. Donations can include money, tangible or intangible gifts, food, wishlists of any kind and any other form of compensation that benefits the recipient.

Importantly, our Donation Request rules are considered different from our Promotional Content rules. If a member attempts to advertise community-relevant content for sale or in exchange for benefits, that is considered to be Promotional Content. 

For example, a post saying “Send me money and I’ll send you exclusive photos” would fall under our Promotional Content rules, while a post saying “Send me money and I’ll show you my gratitude” would fall under our Donation Request rules. For the specific limitations of our Promotional Content rules, please see our Community Conduct Rules page.

How Can I Avoid Violating the Donation Request Rules?

The answers below will give you some guidance, but as a general rule of thumb, if you are attempting to circumvent our rules in order to solicit donations through our platform, you will likely break these rules. As you will see below, no amount of subtlety, hinting, obfuscation or creative phrasing will allow you to steer clear of our Donation Request rules if your underlying motive is to seek donations.

The simplest advice we have is: Don’t use our platform with the intention of getting donations from other members and you should be fine.

But please do keep reading for more specifics.

Where Does the Donation Request Policy Apply?

Our Donation Request policy covers all newsfeeds and photofeeds on all our networks, which means any attempt to seek out donations through publicly uploaded images or text posts on our platform is a violation of this policy.

The Donation Request policy also covers private conversations, where such requests do not arise organically from the discussion.

Here are some examples of conversations where a Donation Request does NOT arise organically:

In each of these example conversations, the introduction of a Donation Request did not arise organically from the conversation preceding it. 

What about Donation Requests that Aren’t Explicit?

There is no way to circumvent our Donation Request policy through the use of subtlety, suggestive phrasing, hypotheticals, jokes or any hints where the intention is clear. The only way to not run afoul of our Donation Request policy is not to have any intention whatsoever to seek donations of any kind.

Here are a few of the common scenarios that members run into when trying to circumvent our Donation Request policy:

What About Photos?

Photos uploaded publicly are treated exactly the same as text posts made in the newsfeed when it comes to Donation Requests. That means any text within the photo or in the caption that states or implies that the poster is seeking donation is NOT allowed.

Can Someone Mention their Profile/Bio If It Includes Donation Information?

Members are allowed to include donation request information in their profiles/bios. However, where such information is present any newsfeed or photofeed post that directs others to their profile/bio would then be considered a violation of the Donation Request policy, even if the post itself doesn’t include any obvious appeal for donations.

Importantly, if the member’s bio does not include any such Donation Requests, that member would be allowed to make posts referring to their profile/bio without violating this policy.

Can I Mention if I’m Hungry or Struggling Financially?

We recognize that our rules around Donation Requests can make it difficult to delineate between someone simply venting about a tough situation and someone hinting that they are seeking donations.

In general, members ARE allowed to post in the newsfeed/photofeed that they are hungry or financially struggling, so long as there is no evidence that such sentiments are also including hints that they are seeking donations.

There are generally two ways we’d determine if such posts cross the line into a Donation Request:

What about Feeding within the Context of the Gaining/Feedism Kink?

Discussion of the activity of feeding is core to the communities of Grommr and Feabie and as such is allowed in the newsfeed/photofeed. However, as the phrase “feeding” can mean several things, it’s important to dissect the most important ones.

We draw a distinction between two primary meanings of the word “feeding” within the Feabie/Grommr context:

“Feeding” within the context of the first definition (an in-person encounter) is allowed to be sought out and discussed in the newsfeeds and photofeeds.

“Feeding” within the second context (the virtual procurement of food), is typically NOT allowed to be sought after in the newsfeeds or photofeeds.

In each of these examples, it is clear that the poster is not referring to an in-person experience between people, but rather the virtual receipt of food or money for the procurement of food, and as such would be considered a Donation Request violation.

What about the Financial Domination (FinDom) Kink?

Findom–or financial domination–is a legitimate kink under the BDSM umbrella, and while we are reticent to place any limitations on what can be posted in regards to anyone’s kink, because of the overlap with Donation Requests there are some instances where discussion of FinDom in the newsfeeds and photofeeds is prohibited.

There are two major criteria for evaluating whether a post invoking findom is a violation of our rules: References to receiving donations and a high volume of posts.

References to receiving donations

While we do not wish to shame anyone who identifies as a financial dominant, we unfortunately can’t make exceptions to our Donation Request rules, which prohibit any newsfeed or photofeed posts that reference the pursuit or appreciation of receiving donations.

For those who identify as financial dominants, that means overt or subtle requests for submissives, references to past donors, and referring to oneself as a dom within the findom context are not allowed in the newsfeeds or photofeeds:

Posts from findom submissives (finsubs, cash piggies, paypigs, etc.) seeking to be dominated are not a violation of this policy.

High volume of findom posts

Someone not in violation of the first criteria may still be in violation of our Donation Request policies if their volume of posting about findom is excessive. This does not apply to any member who openly identifies as a submissive within the findom context, however it would apply to anyone identifying as a dom or not identifying their role within the findom context.

Can I Monetize My Private Album or Inbox?

It is forbidden to state on our platform that providing money or gifts or purchasing content is a means to gain access to your private album, DMs or communications in general. This includes in the newsfeed/photofeed, within profile text and/or in conversations with other members.

Our platform tools are meant to be vehicles for connecting with the community, not monetization or incentivization of donations.

Members are always allowed to put boundaries on whom they share their private albums and private messages with, so long as financial or in-kind contributions are not one of the criteria.

This includes partial monetization, such as providing private album access for “friends and supporters” or expressing openness to talking to “customers and friends”.