Omaze.com is a for-profit fundraising platform that collects donations for more than 350 nonprofits. The donations are handed over to the Charities Aid Foundation America. Every donor giving $10 or more gets a chance to win a special gift, such as a celebrity dinner date, a new vehicle, premiere tickets, vacation, and video visit.

What Does Omaze Get?

Each $10 donation is split three ways depending on the gift. When you donate $10 toward a physical gift, the charity and Omaze get $1.50 each and the remainder which is $7 goes to charity.

For other gifts, the charity receives $6, Omaze gets $1.50, and the remainder ($2.50) is utilized to cover business expenses.

Omaze claims to have previously raised more than $130 million for charity.

Brains Behind Omaze

Omaze was established by Ryan and Matt who got the idea from a Boys & Girls Clubs of America fundraising event.

BBB-Accredited

Omaze is accredited by the BBB. The website utilizes the address PO Box 866, Culver City, CA 90232. A business search via the California Secretary of State validates Omaze is a foreign LLC. The organization was registered on December 17, 2018.

According to BBB, Omaze has been in operation for eight years and BBB-accredited since March 14, 2019.

Omaze has a mixture of 1- and 5-star customer reviews. The 1-star reviews claim Omaze sells its donors’ personal information, does not publish the winners’ names, and utilizes illegal business practices.

Domain Information

The website was registered on December 23, 2006.

Afterword – Omaze Scam

Is Omaze a scam? Again, here is an organization that claims to have raised over $130 million for charity. The organization has only been registered in the United States for about 1-1/2 years. According to BBB, Omaze has been in operation for eight years but only an accredited BBB member for about 1-1/2 years, which is more plausible.

Unless you are just in it for the prize, you should donate directly to the charity of your choice. Otherwise, your donation is reduced to $1.50 or $6 depending on the prize. It is difficult to believe any charity would agree to have Omaze oversee their fundraising campaign when it would mean less in donations.

Why doesn’t Omaze choose to privatize the prize winners’ names? Is this a coverup or Omaze’s way of protecting its donors.