// WHY DONATIONS
DIY parks get built by skaters with mixers and bags of quick-crete and no budget. SkateMaps exists in part to put eyeballs on those builds — and money where it helps.
Donations on SkateMaps go to DIY parks and their builders directly. We don't take a cut. We don't run the payments through us. We surface the builder's preferred donation channel (PayPal, Cash App, Open Collective, etc.) on the DIY page and the transaction happens between you and them.
// HOW A DIY PAGE WORKS
A DIY park has its own page on the map. The page shows:
- Build history (who, when, materials).
- Current state — what's done, what's planned, what just got knobbed by the city.
- A donation block when the builders have provided one.
- A clip feed of skating at the spot.
DIY pages are managed by the builders who claimed them. If you built it, claim it via the verification flow and you get the keys.
// WHAT DONATIONS FUND
Concrete. Forms. A pump. Replacement tools when the city throws out the kit. Sometimes a permit. Sometimes a lawyer. Sometimes nothing more glamorous than rebar.
We don't audit individual transactions because we don't process them — but DIY pages can publish a transparency log if the builders want to (a simple text field where they list what got bought with what).
// SKATEMAP IS NOT A NONPROFIT
We're not a 501(c)(3) and we don't issue tax receipts for these donations. That's between the builder and you. If you want a charity-deductible donation, give to a real skate nonprofit — there's a short list of ones we think highly of on the donation page footer.
// FREE FOREVER
This is the part that matters: SkateMaps is free. There's no premium tier. There's no boosted-spot listing. There's no algorithm tuned to sell you advertised gear. If we ever take money, it's transparent and it doesn't come at skaters' expense.