What happens when a raise doesn’t meet its target — for both funders and the deployer.
Automatic refunds
If a raise expires without reaching its funding target, the contract transitions to REFUNDING status automatically. Every contributor’s full investments becomes claimable. No action is required from the project deployer — the contract enforces the refund regardless.
How to claim a refund
Go to Portfolio
Connect the wallet you used to fund the raise and navigate to the Portfolio tab.
Find the Refunding section
Failed raises you contributed to will appear here with the claimable amount shown.
Claim
Click “Claim Refund” and approve the transaction. Your USDC is returned immediately. There is no deadline on claiming — your funds remain in the contract indefinitely until claimed.
What happens to the deployer
The deployer receives nothing if the raise fails. The 10 XLM deployment fee is not refunded. The contract address remains on-chain but holds no funds. There is no penalty beyond the lost fee — builders can re-deploy a new raise at any time.
**Set realistic targets - **The most common reason raises fail is a target that exceeds what the builder’s community can realistically commit. Start with what your existing audience can support — not with what you’d ideally need.
