Am I paying Fanstake, the athletes, or is a Stake considered a donation?

This is an important nuance and distinction. You are paying Fanstake for our services. You are not directly paying the athlete, nor is this a donation. The amount that is established by the competitive fanbases gives us and the athlete a transparent fair market value for the deal, and Fanstake will offer deals in that range, depending on the sponsorship specifics. Fanstake's platform and service fees includes all engineering and operational costs, significant marketing to engage national fan bases across the country, and dedicated personnel for procuring and creating unique endorsement deals for every athlete on the platform.

From a fan's perspective, however, all you have to worry about is who you want us to endorse and for what team. Fanstake only refunds your payment if we're unable to deliver on that endorsement. In other words, if the athlete isn't associated with your chosen team, or doesn't want to do the endorsement - your payment is refunded to your account as a credit.  From there, you can choose to Stake another player or return the money to your original source of payment (less third party payment transaction fees).