Questions we hear from volunteers
Plain answers about money, event night, and what to expect.
Is this an auction or gala platform?
No. We built RunTheFundraiser for one night: a give page for guests, a live board for the room, and a volunteer desk for your team. We do not run silent auctions, bidding, ticket sales, or year-round donor databases.
What does "free" actually mean?
There is no platform subscription and no per-event fee. We cover hosting. Stripe or Square charges processing fees on online credit card gifts. Bank (ACH) gifts use Stripe only. Those are the same fees as if donors paid you directly through your processor.
Who receives the money?
Your organization. Online gifts settle in your connected Stripe or Square account. We never hold funds and we are not the merchant of record.
Do volunteers need to be technical?
No. Whoever manages payments connects Stripe or Square in one click. Everyone else follows a setup checklist. The hardest part is usually getting the board on the projector.
Do we have to configure anything in Stripe or Square?
No. When you connect, we set everything up automatically. Nobody on your team needs to paste URLs or manage technical settings.
Can we run pledge-only without card payments?
Yes. Turn on pledges without connecting a payment provider. Guests commit on a simple form; volunteers add walk-up pledges at the desk.
I was invited to help on event night. Should I sign up?
No. Use Sign in with the email your Account Admin added on the event team. Sign up is only for treasurers creating a brand-new nonprofit. If you sign up by mistake, you will not see your organization's events until an admin adds your email.
Who issues tax receipts for donations?
Your nonprofit does, not RunTheFundraiser. Online gifts are processed in your connected Stripe or Square account, so your organization is the merchant of record. Use your processor's reports and donor contact details from exported CSVs to send acknowledgments or tax letters according to your own policies.
How do event-night volunteers sign in?
With an email one-time code or Google sign-in. No shared passwords. Organizers who connect payments may use two-factor authentication when enabled.
What is the verified badge?
Optional trust signal for school groups and PTAs. Request it in organization settings. A designated approver confirms by email (personal addresses are fine). Community fundraisers do not need verification. Gifts always settle in your Stripe or Square account. The badge helps donors feel confident.
How long is event data kept?
After 30 days of inactivity you get a warning email. After 60 days, per-event detail is removed. Export your CSV before then. Anonymized summary totals stay visible to your Account Admin.
Is there a help desk?
We do not run a phone or email help desk yet. Use this site, the in-app checklist, FAQ, and status page.
Is the platform open source?
Not at launch. The privacy policy describes what we store and when we purge it.
Platform health: status page