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 and bank gifts, the same 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.
How do event-night volunteers sign in?
With a one-time code sent to their phone. No shared passwords. Organizers who connect payments sign in with email and two-factor authentication.
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 phone or email support?
We do not run a 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