Who this is for: treasurers and administrators who run fundraising, and members who want to donate. Permission required: none to donate; Manage Finances to create and manage fundraisers.
A fundraiser is an item or goal your club is raising money for, such as a new eight, a set of oars or a trailer repair. Each one has a goal, a description and an optional image, and shows how much of the goal has been funded. Members donate from inside Boathouse Connect, and anyone outside the club can donate from a public page without creating an account.
Online donations go into the same payment account as other club payments, so your club's payment account must be set up first. See Setting up club finances.
Create a fundraiser
- Go to Finances → Manage Fundraiser and click New Fundraiser.
- Fill in the Create a New Fundraiser form:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Fundraiser or Item Name | The title donors see, such as New 4+ for the novice squad. |
| Fundraiser or Item Description | What the money is for and why it matters. |
| Goal | The amount you want to raise, in dollars. |
| Image | Optional. If you leave it out, your organization's logo is shown instead. |
- Click Create Fundraiser.
The new fundraiser appears under Active Fundraisers and on Finances → Fundraisers for every member.
Manage fundraisers
Finances → Manage Fundraiser has two tables, Active Fundraisers and Archived Fundraisers. Each lists the Name, Description, Goal and amount Raised.
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Update Fundraiser | Change the New Title, New Goal or New Description, then click Update. |
| Add Donations | Record a cash or check donation. Enter the amount under Enter cash or check donation amount and click Record Payment. |
| Archive | Moves the fundraiser to Archived Fundraisers. Archived fundraisers cannot be donated to until they are restored. |
| Activate | Restores an archived fundraiser so people can donate again. |
Use Add Donations for money that was given in person so the progress bar reflects everything you have raised, not just online donations.
Share the public fundraiser page
Both Finances → Fundraisers and Finances → Manage Fundraiser show a link under Know of someone outside your organization that wants to donate?. Copy it and share it with parents, alumni and supporters by email, social media or your club website.
The public page lists your club's active fundraisers. To donate, a visitor clicks Make a Donation, enters an amount, their First Name, Last Name, Email Address and card details, and clicks Make Donation. They do not need a Boathouse Connect account.
Donate as a member
- Go to Finances → Fundraisers.
- Find the item and click Make a Donation. If the goal has already been reached, the button reads Fully Funded! Donate Anyway.
- Choose one of your saved payment methods, enter How much would you like to donate towards this item?, and click Make Payment.
To use a different payment method, add it on Finances → My Finances first. See Paying as a member.
Donations made on Finances → Fundraisers are kept anonymous on that page. Each fundraiser shows its goal, the percentage funded, the amount remaining and the average donation size and number of donors.
Processing fees on donations
If your club has turned on Recover Processing Fees, the donation form shows the total the donor's card will be charged, including the processing fee. If not, the processing fee comes out of the donation, and the form suggests donating a little extra to cover it.
See who donated
Online donations are listed under Finances → Payments Received → Donations, with the donor's Name and Email, the Item, Amount Paid and Amount Settled. People with Manage Finances can refund a donation from there. See Member accounts. Donation totals by year are also on Finances → Analytics; see Tax records & finance analytics.
Add your organization's Tax Id Number under Finances → Settings → Receipts Settings so it is included on donation receipts.
FAQ
Why can't members see the Make a Donation button? Your club has set Allow user to make payments on Boathouse Connect to No under Finances → Settings → Payment Settings. That setting turns off fundraiser donations from inside Boathouse Connect.
Does a fundraiser close automatically when it reaches the goal? No. It stays open and the button changes to Fully Funded! Donate Anyway. Archive it when you want to stop donations.
Can I delete a fundraiser? There is no delete option. Archive it instead; you can restore it later with Activate.
Is a donation the same as a payment toward a member's balance? No. Fundraiser donations are tracked separately from member account payments.