Permit a supporter to run a fundraiser for your organization while still ensuring you have complete oversight.
If a supporter or company wants to raise funds on behalf of your organization, you can add them to your RallyUp account as an Advocate. This allows passionate supporters to create and manage their own fundraising Campaigns while you maintain full visibility and control over the fundraising activities conducted for your organization.
What is an Advocate and why would I allow Advocate fundraising?
When you invite someone to fundraise on your behalf using the Add Advocate button, they can create and manage fundraising Campaigns for your organization without being an official employee or registered volunteer. You can invite individuals or businesses to fundraise for your organization. Advocate fundraising expands your reach by empowering supporters to champion your cause within their own networks. Common Advocate scenarios include (but are not limited to):
- Community members organizing birthday fundraisers for your organization
- Local businesses running employee giving campaigns
- Passionate supporters creating memorial fundraisers in honor of loved ones
- Student groups fundraising for your mission
By inviting Advocates, you tap into their personal connections and enthusiasm while maintaining oversight of all Campaigns. Learn more about Advocate fundraising for non-US and non-501(c) organizations to understand this fundraising model fully.
What do I need to set up before inviting Advocates?
Before you can invite Advocates to fundraise for your organization, you need to complete three essential setup steps:
- Register your organization on RallyUp if you haven’t already by following the instructions for creating an account and registering your organization.
- Set up a direct funding account so funds raised by Advocates flow directly to your organization’s payment processor. Learn how to set up direct funds to ensure seamless fund collection.
- Once these foundational elements are in place, you’re ready to invite individuals or companies to become Advocates and start fundraising on your behalf.
This setup ensures you maintain control over fund distribution and Campaign oversight.
How do I invite someone to become an Advocate?
Inviting an Advocate to fundraise for your organization is straightforward through your RallyUp account:
- Go to Settings in the left menu and select User Management.
- Click on ACTIONS and select ADD ADVOCATE to enter their email address.
- Select INVITE to send them an invitation to set up and manage a fundraiser for your organization.
Once you send the invitation, the Advocate receives a link via email to get started. They can then create a RallyUp account (if they don’t have one) and begin building their Campaign for your organization. The invitation email includes everything they need to start fundraising immediately.
What access do Advocates have to my organization account?
Advocates have limited, controlled access designed to protect your organization’s information while enabling their fundraising efforts. The Advocate will not have access to your organization account or settings. They will only have access to the Campaign Setup menu to create and publish their fundraiser. This means Advocates cannot view your financial information, donor data from other campaigns, organization settings, or other administrators’ activities. They can only build and manage campaigns they create themselves. You maintain full visibility and control, able to view, manage, or edit their fundraiser at any time. This structure protects your organization while empowering supporters to fundraise effectively.
What should I know about Advocates running Raffles or Sweepstakes?
Raffles and Sweepstakes involve legal requirements that vary by geographic location and can create compliance challenges for Advocate fundraising. Many jurisdictions require specific permits, official rules, age restrictions, and organizational authorization for these types of Campaigns. Before allowing an Advocate to run a Raffle or Sweepstakes, be aware of any legal requirements in your area regarding these Campaign types. Some organizations choose to restrict Advocates from running legally complex fundraising types or require written approval before launching Raffles or Sweepstakes. Consider requiring Advocates to discuss their Campaign plans with you before publishing to ensure compliance with local regulations and your organization’s policies.
How can I oversee and manage Advocate campaigns?
As the organization administrator, you maintain complete control and visibility over all Advocate Campaigns:
- Edit any aspect of Advocate Campaigns if needed, including descriptions, images, goals, or settings.
- Monitor fundraising progress and donor activity in real-time through your reporting dashboard.
- Unpublish or pause Advocate Campaigns if they don’t meet your standards or create concerns.
- Feel free to reach out to your Advocates to suggest edits to their fundraiser or require specific terms to be listed.
You can view all Campaigns created by Advocates through your RallyUp dashboard, regardless of who created them. This oversight ensures all fundraising conducted on your behalf aligns with your organization’s mission, values, and legal requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I invite multiple Advocates at the same time?
Yes, you can invite as many Advocates as you want to fundraise for your organization. Each Advocate receives their own invitation and creates their own Campaigns independently. Multiple Advocates can run Campaigns simultaneously, allowing you to expand your fundraising reach through various supporter networks. Each Advocate’s Campaigns appear in your organization dashboard for easy monitoring and management.
Will Advocates be able to see other Advocates’ campaigns?
No, Advocates cannot view Campaigns created by other Advocates. Each Advocate only sees and manages the specific Campaigns they create. This privacy protection prevents Advocates from accessing information about other supporters’ fundraising efforts or your organization’s overall Campaign portfolio. As the organization administrator, you’re the only one who sees all Campaigns across all Advocates.
Can I remove an Advocate after inviting them?
Yes, you can remove an Advocate’s access through the User Management section in Settings. Removing an Advocate prevents them from creating new Campaigns but doesn’t automatically unpublish existing Campaigns they’ve launched. You’ll need to separately unpublish or archive any active Campaigns if you want to stop them. Consider communicating with the Advocate before removing access to maintain positive relationships and understand any concerns.
Do I need to manually review Campaigns before they go live?
Advocates can publish Campaigns immediately without requiring your pre-approval. However, since you have full edit and management access, you can make changes or unpublish Campaigns if needed after they launch. Some organizations establish clear guidelines or require Advocates to share Campaign drafts before publishing as a best practice. The technical platform doesn’t enforce pre-approval, but you can create organizational policies requiring it.
What happens to funds raised by Advocate Campaigns?
Funds raised through Advocate Campaigns flow directly to your organization’s payment processor that you set up during the direct funding configuration. Advocates never touch the funds directly, providing security for both your organization and donors. All donations go through RallyUp’s secure payment processing and deposit into your organization’s account according to your payout schedule. You can track all revenue from Advocate Campaigns through your standard RallyUp reporting tools.