Help Center

Everything you need to know about running fundraisers with MyGiveKit.

Getting Started

How do I set up my organization?: Sign up for free, then choose “Create a new organization” on the welcome screen (you can also “Join an existing organization” if a teammate sent you an invite code). Enter your org name and you're in — invite team members, configure settings, and start adding events right away.
Why did I get an email asking me to verify?: We send a verification link from noreply@mygivekit.com after signup so we know your email is real (your winner invoices, billing receipts, and password resets all go there). Click the link within 7 days — if you don't, owners and admins are redirected to a “please verify” screen until they do. Members aren't affected. Didn't get the email? Check spam, then contact support.
What are the different team roles?: Owner— full access including billing and ownership transfer. There's exactly one owner per org (the creator). Admin — manages events, items, bidders, fundraisers, donations, newsletters, and settings. Admins can remove members but not other admins. Member — can view auctions, sign up for volunteer events, and submit feedback. Only the owner can promote members to admin or transfer ownership.
How do I invite my team?: Settings → Team. You can either invite by email (the invitee gets a join link) or share your org's 8-character invite code with anyone who already has a MyGiveKit account. Codes can be rotated if leaked.
Is there a setup fee or contract?: No. MyGiveKit is free to start with no credit card required. There are no contracts, no setup fees, and no percentage of what you raise. Ever.

Silent Auctions

How does bidding work?: Share your auction link with bidders. They visit on any phone or computer, enter their name and email, and get a paddle number. Bidding updates every 5 seconds — no app download needed.
How do I add auction items?: From your event's Items tab, add items one at a time or use CSV import for bulk upload. Each item needs a title and starting bid. You can add images, descriptions, fair market values, and categories.
What can I edit while the auction is live?: Once you publish an auction, the type, date/time, bid visibility, bid increment, opening-bid percentage, and auto-close behavior are locked. You can still edit payment instructions, the event description, and the location. Decide on bid increments and auto-close behavior before going live.
How does auto-close work?: Auto-close is on by default. The moment your auction's end time passes, the platform closes it automatically, locks bidding, and dispatches winner invoices + an organizer summary. You can opt out of auto-close at event creation if you'd prefer to close manually, but most organizers want the firmness — silent auctions only work if the end time is firm. (Soft-close extensions on last-minute bids are a planned addition.)
How do I close the auction?: Click “Close Auction” on the event overview. You'll see a review step with your stats and payment method, then a final confirmation. Closing stops all bidding immediately and emails winners.
Can I print placards for items?: Yes — each item has a printable QR code placard with the item name, starting bid, and a QR code linking to your auction. You can batch-print by selecting multiple items.

For Bidders

Do I need an account or app to bid?: No. Open the auction link in any browser, enter your name and email, and you'll get a paddle number. No password, no app download. Your activity is saved on your device, so refreshing the page won't lose it.
How will I know if I'm winning?: The bidder app refreshes every 5 seconds while you have it open and shows your status under My Activity. Keep the page open during the final minutes — currently we don't send an outbid alert by email or push, so checking the page is the way. We'll add live notifications in a future release.
What if I won?: You'll get an email titled “You won at…” listing your items, total owed, and exactly how to pay (the host writes the payment instructions). Pay using whatever method the host chose — Venmo, PayPal, check, in-person, or online via Stripe.
What if I didn't win?: We don't currently send a “you didn't win” email. You can revisit the auction link after it closes to see the final results.
I think I typed my email wrong — what do I do?: Re-register on the same device with the correct email. Then ask the event host to mark the old paddle number inactive so winner emails go to the right place.

Bidders & Check-In

Can I pre-register bidders?: Yes. Add bidders manually from the Bidders tab, or let them self-register at your auction link. If a bidder with the same email registers again, they get their existing paddle number back.
How does check-in work?: The Bidders tab shows a check-in toggle for each person. The counter at the top shows live progress. You can also export the full bidder list as CSV.

Fundraiser Events

What is a fundraiser event?: A lightweight entry for non-auction fundraisers — bake sales, car washes, galas. Track the amount raised and expenses without needing items, bidders, or bidding. Net revenue is included in your org reports automatically.

Donations

What is the donations ledger?: Track individual donor contributions for year-end thank-you letters and tax receipt tracking. Each entry includes donor name, amount, date, and a thank-you status toggle. The ledger lives at /org/<your-slug>/donations and is admin-only.
Can donors give online through MyGiveKit?: Yes — once you connect a Stripe account from Billing → Stripe Connect (All Access only). After that, your public org page shows a Donate button that runs through Stripe Checkout. We charge $0 application fee — Stripe's standard processing fees still apply, and donors can optionally cover them.
What if I don't connect Stripe?: Your public page can show your offline donation info instead — Venmo handle, PayPal link, mailing address, whatever you set in Settings. Donors send money outside MyGiveKit, and you record the gift in the donations ledger after the fact.
Does MyGiveKit send tax receipts?: No. Stripe sends a transactional receipt for online donations, but tax-deductibility language and 501(c)(3) acknowledgements are something your org issues directly. Use the “thank-you status” toggle in the ledger to track who you've sent letters to.

For Donors

How do I donate?: Visit the org's public page and look for a Donate button. If you see one, you'll be taken to Stripe Checkout to give securely by card. If the org hasn't connected Stripe, the page will show their preferred donation method (Venmo, PayPal, check) instead.
Is my payment secure?: Yes. All online donations are processed by Stripe — card details never touch MyGiveKit's servers. The receipt you get afterward comes from Stripe and confirms the payment to the org's connected account.
Will I get a tax receipt?: The Stripe receipt confirms your payment but isn't a tax acknowledgement. The org receiving your gift is responsible for sending you a 501(c)(3) acknowledgement letter if applicable. If you don't hear from them within a few weeks, reach out to the org directly.
What does “cover fees” do?: When you check that box, your card is charged a slightly higher amount so the org receives the full gift you intended. Card processing fees (typically a few percent + 30¢) come out of the donation by default, so this option is a way to donate the “net” you had in mind.

Newsletters

How do I send a newsletter?: Choose a template, compose with the rich text editor, select your audience (bidders, donors, and/or manual contacts), and preview before sending. You can attach PDFs and images up to 10 MB each.
Who receives newsletters?: Your audience is built from auction bidders, donation donors, and manually added contacts. Emails are de-duplicated automatically. Filter by contact group to target specific segments.

Volunteer Signups

How do volunteer events work?: Two modes: Selection List for potluck items or supplies, and Time Slots for shift-based signups. Publish the event to get a shareable signup link at mygivekit.com/v/<slug>. Waitlist with auto-promotion is built in. Volunteer signups don't count against your auction credits — they're a separate free-tier cap.
Can volunteers cancel after signing up?: Yes. Each confirmation email contains a unique cancel link. When a confirmed volunteer cancels, the oldest waitlisted volunteer is automatically promoted and emailed.
Will volunteers get a reminder?: Yes — we send a day-before reminder email automatically. We don't currently support SMS reminders.
Can I add custom questions to the signup form?: Yes. Add custom fields (text, select, checkbox) per event — useful for t-shirt sizes, dietary restrictions, or what someone's bringing to a potluck. Values are stored on each registration.

Billing & Plans

What does the free plan include?: 1 live auction (trial), up to 10 items and 15 bidders per event, 3 fundraiser events, 25 donations, 2 volunteer events, 1 newsletter per month with 50 contacts. Create unlimited draft events. No expiration.
What is All Access?: Unlimited everything — auctions, items, bidders, fundraisers, donations, volunteer events, newsletters, and contacts. $29/month or $249/year.
Does MyGiveKit take a percentage?: Never. Flat subscription fee only. 100% of what you raise goes to your organization.
Can I cancel anytime?: Yes. Cancel from the Billing page. Your benefits continue through the end of your current billing period.

Support

How do I get help?: Email us at support@mygivekit.com. We aim to respond within 24 hours on business days. You can also submit bug reports and feature requests from the Feedback page in your dashboard.

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