Simple Raise Overview

Simple Raise is a donation-based platform offering a more effective and accessible way for organizations such as music, theater, dance, cheer, sports, and debate programs to generate funds for their causes. It provides tools to help boost awareness, track fundraiser performance, and collect online donations with a transparent flat-fee transaction model. Simple Raise also empowers programs to promote their individual brand to their donors through multiple customization features within the platform.

Fundraising Types

In Simple Raise, you can create a fundraiser from one of the following types:

Team Oriented/Combined Goal - you set one singular goal for the fundraiser that is collectively shared by ALL of your fundraising participants. Everyone is working towards a common financial objective.

Individual Oriented/Participant Goal - you set a specific financial goal for EACH of your fundraising participants. This allows you to set different financial amounts based on need or fundraising ability.

Fundraising Methods

Simple Raise offers two methods of fundraising that you can select for your fundraiser:

Online Cash Donation - your participants will solicit cash only monetary donations from their donors.

COMING SOON Product Based Donation - Your participants will encourage their donors to buy a product, where a portion of the sale proceeds will go towards your program’s cause. Products can be any physical items that are delivered/shipped to a donor such as cookie dough, wrapping paper, poinsettias, OR a service item like a car wash or spaghetti dinner taking place on a particular date. This functionality is currently in beta mode and will become available in the near future. 

Integration with CutTime

CutTime is a cloud-based, mobile responsive platform for fine arts programs to manage their communication with members, financials, and inventory such as musical instruments, attire & uniforms, library, and equipment assets.

Learn more and see how the CutTime integration works via this ‘Using CutTime with Simple Raise’ article.

Fees with using Simple Raise

Currently there is a modest platform fee of 10% for using Simple Raise, which is paid at the conclusion of each fundraiser, based on the actual amount raised. There is no up front cost to set up or maintain your Simple Raise account connection with CutTime and you can create and run as many fundraisers as you want. Donors can also choose to pay a 3.5% convenience fee to offset costs for the organization.

What You’ll Need to Get Started

In order to bring your fundraiser to life, you will need to do the following:

1. Sign Up for an Account - creates a user id with password that you’ll use to sign in and use with Simple Raise. If you are a current CutTime customer, you do NOT need to do this step.
2. Set Up Your Organization - establishes your program, it’s branding, and who will be the main administrators for your Simple Raise account
3. Create Your Fundraiser - captures the financial goals, type, method, participants, and promotional information to create a donation page for your fundraiser. We recommend defining all of these items, identifying your participants, and preparing the graphic and media files so they are ready when you go to create the actual fundraiser in Simple Raise.