MonthFund vs. Pick a Date to Donate
Pick a Date to Donate or MonthFund?
Both run calendars. Fees land differently.
Pick a Date to Donate keeps organizers at $0 by adding fees (~7% total) to each donor at checkout. MonthFund shows a transparent infrastructure fee (3%/2%/0%) that donors can cover in one click. Both support the 31-day pick-a-date model. The right choice depends on where you want the fee visibility to land.
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Two different models
MonthFund charges a clear, disclosed infrastructure fee on each donation. Donors see exactly what they are paying and can cover it in one click. Your donors give to you, not to our software.
Pick a Date to Donate is free for organizers. A 4.2% platform fee plus 2.9% + $0.30 processing (roughly 7% total) is added to each donor transaction at checkout. The organizer keeps 100% of the calendar face value. MonthFund charges an infrastructure fee on the donation side instead — visible, disclosed, and optionally donor-covered.
Why organizations choose MonthFund
Built for the calendar fundraiser. Nothing else.
Pick a Date to Donate may be better if…
You want your organization to receive 100% of the calendar face value and your donors are OK with ~7% added to their gift at checkout. The fee structure is clear and automatic. If your community prefers the "organizer keeps everything" framing, this model fits.
MonthFund may be better if…
You want donors to see a transparent fee they can choose to cover, rather than an automatic add-on. MonthFund publishes 3%/2%/0% infrastructure tiers, and donors cover the fee in one click so your organization receives the intended gift. The fee is visible, not hidden in the total.
What can a calendar raise?
A fully claimed 31-day calendar can raise up to $496 at face value (1+2+…+31); a 30-day month can raise up to $465. Real outcomes depend on fill rate, participant count, and whether donors give more than face value. Model scenarios on /calculator.
Recurring vs. one-time
If you run the calendar once, either platform works. If you run it monthly or seasonally, MonthFund's campaign cloning, templates, cross-campaign reporting, and subscription tiers (Professional $49/mo, Network $199/mo) are designed for repeat programs.
Feature Comparison
MonthFund vs. Pick a Date to Donate,
side by side.
Have a question about a specific feature? Contact us.
| Feature | Purpose-builtMonthFund | CompetitorPick a Date to Donate |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar Model | ||
| Pick-a-date / 31-day calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Built only for the calendar modelBoth are calendar-focused platforms | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-fundraiser / org rollupMonthFund: each fundraiser shares their own calendar, totals combine | Yes | Verify |
| Unlimited campaignsMonthFund Community: 2 active; Professional+: unlimited | 2 / unlimited | Yes |
| Fees and Pricing | ||
| Platform fee to organizer | $0 | $0 |
| Infrastructure / platform feePADTD: added to donor; MF: donor can cover | 3% (free), 2%, or 0% | 4.2% |
| Stripe processingBoth pass through Stripe rates | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| Total fee added to donorPADTD: 4.2% + processing automatically added to donor | Optional (donor covers) | ~7% |
| Subscription to lower fees | ✓ ($49 or $199/mo) | No |
| Donors see fee and choose to cover it | Yes | ✗ (auto-added) |
| Who Can Use It | ||
| Organizations | Yes | Yes |
| Nonprofits | Yes | Yes |
| Individuals (no Tax ID)Both support individuals | ✓ (Personal tier, 5%) | Yes |
| Participant Management | ||
| Email invitations | Yes | Verify |
| Participant dashboards | Yes | Verify |
| Bulk email to participants | Yes | Verify |
| Automated onboarding reminders | Yes | Verify |
| SMS sequences (opt-in) | Yes | Verify |
| Active participants (org roster)MonthFund Community: 50 active participants | 50 / unlimited | Verify |
| Reporting | ||
| Live progress dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Full campaign report | Yes | Verify |
| Accounting CSV export | ✓ (Professional+) | Verify |
| Cross-campaign reporting | ✓ (Professional+) | Verify |
| Org units (chapters / classrooms) | ✓ (Professional+) | Verify |
| Organization and Support | ||
| Admin accountsMonthFund Community: 2 admins | 2 / 3 / unlimited | Verify |
| Campaign cloning and templates | Yes | Verify |
| Custom onboarding session | ✓ (Network) | No |
| Payout method | Stripe Connect | Stripe |
Based on publicly available information retrieved 2026-09-21. Visit Pick a Date to Donate to verify their current features.
The Math
Know exactly what your org keeps.
On a fully funded $10,000 campaign on MonthFund's free Community tier, here is the breakdown if every donor covers fees at checkout.
Full pricing breakdownExample: $10,000 campaign
Pick a Date to Donate is free for organizers. Donors pay a 4.2% platform fee plus 2.9% + $0.30 processing (roughly 7% total) added to their transaction at checkout. The organizer receives the full calendar face value. MonthFund Community is also free at 3% infrastructure plus Stripe — donors can cover the fee in one click. Neither is 0% total cost; both handle fee visibility differently.
Pick a Date to Donate may be better if your organization wants to receive exactly 100% of the calendar face value and your donors are comfortable with ~7% added to their gift automatically. The "organizer keeps everything" framing can simplify internal reporting and board discussions.
MonthFund may be better if you want donors to see a transparent fee they can choose to cover rather than an automatic add-on, or if you run the calendar more than once and need campaign cloning, cross-campaign reporting, and subscription tiers that lower the fee. Community tier (free, 3%) includes 50 participants, 2 admins, and 2 active campaigns. See /community for details.
A fully claimed 31-day calendar can raise up to $496 at face value; a 30-day month can raise up to $465. Real outcomes depend on fill rate and whether donors give more than face value. Model scenarios on /calculator. For the full landscape, see our guide to the best calendar fundraiser platforms in 2026 at /blog/best-calendar-fundraiser-platforms-2026.
Both support individuals. Pick a Date to Donate lists individuals as an audience alongside organizations and nonprofits. MonthFund supports individuals on the Personal tier (5% platform fee, no subscription).
On Pick a Date to Donate, donors pay ~7% on top of their gift (4.2% platform + processing) automatically added at checkout. On MonthFund Community, donors see a 3% infrastructure fee plus Stripe processing — they can cover it in one click so the organization receives their intended gift, or decline and the organization receives slightly less.
Yes. MonthFund is free to start and your first campaign can go live in under 15 minutes. There is no migration complexity — you create a new campaign, connect Stripe, invite fundraisers, and share links.
MonthFund is built for recurring campaigns with campaign cloning, templates, cross-campaign reporting, and Professional/Network tiers that lower the infrastructure fee. Pick a Date to Donate works for repeat campaigns but does not appear to offer subscription-based fee reduction or advanced recurring program features. Verify on their site.
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