Fees and transparency

Free to launch. Clear about the cost.

People power the mission. MonthFund gives them calendars they can share so the fundraising effort does not fall on one person. We believe the cost should be just as easy to explain.

Donors see their gift, any extra support for the cause, optional fee coverage, and the total charge before payment. Organization reports and standard donation exports show those donor-paid amounts too. We do not ask for a separate platform tip.

Compare plans Read the donor-cost guide

What MonthFund charges

What are MonthFund's default rates?

Personal: 5%. Community: 3%. Professional: 2%. Network: 0%. These are MonthFund's standard rates, not the total cost of card processing. Stripe processing applies separately on every plan, including Network. An organization can have a configured rate. To see how this fits into your campaign workflow, visit how it works.

Personal: 5%
Community: 3%
Professional: 2%
Network: 0%

Community is a $0 starting point for smaller organizations. Professional adds capacity and tools for greater complexity. Network supports larger institutions and coalitions. Choose a paid plan when that capacity fits your work, not because basic fee clarity requires an upgrade.

What donors can choose

What is optional fee coverage and how does it work?

Fee coverage is a separate optional amount that starts unchecked. Donors can complete a gift without selecting it. An additional donation increases support for the cause, while fee coverage is designed to help the campaign retain the intended gift by estimating platform and processing costs.

When selected, the suggested coverage combines MonthFund's applicable rate with estimated standard card processing of 2.9% plus $0.30. It also accounts for fees on the added amount itself. It is not simply an extra 3%, 2%, or 5%, and it is not a separate percentage-based platform tip.

The goal is to help the fundraiser retain the intended gift. Actual Stripe pricing and rounding can differ, so the suggestion is an estimate, not a guarantee of an exact payout.

Illustration showing donor and organizer views with a $100.00 gift, $6.59 fee coverage, and $106.59 total charged. — Donor and organizer views focus on the donor-paid components of a gift.

Clarity for donors and organizers

What do donors and organizers see in reports?

Donors see Base Amount, Additional Donation, Fee coverage, Donation to cause, and Total charged before payment. Organizers see Base, Extra, Fees, and Total in campaign reports. Before payment, the MonthFund donation summary separates these clearly. An additional donation is support for the cause, not a platform tip.

The ordinary campaign report shows Base, Extra, Fees, and Total. The standard donation export includes base amount, extra amount, fee coverage, donation total, and total charged. Here, Fees means donor fee coverage. It does not mean the actual Stripe fee, the MonthFund platform fee, or final net payout.

For accounting-enabled organizations, accounting and payout exports plus Finance surfaces can separate platform fees, reconciled Stripe fees, and net remittable amounts when the required data is available. Those values are separate from the ordinary donation ledger and can be pending until reconciliation.

Why a stated fee

Why does MonthFund use stated rates instead of tips?

Published rates let organizers explain costs upfront. Fee coverage starts unchecked so donors choose rather than decline. Fundraising tools still cost money to run. MonthFund's fees and subscriptions support campaign pages, participant tools, checkout, and reporting that keep a calendar fundraiser organized.

Community gives smaller organizations a free-to-launch starting point. Professional adds capacity and tools for organizations handling greater complexity. The choice is about what fits your work, not pressure to upgrade for basic trust or donor visibility.

For a neutral look at donor tips, optional contributions, recurring gifts, and reporting practices across established fundraising tools, read our guide to free fundraising platforms and real donor costs.

Questions about fees

Common questions about MonthFund fees

Understand the rate, the donor's choices, and what your reports show before you launch.

Does MonthFund take a percentage of donations?

Personal accounts have a 5% MonthFund platform fee. Organization default rates are 3% on Community, 2% on Professional, and 0% on Network. An organization can have a configured rate, and card processing remains separate from these MonthFund rates.

Is fee coverage required or turned on by default?

No. Fee coverage is optional and starts unchecked. A donor can complete a gift without choosing it. When a donor does choose it, the suggested amount is intended to help the organization retain the intended gift.

What does the suggested fee coverage include?

The suggested amount uses the applicable MonthFund rate plus estimated standard card processing of 2.9% plus $0.30, including the effect of fees on the added amount. It is an estimate, not a promise of the exact Stripe cost or payout because actual Stripe pricing and rounding can differ.

What do donors see before payment?

Before payment, the MonthFund donation summary shows the base gift, any additional donation to the cause, any selected fee coverage, the donation to cause, and the total charged. We do not ask for a separate platform tip.

What can organizers see in reports and exports?

The ordinary campaign report shows Base, Extra, Fees, and Total, and the standard CSV shows base amount, extra amount, fee coverage, donation total, and total charged. In the ordinary report, Fees means donor fee coverage. It is not an actual Stripe fee, MonthFund platform fee, or final net payout.

Does 0% Network mean there is no Stripe processing cost?

No. Network has a 0% default MonthFund infrastructure rate, but Stripe processing still applies. Network also has a paid subscription.

For fee or checkout questions, contact MonthFund. Contact the organization for questions about a campaign's use of donations or organization-specific documentation.