Pick a Date Fundraiser
The modern way to run a pick a date fundraiser.
Stop tracking donations on paper. MonthFund gives every community fundraiser their own digital month calendar. Donors claim open days (Day N = $N or more), and personal calendars combine into one campaign total. No products to sell. No Venmo chasing.
One chapter month
Richfield-Bloomington Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi
March Calendar Raffle Campaign, March 2026. 272 donors. 566 gifts. 30 calendars with gifts.
Our March campaign delivered both broad participation and meaningful giving across the chapter.
88% of a $15,000 goal. 18% of gifts included extra. Their recap. Snapshot 2026-09-16.
What is a pick a date fundraiser?
A pick a date fundraiser (also called a calendar fundraiser or pick-a-date-to-donate) is a people-powered campaign where each community fundraiser shares a personal month calendar. Donors claim open days and give an amount equal to that day number-or more. Those personal calendars combine into one campaign total the organizer can track. It is not one shared calendar that everyone uses together.
On a 31-day month, one full personal calendar has a face value of $496 (Day 1 = $1 ... Day 31 = $31). A 30-day month is $465. Actual totals depend on how many fundraisers join, how many days get claimed (fill rate), and whether donors give more than the day amount.
Three roles. One shared goal.
MonthFund keeps three human roles clear so the campaign stays fair and trackable.
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Organizer | Launches the campaign for the organization, sets the month, invites community fundraisers, and watches the combined campaign total. |
| Community fundraiser | Shares their own personal calendar with friends, family, classmates, or teammates-and helps fill its days. |
| Donor | Claims an open day on a fundraiser's calendar and gives Day N = $N (or more). May cover the infrastructure fee at checkout so the cause keeps the intended gift. |
The organization receives the campaign funds according to your connected payout setup. Details: How it works · Plans: Pricing
The classic pick a date calendar has a logistics problem.
The idea is simple and it works: each day of a month calendar represents a dollar amount, and donors claim a day to give that amount. Day 15 is a $15 ask. Day 28 is a $28 ask. The sum of days 1 through 31 is $496-the face value of one full personal calendar, not a promised raise.
The problem is execution. With a paper calendar, fundraisers are manually marking dates, photographing the sheet, texting Venmo links, and reposting updates. When you have 20 or 50 people each running their own calendar, the organizer is drowning in spreadsheets and follow-ups.
MonthFund automates the logistics. Each community fundraiser gets a shareable digital calendar. Donors click a date, pay online, and the day updates. The organizer sees personal calendars roll up into one campaign dashboard. No spreadsheets. No chasing payments by hand.
How a MonthFund pick a date fundraiser works
Launch the month and recruit your fundraisers
Set up your campaign. Choose your month, add your organization details, and invite participants. Each community fundraiser gets their own calendar page and shareable link.
Fundraisers share; donors claim a day
Each fundraiser shares their personal calendar. Donors visit the link, pick any open date, and give the matching amount-or more. Day 7 is $7. Day 25 is $25. Donors can claim multiple dates. Claimed days update so the next visitor sees what's still open.
Track progress and collect funds
Your dashboard shows progress across fundraisers in real time. Send reminders to people with open days. When the campaign closes, funds follow your organization's payout path. No mailing paper checks to reconcile a wall of calendars.
Face value, roster, and fill rate
Formula: face value for an n-day month = n(n+1)/2. The math is exact for face value. Campaign totals depend on fundraiser count, fill rate, and donor generosity.
Face value by month length
| Month length | Face value (one full calendar) |
|---|---|
| 28 days | $406 |
| 29 days | $435 |
| 30 days | $465 |
| 31 days | $496 |
Quick face-value ceilings (31-day, 100% fill)
| Fundraisers | Combined face if every day claimed at Day N = $N |
|---|---|
| 1 | $496 |
| 10 | $4,960 |
| 50 | $24,800 |
Estimate model: estimate = face value x number of fundraisers x fill rate. Over-gives (donors tipping above Day N) are not included in the base estimate-real totals can go higher. Example planning band: 10 fundraisers x $496 x 75% fill ≈ $3,720 modeled estimate before over-gives.
These are maximum face values if every day on every personal calendar is claimed at exact face-not guarantees. Partial fill is normal. Schools, sports programs, faith communities, and nonprofits often plan by roster size + expected fill, then adjust after the first week of sharing.
Model your campaign on the Calculator →Paper calendar vs. MonthFund digital campaign
The fundraising idea is the same. The execution-and the ability to run many personal calendars as one campaign-is what MonthFund digitizes.
| Focus | Paper / single sheet | MonthFund organization campaign |
|---|---|---|
| Who shares | Often one printed calendar or informal copies | Many invited community fundraisers, each with a link |
| Structure | One grid people pass around | Personal calendars -> one campaign rollup |
| Payments | Cash, Venmo, manual tracking | Online checkout; receipts issued automatically |
| Visibility | Photos and spreadsheets | Live progress for fundraisers and organizers |
| Repeat | Reprint / restart by hand | Clone and relaunch for the next month |
| Fees | Printing + cash handling time | Transparent infrastructure fee donors can cover; Stripe separate |
Fees: confirm on Pricing
Everything you need. Nothing you don't.
Individual calendars for every fundraiser
Each community fundraiser gets a unique, shareable digital calendar. Donors see which days are open and claim one online. No paper, no printing queue, no manual date scratch-offs.
Multi-fundraiser dashboard
See progress in one place: claimed days, totals, and open days across the campaign. Remind fundraisers who still have open slots-without rebuilding a spreadsheet every night.
Real-time progress
Claimed dates update so supporters can see the month filling. Visible open days make the next ask concrete ("Day 18 is still open").
Built-in donor receipts
Donors receive an automatic email receipt for every donation. Your organization stays organized; donors get confirmation without a manual thank-you mail merge for every day claim.
Repeatable month after month
Your community learns the model once. Launch a fall month, a spring month, or a summer push without reinventing the structure. See How it works.
No products to sell
Donors give a specific amount tied to a date. There is no catalog, order form, or fulfillment. Families ask their networks for support without product-drive overhead.
Why communities like this format
Giving feels personal
Claiming Day 17 or Day 25 is a clearer ask than a blank donate field. People know what "their" day costs and can choose a day that fits.
Every budget can participate
Day 1 is $1. Day 31 is $31. Grandparents and local businesses can both find a day that matches their budget-and anyone can give more than the day amount.
Shared responsibility
When every fundraiser has their own calendar, the work is distributed. The organizer recruits and coordinates; the community fills days together. No single person has to carry the whole raise.
Common questions
Answers about pick a date fundraisers, the $496 math, roles, and how MonthFund works.
A pick a date fundraiser (also called a calendar fundraiser or pick-a-date-to-donate) is a campaign where each community fundraiser shares a personal month calendar. Donors claim open days and give Day N = $N-or more. Personal calendars combine into one organization campaign total. On MonthFund, claiming, payments, and progress tracking happen online-so you are not managing a paper calendar by hand.
One full 31-day personal calendar at face value is $496 (the sum of 1 through 31: 31 x 32 / 2 = 496). A 30-day month is $465. Campaign totals scale with how many fundraisers join and fill rate (share of days claimed). Example face ceilings at 100% fill: 10 fundraisers -> $4,960; 50 -> $24,800. These are face-value ceilings if every day is claimed at exact Day N-not guaranteed results.
Model scenarios on the CalculatorDay N is claimed at $N (or more). For a 31-day month, add 1 + 2 + ... + 31. That triangular sum is always $496. Shorter months use the same rule: 30 days -> $465; 29 -> $435; 28 -> $406.
Their own. On MonthFund, the organizer recruits community fundraisers; each fundraiser shares a personal calendar. Donors claim days on that fundraiser's grid. Those personal calendars roll up into one campaign total. The organization campaign is not a single shared calendar that everyone edits together.
Yes. Donors can claim multiple open dates. If someone claims Day 10, Day 15, and Day 20 at face value, the gift is $45 before any over-give. MonthFund handles the total and can issue a receipt for the combined amount.
Partial calendars are normal and still raise real funds. Unclaimed days contribute $0 until claimed; claimed days contribute their face amount (or more). Use fill rate in the Calculator to plan. Dashboards help organizers and fundraisers see which days are still open.
Model fill ratesYes. Day N sets a floor ask of $N. Donors may give more. Base face-value math does not assume over-gives-so generosity can push real totals above a face x fill model.
Paper calendars usually mean manual tracking, photo updates, and collecting payment through cash or peer payment apps. MonthFund is software for multi-fundraiser campaigns: organizers invite participants, each fundraiser shares a personal online calendar, donors pay online, receipts go out automatically, and totals combine in one live campaign. Organizations can repeat the month. The model is the same; the logistics are digital.
MonthFund is built for schools, PTAs, sports teams, faith communities, nonprofits, grassroots groups, and mutual aid organizations-any community that wants a structured, peer-powered calendar campaign. No 501(c)(3) status is required to get started.
School-focused framingConfirm live numbers on the Pricing page. Organization plans (as of draft date): Community is free with a 3% infrastructure fee donors can cover at checkout; Professional is $49/mo with 2%; Network is $199/mo with 0%. Personal accounts have no monthly fee and a 5% platform fee. Stripe card processing is separate (typically about 2.9% + $0.30, or about 2.2% + $0.30 for many nonprofits).
See full pricing detailsWhen Stripe is connected, donations charge on that account and land in the linked bank on Stripe's payout schedule. Eligible organization workspaces can appoint MonthFund as a limited payment agent and collect gifts before Connect is finished; those gifts stay held until Connect and payouts are ready. Personal fundraisers need to connect their own Stripe account before they can accept gifts.
Learn moreMany organizations run a campaign window of about two to four weeks of active sharing inside the calendar month. A shorter window concentrates outreach; a longer window gives donors more time to find a day. Three weeks of focused sharing is a common starting point for a first campaign-adjust to your community's rhythm.
Yes. MonthFund is built for repeatable organization campaigns. After your community learns the roles once, you can launch another month, recruit fundraisers again, and keep the same personal-calendar -> campaign-total structure.
MonthFund is calendar software that makes people-powered fundraising simple, visual, and shared. We turn the month into a collective campaign where personal calendars combine, anyone can claim a day, everyone can see progress, and no single person has to carry the burden.
Ready to run your first month?
Free to start on Community. No credit card required to launch.