We’re excited to annnounce a new feature in Destiny Fundraising Manager. This enhancement enables school districts to directly pre-approve fundraising requests from any website, platform, or program, and provides valuable data on district fundraising activities.

Launching this month, the Destiny Fundraising Manager approval process will extend to include all fundraising campaign requests. When teachers, teams, clubs, or school programs submit a fundraising campaign on the Destiny Fundraising Manager platform, it will undergo a customized, multi-step approval process set by the school district. This centralized system allows districts to track fundraisers and what is being requested. It also provides important data on programs and platforms used, average campaign and donation amounts, and fees charged. This data helps districts make informed financial and budgetary decisions, promoting equitable giving and opportunities for all students.

Online fundraising has created significant opportunities to fund educational items, experiences, and areas where district funding may fall short. However, its rapid growth has introduced complexities for school districts, prompting the need for solutions and policies to protect fundraising organizers, students, and donors. Managing and reconciling campaigns has become an overwhelming task, leaving districts struggling to coordinate and track fundraising activities.

“Online fundraising presents many challenges for school districts, necessitating better coordination and protection for those organizing fundraisers,” said Gary Hensley, CEO and President of Follett Software. “The first step for any district looking to support and protect their fundraising efforts is to implement an approval process. We’ve made it automated and easy to ensure fundraisers are properly reviewed, tracked, and recorded. This feature empowers administrators with important data insights into district fundraising activities.”

This new feature provides school districts with additional oversight of fundraising activities on any site or program. Whether the fundraiser is a classroom crowdfunding site, a product sales program, an in-school “Fund-A-Thon,” or directly from the parent Destiny Fundraising Manager site, all requests can be streamlined through one central location. Districts no longer need to manage manual requests for campaigns outside of the platform and can access comprehensive reports and snapshots of fundraising data.