Required documentation
To verify your connection to the organization, please provide one or more of the following:
IRS paperwork with your organization's EIN showing nonprofit status
Determination or Affirmation Letters are perfect!
Form 990
Proof that you are employed by the organization in a management/executive position. If your organization is entirely volunteer based, to be approved, the volunteer applying must have an official title.
Proof of employment examples:
Letter of Approval
Paystub
Screenshot from your nonprofit’s website that you’re included in
Minutes from a meeting
That your organization is not fiscally sponsored by another organization
What we look for on the documentation
Make sure that all documentation exactly matches the information on your application:
Full first and last name of applicant
Initials will not be accepted
Full organization name
EIN (if applicable)
Your request must be for the exact organization that you work for.
Organization roles and capabilities
Acceptable roles for payout approval
In order to receive the payout for your organization, you must have one of the following titles:
name variations are okay
Board Member
CEO/CFO/COO
Chairman
Controller
Director
Executive
Founder/Co-Founder
Officer
Pastor
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Vice President
Role capabilities
During the verification process, certain roles would have certain capabilities on the platform.
An employee or volunteer with an official position listed above
Obtain nonprofit benefits including:
Ability to create Giving Campaigns, if 501c3
Accept payouts for the organization
Accept payouts for campaigns they create
An employee or volunteer with any official position within organization
Obtain nonprofit benefits including:
Ability to create campaigns to fundraise for an org
Accept payouts for the organization; a letter of approval is required
Accept payouts for campaigns they create
A volunteer or supporter
Ability to create campaigns to fundraise for an org
Accept payouts for campaigns they create
Verification process
Once you have the proper documentation, you can submit an application to be verified. If you are claiming your organization’s profile page, you can use this same process.
From a new account
If you do not have a Bonfire account, you can start on the homepage with Get Started.
Select Start a fundraiser.
Select For a business or an organization.
If you represent a nonprofit, you can select Nonprofit and continue the Verification process.
From an existing account
If you do have a Bonfire account, you can log into your account and go to Account Settings.
On desktop, you can go to I represent an organization, in the right column.
On mobile, this would be at the bottom of the page after the password section.
Select For a business or an organization.
If you represent a nonprofit organization, you can select Nonprofit and continue the Nonprofit verification steps.
If you represent a political organization, you can select Political and follow the Political verification steps.
Nonprofit verification steps
We use Candid to verify your organization. Either enter the full name of the organization or use your EIN to find your organization.
Select your organization.
If you cannot find your organization, you can add it manually by Add my nonprofit to Bonfire.
If you are a chapter of an organization, refer to Chapters of National Organizations.
If you are an employee or a volunteer with an official position for the organization, select I work for the organization.
If you are a volunteer and do not have a formal connection with the organization, you can still have the ability to raise money on behalf of the organization. You will not have the nonprofit perks.
For employees, you will need to enter the following:
Your full name
Your role
Organization’s website
You will also need to upload necessary documents. The acceptable file formats are:
JPG
PNG
PDF
The maximum file size is 5MB.
Once you have added your information and uploaded the necessary documentation, you can click Submit.
You will get an email notification if you have been approved or need to provide further documentation. If you receive an email requiring additional proof, simply reply to the email with the attached documents.
Political verification steps
Select For a business or an organization.
If you represent a political organization, you can select Political and enter the Organization Name.
If you officially represent the organization, you will get a report of your supporters. It will contain:
Occupation
Employer
Phone number
If you are not officially affiliated, you can still have the ability to raise money on behalf of the organization.
You will need to enter the following:
Your full name
Your role
Election level
Local
State
Federal
Other
EIN or Tax ID (optional)
You will also need to upload a government filing or tax document. The acceptable file formats are:
JPG
PNG
PDF
The maximum file size is 5MB.
Once you have added your information and uploaded the necessary documentation, you can click Submit.
You will get an email notification if you have been approved or need to provide further documentation. If you receive an email requiring additional proof, simply reply to the email with the attached documents.
FAQ
Why did my request get denied?
Most denials are due to inadequate information. You would receive an email requesting the required documentation. If you still have questions about your verification, you can simply reply back to the email. Someone from our nonprofit verification team will get back to you.
Can I still use Bonfire if my request is denied?
Absolutely! If you’re not eligible for nonprofit benefits, you can still use Bonfire as a seller.