Social Impact Campaigns: Audit-Ready, Multi-Channel Fundraising

Quick Overview

Social Impact Campaigns (SICs) are BrightLeaf Giving’s tool for fundraisers that need to hit a clear target on a fixed timeline. Instead of routing money through a personal account or a generic crowdfunding site, every gift flows into Rekonect, a registered 501(c)(3). Donors receive official tax receipts, and you get the peace of mind that all activity meets IRS rules.

How it works, in plain terms

Rekonect keeps the funds in a dedicated account for your project. You can request how the money is used, but final release happens only for eligible expenses, keeping everything above board.
Supporters can provide support via ACH, Zelle, QuickPay, PayPal, wire, e-check, or even donor-advised fund grants. More options mean fewer barriers.
BrightLeaf charges a flat 4.5 % on each incoming donation. Standard payment-processor costs (for example, 3.5 % on a credit-card gift or no fee on ACH) pass straight through with no extra markup.
An SIC is meant for short-term goals—think community projects, emergency aid, or any mission that needs funds quickly and then wraps up.

In short, an SIC combines the speed of online fundraising with the safeguards of a nonprofit, so you can raise money confidently and use more of each dollar for the cause.

A Social Impact Campaign is BrightLeaf Giving’s way of running a short-term fundraising drive without making you form your own nonprofit. Here’s the basic recipe:

Rekonect acts as the legal home for the money. Because the host is already a registered charity, every donation automatically qualifies as tax-deductible for the giver.
Unlike an open-ended fund, an SIC is built around one clear objective—“raise $50,000 for storm-damage repairs by August 31,” for example. Once the deadline hits or the target is met, the campaign winds down.
BrightLeaf Giving provides the online portal, payment processing, and support so you don’t have to piece those elements together yourself.
The funds sit in a dedicated account under Rekonect’s control, reserved only for the project you described in the application. You can submit payment or grant requests, but the money leaves the account only for costs that match the campaign’s stated purpose.
People can give by card, ACH, Zelle, QuickPay, PayPal, wire transfer, e-check, or even donor-advised fund grants—all through one checkout form.

Put simply, an SIC offers the structure of an established charity and the flexibility of online fundraising, focused on one mission with a clear finish line.

Launching an SIC feels less like wrestling with paperwork and more like following a well-marked trail. Below is the full journey—expanded so you can see exactly what happens at every stage and why each move protects both you and your donors.

1. Apply Online

Everything starts with a short form on the Social Impact Campaign page. You supply basic contact information, create login credentials, and outline three essentials: (a) what you plan to accomplish, (b) the funding target, and (c) the date you intend to wrap up. BrightLeaf Giving reviews the submission to confirm that the goal is charitable, realistic for a time-boxed drive, and compatible with federal rules covering 501(c)(3) activity. A clear proposal up front prevents unpleasant surprises later—both for you and for contributors who expect their gifts to be used exactly as described.

2. Rekonect Opens a Dedicated Sub-Account

Once the campaign is approved, Rekonect—a registered 501(c)(3)—creates a stand-alone account earmarked for your project alone. Every donation will land in this account and stay there until spent strictly on the purpose you declared. This setup delivers two immediate benefits:

Because the money lives inside a recognized charity, donors receive the paperwork they need to claim a deduction without any extra steps.
Funds never mix with personal or business balances, shielding you from the record-keeping headaches that come with “self-custody” fundraising.

3. BrightLeaf Publishes Your Donation Page

Next, BrightLeaf spins up a public donation portal. The checkout form supports multiple giving rails out of the box—credit cards, ACH transfers, Zelle, QuickPay, PayPal, wire transfers, e-checks, and grants from donor-advised funds. By meeting donors where they are (rather than herding everyone toward a single card gateway), you cut friction and make it easier for supporters who prefer lower-fee or higher-limit channels to contribute.

4. Donations Arrive and Are Earmarked

When gifts start flowing, each one is tagged to your project and deposited directly into the Rekonect sub-account. Because the funds never pass through a personal PayPal or bank account, every dollar is traceable from the moment it is received. This clear audit trail protects donor confidence and satisfies regulatory requirements without forcing you to master nonprofit accounting overnight.

5. Request Disbursals for Eligible Costs

When you need to pay a vendor or cover project expenses, you submit a request. Rekonect reviews the paperwork to confirm the expense matches the campaign’s stated purpose, then releases the funds. This extra check keeps everything aligned with IRS rules.

6. Closing the Campaign Cleanly

A Social Impact Campaign is meant to finish, not linger. When the deadline passes—or when you hit the target amount, whichever comes first—new donations are automatically shut off. Rekonect finalizes the books, BrightLeaf Giving locks the public donation page, and you can report back to supporters with a definitive, “We did it.” A clean closing date keeps the project from drifting into a never-ending ask and makes outcomes easy to measure and share.

7. Fees at a Glance

BrightLeaf Giving service fee: 4.5 % of every incoming gift. This single charge covers platform hosting, payment-form maintenance, and campaign support.

By following this sequence—simple application, nonprofit custody, multi-rail checkout, transparent holding of funds, and a defined end date—a Social Impact Campaign gives you speed and guardrails in one package. You can focus on rallying supporters around a concrete goal while BrightLeaf Giving and Rekonect handle the compliance heavy-lifting behind the scenes.

To understand why a Social Impact Campaign feels different from ordinary online fundraising, it helps to look at the key features one by one. Everything below comes straight from the service description—no hidden extras, no wish-list items—just the mechanics BrightLeaf Giving and Rekonect already provide.

Automatic Nonprofit Cover

Because Rekonect is a registered 501(c)(3) and serves as the legal host, every donation you collect is treated as a charitable gift from the moment it lands. Donors get an official tax receipt without waiting for year-end paperwork, and you never have to juggle separate bookkeeping to prove funds were received “on behalf of a charity.” This built-in cover is the single biggest difference between an SIC and a do-it-yourself crowdfunding page.

Multiple Ways to Give—All in One Checkout

BrightLeaf Giving’s payment form accepts far more than the standard credit-card swipe:

Credit and debit cards
ACH bank transfers
Zelle and QuickPay
PayPal
Wire transfers and e-checks
Grants from donor-advised funds

Offering these options matters for two reasons. First, larger contributors often prefer bank-based rails (ACH, wire) to avoid card limits or fees. Second, foundations and donor-advised funds can move money only if a campaign can receive it in the correct format. An SIC handles all of that automatically, so no one is turned away at the checkout.

Transparent, Flat-Rate Cost Structure

BrightLeaf Giving charges 4.5 % of every incoming gift. That single line item covers hosting, security, customer support, and ongoing maintenance of the giving form. Any third-party processor fees—about 3.5 % on a typical credit-card donation, zero on ACH, and flat amounts on wires or mailed checks—pass straight through with no markup. You know the costs up front, donors see the same numbers, and there are no surprise platform add-ons later.

Funds Held in a Dedicated, Earmarked Account

Every dollar goes into a separate Rekonect sub-account created just for your project. The money cannot be diverted for unrelated expenses, and it never mingles with personal or business balances. By design, this structure satisfies IRS record-keeping rules and keeps donor intent crystal-clear. When the campaign ends, the account closes—so there is always a clean beginning and a clean finish.

Professional Oversight Without DIY Headaches

BrightLeaf Giving provides the technology, the donation portal, and day-to-day support, while Rekonect ensures each disbursement sticks to the charitable purpose you declared in the application. You focus on telling the story and rallying supporters; BrightLeaf Giving and Rekonect handle the compliance checklist in the background.

Taken together, these five features turn a Social Impact Campaign into more than “just another fundraising project.” They give you the reach of modern payment tools, the credibility of nonprofit status, and the clarity of flat-rate pricing—all without forcing you to build an organization from scratch.

BrightLeaf Giving pairs its technical platform with several nonprofit-hosted models. Each fits a different fundraising rhythm, so aligning your project with the right structure keeps expectations—and compliance—crystal-clear.

An SIC is the go-to when you have a single objective, a fixed goal amount, and a hard deadline. Every gift is tax-deductible, funds are earmarked in a Rekonect sub-account, and the campaign closes as soon as the clock or the dollar target hits. All outreach, updates, and reporting point toward that near-term finish line.

Community Support Fund (CSF): ongoing community pool

A CSF stays open indefinitely, making it ideal for year-round or multi-year causes—think continuous medical relief, neighborhood micro-grants, or recurring school-supply drives. Donors can give whenever they like, and managers can recommend grants over time, while Rekonect retains ultimate custody to keep every disbursal compliant.

Education Opportunity Fund (EOF): donor-advised scholarship

An EOF creates a scholarship fund tailored to criteria you recommend—academic merit, extracurricular focus, financial need, or a mix of all three. You supply the vision; the Yeshiva Giving Fund handles the final award decisions so the fund stays firmly within IRS guidelines. This model lets families, alumni groups, or individual philanthropists make a direct, lasting educational impact without forming their own foundation.

Donation Program (DP): full-featured program site

A DP is more than a donation page—it’s a customizable website that can grow alongside your initiative. Add mission write-ups, event calendars, galleries, even order forms for craft sales or merchandise. You also gain deeper donor-insight tools than those available in a CSF, helping you segment outreach and build long-term relationships. Funds remain nonprofit-controlled and earmarked for the program’s activities.

Putting the Pieces Together

Need a quick infusion for a defined project? Pick an SIC.
Building a perpetual safety net or community chest? Go with a CSF.
Want to fund students on a recurring cycle? Create an EOF.
Running a multi-page initiative that blends storytelling, e-commerce, and giving? A DP offers the digital canvas you need.

All four paths share BrightLeaf Giving’s hallmarks—tax-deductible receipts, nonprofit custody of funds, and a transparent 4.5 % processing fee—but their pacing, scope, and storytelling cadence differ. Selecting the structure that mirrors your mission’s timeline ensures donors understand exactly how their dollars will be deployed and helps you stay focused on delivering impact.

How an SIC Plays Out in Real Life

The best way to see a Social Impact Campaign in motion is to walk through a few possible projects. These examples show how the mechanics and advantages you’ve just read about come together when the clock is running.

Storm-Damage Relief for a Local Library

The need. A coastal town’s public library loses part of its roof during a late-season hurricane. The board estimates $50,000 will cover repairs and mold remediation before the next school term begins.
The setup. Library supporters file an SIC application with BrightLeaf Giving, set the goal at $50,000, and choose a 30-day window so construction can finish over summer break.
Fundraising sprint. Word spreads through regional media, and donors chip in using ACH, Zelle, and a handful of wire transfers from alumni who now live out of state. Every contributor receives an instant tax receipt from Rekonect.
Outcome. The campaign reaches $52,300 by Day 26. When the window closes, Rekonect releases payments directly to the roofing contractor and remediation team—exactly matching the invoices submitted. No board member ever handles the cash, and the library reopens on schedule.

Classroom Tech Upgrade Before the Semester Starts

The need. A high-school robotics club wants three new 3D printers—total cost $7,500—before the fall competitions begin.
The setup. Club parents launch an SIC with a 45-day deadline and a $7,500 target, explaining that any overage will buy extra filament and maintenance kits.
Fundraising sprint. Smaller gifts dominate—$25, $50, $100—because students share the campaign on social media. One local foundation sends a $1,500 grant via its donor-advised fund, made possible by the campaign’s nonprofit custody.
Outcome. The tally reaches $8,120 on Day 40. BrightLeaf Giving’s single 4.5 % fee and standard card fees leave more than enough for the printers and supplies. The club emails donors a photo of the first test print two weeks later.

Community Park Renovation Tied to a Permit Expiration

The need. Residents earn city approval to renovate a neglected park, but the permit requires groundbreaking within 90 days. Estimated cost: $80,000.
The setup. Neighborhood leaders open an SIC with an $80,000 goal and exactly 90 days on the clock, outlining line-item expenses—landscaping, playground equipment, and ADA-compliant pathways.
Fundraising sprint. Early momentum comes from local businesses sending ACH gifts; later, a few larger donors use wire transfers to push the total over the finish line. Every dollar lands in the Rekonect sub-account earmarked for the park.
Outcome. The campaign closes at $82,450 on Day 86. Vendor invoices flow through Rekonect for approval, construction starts before the permit deadline, and the park hosts its ribbon-cutting the following spring.

Why these examples matter

Each hypothetical project shows how an SIC’s fixed goal, nonprofit custody, multi-rail payment options, and flat 4.5 % fee align when urgency is non-negotiable. Whether the objective is $7,500 or $80,000, the same safeguards and tax benefits apply—giving organizers one less variable to worry about while they solve real-world problems on a tight schedule.

Your Next Move: Turning Intent Into Impact

If you’ve read this far, chances are you have a mission that can’t wait—roof repairs before the rainy season, emergency supplies after a wildfire, or a once-in-a-generation opportunity to equip a classroom before the school year starts. A Social Impact Campaign (SIC) is purpose-built for moments like these: short timeline, clear dollar target, and zero appetite for red tape.

Here’s a practical, five-step action plan to take you from idea to launch:

Clarify the “What” and the “When.”

Write one sentence that names the exact outcome you’re funding (“Replace the community center’s HVAC system”) and another that states the deadline (“Funds in hand by October 15”). Everything else—messaging, graphics, outreach—will orbit those two sentences.

Estimate the true cost.

Gather vendor quotes or line-item budgets so you can set a goal that covers the project and accounts for the 4.5 % BrightLeaf Giving fee plus any third-party processor fees. Round up slightly to avoid scrambling for last-minute dollars.

Draft your application.

Open the Social Impact Campaign form on BrightLeaf Giving’s site. Paste the two sentences from Step 1, attach your budget from Step 2, and fill in basic contact details. Submit. BrightLeaf Giving will review for charitable eligibility, then Rekonect will create your dedicated account.

Prep your launch kit while approval is pending.

Even a short drive needs crisp communication pieces: a one-page explainer, a couple of social posts, an email to key supporters, and a high-resolution image that shows what success looks like.

Go live and keep the drumbeat steady.

Share the campaign, thank early donors publicly, and remind everyone of the goal and the deadline in every update. Because funds are held by Rekonect, you can reassure contributors that their gifts are tax-deductible and will be spent only on the stated mission.

If an SIC isn’t the right shape—say your project needs a year-round funding pool or a scholarship that renews every semester—BrightLeaf Giving also offers Community Support Funds (CSFs), Educational Opportunity Funds (EOFs), and Donation Programs (DPs). Each follows the same transparency and nonprofit-custody principles but runs on a different timetable.

Ready to Begin?

Visit the Social Impact Campaign page.

BrightLeaf Giving will handle the compliance heavy lifting; Rekonect will safeguard the funds; you focus on rallying the community and hitting that target on time. When the countdown ends and the goal is met, you’ll have the resources—and the peace of mind—to put every dollar straight into action.

Contact BrightLeaf Giving today to learn more about SICs.