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How does the fundraiser approval chain work in SuccessFund?

By default, campaigns can be sent for approval to any administrator with Approval Permissions at the school where the fundraiser originated. If no school-level approver is available, the request can be escalated to a district administrator.

SuccessFund does not enforce a rigid approval hierarchy, allowing administrators to manually route approvals as needed. This ensures:

  • A first approver can be set, but subsequent routing is handled by administrators.
  • Different roles may review different types of fundraisers (e.g., an Athletic Director for sports, a Fine Arts Coordinator for performing arts).
  • Approvers can reassign requests to the appropriate person if responsibilities shift or staff changes occur.

To set a first approver:

  1. Go to Administration > Schools.
  2. Select your school.
  3. Click Actions > Edit Information to configure the approver.

The district can also choose who has the authority to finalize approvals by giving them the Finalize Approvals permission.

Approver Instructions

Districts can provide customized Approver Instructions to guide approvers before they take action. These instructions appear on-screen during the approval process, helping approvers understand where to route a request under different circumstances. These instructions are the same for the entire organization or district.

To add approver instructions:

  1. Go to Approvals and click Settings in the top right.
  2. Find the Instructions for Approvers section.
  3. Enter clear guidance for approvers (e.g., “If the fundraiser is athletics-related, route to the Athletic Director. If it involves performing arts, route to the Fine Arts Coordinator.”).

This ensures consistency in how approvals are handled, even when responsibilities overlap.

Campaign Statuses

Fundraising campaigns in SuccessFund progress through the following statuses:

  • Draft – Only the organizer can see the campaign.
  • Pending – The campaign is in the approval process. Approvers are notified when a campaign is waiting in their queue.
  • Approved – The campaign has been approved through the district's process.
  • Live – If payments are collected through SuccessFund, the campaign goes live before it can be shared and start receiving contributions.
  • Closed – The fundraiser has ended, and the organizer has submitted the required closeout information.
  • Archived – Campaigns can be archived to remove them from the active list while retaining records.

Revoking Approval

Administrators can revoke approval and return a campaign to "Pending" status if changes or further review are needed. This can be done by navigating to the Approval tab and selecting Possible Actions.

This structured approach ensures transparency, compliance, and proper oversight while keeping the approval process adaptable to each school and district's needs.