Proud to Power Extraordinary Causes

For more than 35 years, Medfield Coalition for Public Education (MCPE) has empowered Medfield, Massachusetts’ five public schools with the funds they need to go beyond the basics. From innovative classroom technology to cultural enrichment to health and wellness projects, MCPE’s community-driven fundraising ensures every student has access to opportunities that inspire curiosity, creativity, and growth.

The Challenge

When MCPE prepared to bring back their signature Fall Ball Gala after a five-year hiatus, they faced a new set of hurdles:

• A rotating board meant much of the institutional memory from past galas was gone
• Limited tools like Eventbrite weren’t flexible enough to handle ticketing, auctions, and donor engagement in one place
• They needed a streamlined system to manage donor records, event logistics, and payments
• Guest experience was paramount, including fast check-ins, easy bidding, and inspiring giving throughout the night

The Solution

MCPE partnered with FrontStream, giving them the technology and hands-on support to ensure success:

• Integrated Platform: Ticket sales, donor data, and auctions managed all in one place
• Mobile Bidding: Guests could bid on items in real time from their phones, with live totals projected on a big screen
• Live Giving: A live donation ask added $10,000+ in minutes
• Onsite Support Team: Four FrontStream staff handled ticketing and technical support, freeing board members to focus on guests
• Top-Tier Customer Service: Ongoing support from FrontStream staff in the lead-up made setup easy for a team of volunteers, not tech experts

The Results

Despite having 200 fewer guests than their last gala, MCPE raised $20,000 more for Medfield schools.

• Exceeded their paddle-up goal, raising $10,000+ in minutes
• Top auction item sold for over $6,500
• Guests engaged in live bidding wars while seeing real-time fundraising progress
• Smooth guest experience with no long lines, thanks to mobile ticketing and checkout
• Board members had the freedom to focus on mission and guest engagement, not logistic

After David Rabotnick was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, he discovered that performing magic card tricks wasn’t just a hobby — it was a form of therapy. Inspired to turn his passion into purpose, David founded Slow Motion Magic to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson’s research.

Each year, the organization hosts its signature event, Conjuring for a Cure, blending wonder, entertainment, and community spirit to support life-changing research. What began as a personal mission has grown into a beloved annual tradition, drawing supporters who share the goal of finding a cure.

The Challenge

In 2023, the team was juggling online ticket sales, in-person ticket sales, merchandise, cash donations, and online donations.

Tracking all of this meant digging through several files, managing manual mailing lists, and spending hours on repetitive tasks like printing thank-you letters. The process left David exhausted, often working into the early morning hours before the event, and scrambling to finish materials just before guests arrived.

 

The Solution

In 2024, Slow Motion Magic moved everything into FrontStream to simplify their fundraising with:

• One platform for all revenue streams: Every ticket, donation, and merchandise sale was processed through FrontStream, with direct links from their website.
• Automated donor thank-yous: Donors instantly received acknowledgment letters, eliminating the need for manual printing and mailing.
• Centralized data for outreach: Mailing lists were generated directly in the platform, making it easy to reach supporters without piecing together information from multiple files.

The Results

With every revenue stream consolidated in FrontStream, David no longer had to juggle multiple systems or spend hours on manual tasks. Donors could easily purchase tickets, give online, or support the event in other ways — and David could send them directly to the website instead of collecting cash or paper forms on the fly.

The time saved meant David could:

• Spend more time guiding volunteers and strengthening the team
• Increase outreach to businesses for donations and raffle prizes
• Plan ahead without the late-night scramble
• Even attend his son’s Halloween party the night before the show

Most importantly, the streamlined process allowed Slow Motion Magic to focus more energy on its mission: raising funds for Parkinson’s research more effectively than ever before.

The FrontStream Advantage: More Time, Bigger Impact

• Consolidation reduces chaos: Managing all ticket sales, donations, and merchandise in one platform means no lost data, no duplicate work, and a clear picture of fundraising progress at all times.
• Automation saves hours: Instant donor thank-you letters freed up David’s schedule, replacing hours of manual printing, folding, stamping, and mailing.
• Better planning = better fundraising: Without last-minute scrambling, the team could focus on outreach, solicitation, and building strong volunteer support.
• Make giving easy for supporters: Instead of chasing down cash or paper ticket orders, David could simply direct anyone, even a chance encounter at the grocery store, to the event website.
• Technology supports mission impact: The streamlined process meant more time and energy went toward raising funds for Parkinson’s research, the heart of Slow Motion Magic’s mission.
• Work-life balance matters: By easing the workload, David gained the freedom to be present for personal moments.

After stepping into the role of auction chair for the New York/New Jersey Marriott Hotels Business Council’s Annual Golf Classic, Rebecca Waite quickly turned a new responsibility into a personal mission. Drawing on a lifetime of community service and relationship building, she embraced the challenge of growing the event’s silent auction to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

The New York/New Jersey Marriott Hotels Business Council Charity Golf Tournament has raised critical funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for more than a decade. The event blends competitive golf, community spirit, and a robust silent auction to make an impact for children and families in need.

Each year, the tournament brings together golfers, business leaders, and supporters for a day of competition and generosity — and under Rebecca’s leadership, the auction has become a major driver of fundraising success, blending local energy with the power of a nationwide online audience to make a greater impact for children and families in need.

With the support of FrontStream fundraising platform and the BiddingForGood community, Rebecca streamlined auction management, reached bidders nationwide, and maximized participation both on and off the golf course.

The Challenge

When Rebecca Waite first became the auction chair for the Council’s charity golf tournament benefiting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, she brought a deep background in community service — but also faced the challenge of single-handedly running a large, high-stakes auction.

The event combined an in-person golf tournament with an online silent auction. Managing prize procurement, setting starting bids, promoting the auction, and handling bidder questions was a huge undertaking. On top of that, Rebecca wanted to make the experience simple and seamless for golfers and online bidders alike, without the old headaches of paper bid sheets, last-minute item additions, or shipping confusion.

The Solution

Rebecca turned to FrontStream’s BiddingForGood platform to simplify and scale the auction:

• Strategic Item Procurement: Rebecca set a personal goal of securing 62 prizes, leaning on her network, LinkedIn connections, and thoughtful personal outreach to secure a mix of certificates, sports memorabilia, and travel packages.
• Optimized Auction Setup: Rebecca used BiddingForGood’s built-in tools to set starting bids and bid increments, ensuring strong participation from the start.
• Expanded Reach: Rebecca opened the auction two weeks prior to the event, promoted it via email and social media to tap into networks far beyond the golfers in attendance.
• BiddingForGood Community: Rebecca leveraged BiddingForGood’s 4.4 million philanthropic shoppers, who accounted for $35,000 of the winning bids.
• On-Site Support: FrontStream staff attended the event to register bidders, send targeted text alerts, and keep auction energy high during the tournament.

The Results

Rebecca exceeded her auction goal by 20%, bringing in $42,000 in auction revenue — her personal best.

• 125 bidders came directly from the BiddingForGood community.
• $35,000 of winning bids were from supporters outside the immediate event audience.
• Auction promotion and the extended two-week bidding window attracted participation from across the United States.
• Complimentary shipping on prizes and clear prize descriptions improved bidder satisfaction and reduced questions.

Learn how Rebecca curated a diverse range of auction items that appealed to various price points. Watch the Webcast >

Founded to meet the immediate needs of children facing abuse, abandonment, or neglect, Lowcountry Orphan Relief (LOR) provides emergency care kits with clothing, toiletries, school supplies, books, and comfort items. Serving nearly 50 schools in the Charleston area, LOR supports children during times of crisis, and works to connect them with supportive, lasting care.

The Challenge

While LOR’s mission was strong and community support steady, the small nonprofit team faced two big hurdles with their annual gala:

• Cumbersome, manual processes for check-in, bidding, and checkout left guests frustrated in prior years.
• Limited supporter data meant they couldn’t easily segment or engage attendees after the event.

Executive Director Sarah Wallace and Community Outreach & Events Manager Stephanie Mermott needed a way to run the event more smoothly, create a better guest experience, and capture detailed data they could use year-round.

The Solution

The LOR team implemented FrontStream to modernize their gala and auction:

• Mobile Bidding & Digital Auction: LOR transitioned both live and silent auctions to mobile, allowing for text bid alerts, instant outbid notifications, and real-time engagement tracking.
• Streamlined Check-In & Checkout: They eliminated long lines by collecting payment info at registration and delivering won items directly to tables.
• Integrated CRM: LOR automatically captured attendee and bidder information — including purchase history and interests — into FrontStream's CRM for future campaigns.
• Creative Fundraising: They introduced a “Backpack Auction” in the live program, where guests sponsored $50 backpacks for children in care. The fast-paced appeal raised $30,000 in just five minutes!
• Data-Driven Planning: LOR used past bidding data to tailor auction items to attendee preferences for future events.

The FrontStream Advantage: More Time, Bigger Impact

With FrontStream, LOR has one platform for event management, auction tools, payments, and CRM. Together we're delivering:

• A better guest experience – No long lines, instant bidding, and seamless checkout left guests feeling cared for.
• Data you can act on – Every bid, donation, and interaction flowed directly into LOR’s CRM for year-round engagement.
• Flexible fundraising formats – Ability to mix mobile bidding with creative live appeals like the backpack auction.
• Room to grow – Scalable tools support LOR’s future events alongside the gala.

BrightStar Care® is known for providing compassionate, high-quality home care, assisted living, and staffing services across the United States. As the organization grew, so did the complexity of managing payments efficiently—until they partnered with FrontStream.

The Solution: One Platform, Full Support

FrontStream provided a single, unified platform that met BrightStar Care’s needs across the board:

• 24-hour credit card funding
• One login and one statement for both ACH and credit cards
• Compliant surcharging approved by Visa, Mastercard, and others
• Embedded, secure payment forms
• Dedicated account managers
• PCI Level-1 certification for top-tier security

The Results: Scalable Growth with Speed and Simplicity

Since partnering with FrontStream in 2010, BrightStar Care has grown to more than 400 locations across 40 states. In just the past year, FrontStream processed 260,000 transactions on their behalf—while delivering credit card funding in under 24 hours.

For BrightStar Care, simplifying payments wasn't just about convenience—it was about enabling growth, empowering franchises, and ensuring families have flexible, secure ways to pay for care.

FrontStream makes payments easy, secure, and built for scale.

Whether you're supporting patients, donors, or customers — FrontStream helps you focus less on admin and more on impact. Get a tour of FrontStream Payments >

Rise Above Violence serves the rural community of Archuleta County, Colorado, providing crisis intervention, advocacy, and education to individuals affected by domestic violence and sexual assault. With the help of grants, donations, fundraising efforts and volunteers, Rise Above Violence provides immediate crisis intervention, 24 hours a day, by an advocate trained to listen and provide support. The organization helps nearly 400 survivors each year. 

The Challenge

As a small nonprofit with a big mission, Rise Above Violence needed a fundraising solution that could do more—more flexibility, more customization, and more support for the variety of events and campaigns they run throughout the year. From Art Above Violence to Domestic Violence Awareness Month, they wanted a platform that could match their creativity and engage their rural community. 

Why It Worked

With limited staff and resources, having a platform that took care of the fundraising infrastructure made a meaningful difference. Rise Above Violence could create campaigns that reflected their mission, activate community support, and generate real financial impact—without stretching their team thin.

Ashley includes multiple giving options on her donation and campaign pages, including Donor Covers the Fee, which 50% of donors opt for.

In 2019, Rise Above Violence created a monthly giving campaign. For just $10/month, donors can cover the price of a crisis call. The campaign ensures a support crisis worker is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 25% of the monthly donors later increased their donation by 5–10x!

Ashley and her team continue to create unique fundraising events, including an annual push-up challenge and art show. FrontStream is proud to help Rise Above Violence simplify fundraising and engage donors.

To learn more about the organization and to donate to Rise Above Violence, click here.

Bay Laurel Elementary is a public K-5 school in California that has worked with FrontStream since 2012. And every year they run an auction with FrontStream's BiddingForGood community, helping them "reach a whole new group of people beyond our parents.” Finding a way to draw in new supporters made a huge difference in how much Bay Laurel Elementary was able to raise.

Opening up their auction to our community of 4.4 million cause-minded bidders has expanded their base of supporters. The BiddingForGood community helped raise almost a third of the funds brought in by their online auction again this year. “Even if no one at our school donated or participated, we would still make money and make a difference.” 

BiddingForGood expands auction catalogue possibilities.

Before using BiddingForGood, getting items was the most difficult part for Bay Laurel. BiddingForGood’s Instant Items gave Bay Laurel the opportunity to add items to their catalogue that they otherwise might not have been able to source.

Furthermore, the school “showcased” the most valuable and popular auction items on their homepage.

Bay Laurel also created exclusive school items in their online auction, including “Storytime with the Principal” and “Librarian for the Day”. These “Bay Laurel Exclusives” sold for over $7,000 total. BiddingForGood allows them to continuously invite new supporters to their auction while still allowing the school community to have its own unique pool of exclusive items to bid on.

Based out of Arvada, Colorado, Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies was founded in 1996 to help rescue, rehab and place unwanted, abandoned or surrendered Golden Retrievers into loving forever homes. They rehome approximately 300 Golden Retrievers annually . 

Not only does the nonprofit provide new homes for the Goldens, but they also work to educate the public on the importance of researching dog breeds and breeders before purchasing a pet. This outreach works to hopefully prevent dogs being abandoned at shelters.

Additionally, the nonprofit runs a special program called Golden Angel. Judi Servoss, the president of Golden Retriever Rescue, explains its impact: “The Golden Angel program helps Golden Retrievers in need of extraordinary medical care. Some Goldens require special medications, treatments or surgeries for acute or chronic conditions resulting from birth defects, accidents or disease, such as hip dysplasia, heart problems, allergies, heartworm, orthopedic problems, eye diseases, or infections. Others may need significant behavioral rehab or socialization due to abuse or neglect, before they can be adopted.

Because these Golden Angels need veterinary care, Golden Retriever Rescue relies on donations to help offset expenses. In 2017 alone, they spent $154,000 on vet care for these special dogs, and they use FrontStream's donor management tools to help organize and view their data.

“Thanks to better data analysis, we added a new Colorado Western Slope fundraising event to our calendar because we discovered a strong geographic pocket of interest that we had not previously addressed.”

Additionally, FrontStream helped Golden Retriever Rescue use targeting to more carefully focus their community-based appeals. “This has resulted in engaging more people, helping to create a localized community and raise more money based on a specific appeal. We believe the increased focus has really helped."

Girls Inc. of New Hampshire's is dedicated to inspiring girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Through legislative advocacy and research-based programming, the organization equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers.

An annual in-person gala is critical to Girls Inc.'s fundraising — but managing it efficiently was a challenge, particularly in 2020 when they had to pivot to a fully virtual event. With the help of FrontStream, Girls Inc. was able to quickly move the event online, incorporate social media campaigns, live stream on Facebook and YouTube, and host an online auction. Girls Inc. gained the attention of thousands of supporters and raised over $175,000.

The virtual gala helped Girls Inc. increase donations and trim expenses. The overall cost of the virtual gala was just 13% of the in-person event, thanks to savings on the venue, food and beverage, signage, and postage.

With the success of their 2020 virtual gala, the nonprofit can now host fully virtual or hybrid events. Girls Inc. of New Hampshire continues to inspire girls and create engaging events to help raise awareness for all the good they do.

Jacksonville Humane Society provides care, comfort and compassion to abandoned and orphaned shelter animals. The organization also provides animal training classes, low-cost veterinary care, spay/neuter assistance, and more services to help animals and pet owners in the community. 

Jacksonville Humane Society uses FrontStream campaign pages to increase their online donations and awareness. And they host an auction every April, a revenue-saver in 2020 when the organization's annual fundraiser – The Mutt March – had to be completely virtual.

The Mutt March traditionally includes a dog walk, silent auction, and a community festival for participants and sponsors.

But in 2020, they pivoted to a Facebook Live parade of dogs. They encouraged participants to take their dogs for socially-distanced walks, cuddle their cats, and post photos with the hashtag #muttmarch on social media.

After the virtual walk, they hosted another Facebook Live to tease an online auction on FrontStream's BiddingForGood community. They even auctioned a roll of toilet paper for $250!

In total, the online auction brought in $10,421. And despite going virtual with just one week's notice, they didn't receive a single refund request.

Shriners Hospitals for Children - Canada provides compassionate care to children with complex or chronic disorders.  The hospitals provide children with all aspects of inpatient and outpatient care, including surgery, rehabilitation, treatment and psychological support. 

In 2015, Nathalie Kamel brought together a group of young professionals to help create The Wonder Race. Instead of a typical walk or run, participants completed Amazing Race-style challenges. 

When they made the event completely virtual in 2021, they kept the team format, but participants tackled challenges independently over a week.

And with the FrontStream event builder, they were able to incorporate their logo, colors, imagery, and add videos.

To make sure fundraising was front and center, the Shriners team sent emails to remind registrants about their fundraising goals, plus tips and tricks to help kickstart their fundraising. They also made personal coaching calls to teams that were low on fundraising.

Shriners Hospitals for Children – Canada was able to incorporate online donation and campaign pages on their website. Donors could easily donate to the organization and share their message to a wider audience through email and social media.

In previous years the race has sold out months before the actual event. By going virtual, The Wonder Race was able to expand the number of teams from 50 to unlimited, and fundraise far beyond Montreal.

Ben Porat Yosef School (BPY) is an innovative Jewish day school in New Jersey. Each year, around 400 students grow and learn to become responsible Jewish citizens contributing to global society. The school’s success is made possible through contributions to their annual campaign, Annual Scholarship Walkathon, and Shorashim Capital Campaign. 

With so much of the school’s success and growth reliant upon their fundraising efforts, the choice of fundraising tools and data management applications is not taken lightly. For the past two years BPY has chosen FrontStream as their fundraising partner.

One of BPY’s biggest fundraisers is their Annual Scholarship Walkathon. The school relies on proceeds to provide scholarships for deserving students. In their Annual Walkathon, participants are able to “earn their stripes” thorough exciting basic training challenges.

The school uses FrontStream to manage their peer-to-peer fundraising events, track and organize donor data, and create dynamic and successful auction events.

Massachusetts-based charity Dream Day on Cape Cod provides respite to families of children with serious or life-threatening illnesses. The charity brings these families to Cape Cod free of charge for a week of relaxing, laughing, and bonding. Campers canoe, kayak, make arts and crafts, play water sports, and enjoy campfires.

Dream Day on Cape Cod runs many fundraisers each year, including the Falmouth Road Race, Tour da Cape, the Paul DeMeo Memorial Motorcycle Run, and fishing and golf tournaments.

“And when a tree fell on our camp truck, I immediately thought it could raise awareness and funds. Within hours I put photos of the damage on social media and news sites, and created a campaign in FrontStream.

"Within two days, the Cape Cod Times ran an article and NBC Boston and CBS Boston came to camp to do a live feed. Our fundraiser link was broadcast as well. This campaign brought in $15,000 in one week and significantly grew awareness of our organization.”

Boston-based United Planet offers volunteer opportunities across the globe, helping “unite the planet one relationship at a time."

Volunteers focus on Children and Education, Environmental Sustainability, and Global Health. United Planet’s founder and president Dave Santulli explains, “United Planet is focused on building stronger global community and preparing a generation of globally minded leaders through gap years, international service learning, volunteering abroad, and leadership development programs. By partnering with secondary schools, universities, and corporations, United Planet is unlocking the potential of every person as a catalyst to create a more peaceful, cohesive, and sustainable world." CNN selected United Planet as one of only ten nonprofit organizations in the world for their ‘Be the Change’ initiative.

When it comes to focused fundraising, United Planet volunteers have raised $389,430 from 3,719 donors using FrontStream's peer-to-peer fundraising tool. 

“Since 2001, United Planet's 10,000+ volunteers have served over 1.5 million hours. They've built libraries, clinics, community centers, children’s housing, and 100,000+ relationships in over 25 countries."

These volunteers are particularly enthusiastic when it comes to peer-to-peer fundraising online. Santulli explains their keys to fundraising-page success: “We have some very thoughtful volunteers who have taken the time to fully share their motivations, information about the needs of the community, along with the expected outcomes of their work. These volunteers have seen the highest return on their efforts. They have also approached friends and family and asked them to share their pages throughout their networks.

“It is also important to remember to not only send your gratitude, but share about what the experience meant to you and the community. In addition to creating blogs, videos, and posting on social media, some volunteers send old-fashioned postcards from the field to share their thanks and experiences. It's exciting for supporters to receive a postcard an exotic stamp. It sends an important message that their support was genuinely appreciated.”

“It's not just about the fundraising, but also about educating and inspiring donors to contribute to positive global change. It's important to share your experiences. Many of our most successful volunteers create blogs, share on social media, and create videos.

“Nothing really beats a simple thank you and sharing your journey,” Santulli adds. “Reaching out to friends and family for fundraising is also an invitation for them to take part in something much bigger. Perhaps your journey will inspire them to take theirs.”

To learn more, please visit www.unitedplanet.org. Further information on United Planet’s volunteer abroad programs in over 25 countries can be found here: www.unitedplanet.org/volunteer-abroad

Located in Toronto, Ontario, Baycrest Health Sciences is a global leader in geriatric residential living, healthcare, research, innovation and education, with a special focus on brain health and aging. Their charitable wing, the Baycrest Foundation, provides funding that will help define the future of brain health.

One of the biggest threats to our brains is Alzheimer’s Disease, a common type of dementia that leads to memory loss and loss of function. In order to help raise funds Alzheimer’s reserach, former president of the Foundation, Mark Gryfe, created a hockey charity event during the 2005 NHL lockout. This event became known as the Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer’s – the largest charitable on-ice hockey tournament in North America. And it’s been happening annually ever since

Dawn Collins, Manager of Hockey Operations for Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer’s, explains, “We are the pioneer of having a charity hockey event with ex-NHL pros in Canada – nobody else did it before us.”

With 435 registered players, including 26 Toronto Maple Leafs and NHL alumni, the latest event raised $1.5 million for Alzheimer’s research.

The biggest contributor to the event’s continued success year over year is to have “a strong core of participants who care about the cause, and a team of people who are committed to making this event the best possible player experience possible.”

If you’re a charitable foundation looking to start holding your own event like Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer’s, take a page out of Baycrest’s book and leverage your connections – you might be surprised at who’s willing to help. And once you begin making your event an annual occurrence, continue to find new ways to surprise and engage your participants – it’s the key to creating not only regular participants, but potential supporters for life.

The Vineyard Theatre's mission is to develop and produce bold new plays and musicals by emerging and established artists. Located in New York City, they are committed to nurturing artists and fostering new collaborations.

As part of their fundraising efforts, they run online auctions 2-3 times per year, and their spring auction regularly brings in $23,000-$27,000.

Some of the hottest sellers for the Vineyard Theatre's auctions include event tickets and one-of-a-kind experiences: Saturday Night Live tickets are always popular (these sold for $11,000!), and hard-to-get Hamilton tickets sold for over $5,000.

Vineyard Theatre regularly adds on meet-and-greets or backstage tours to ticket packages - like this set of tickets to If/Then with a meet-and-greet with Idina Menzel, or this House of Cards set tour with a meet-and-greet with the cast members.

Yet it wasn't a hot start out of the gate for the theatre. Before using BiddingForGood, Vineyard Theatre had a hard time generating interest in a silent auction in a separate room of the gala.

Instead, they pivoted to an online auction that didn't compete with the gala's programming. And they prominently displayed a real-time leaderboard to encourage bidding and generate buzz at the gala.

Since then, the Vineyard Theatre's auctions have only grown, and they're a great example of how a small organization can use online auctions to take its fundraising profits to new heights.