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Client Handbook

Everything you need to run your fundraisers on Gratituity: setting them up, how money moves, sending receipts, and what your donors see. Pick a topic on the left, or search.

Hi! I'm the Gratituity mouse, and I'll show you around. Pick a topic on the left, or start at the top with What Gratituity does.
Getting started

What Gratituity does

Gratituity is a fundraising platform built around one promise to donors: they can see exactly how their money was spent.

You run your fundraisers in a content system we manage for you. Donors give through Gratituity's checkout. As you spend the money, you upload the receipts, and each verified receipt appears as a spending record on the fundraiser. Donors see the goal, what was raised, and what it bought.

  • For you: a ready-made place to publish fundraisers, collect donations and show your impact, without building a website or payment system.
  • For your donors: proof that the gift did what you said it would, which builds trust and repeat giving.
Getting started

How it works

Here's everything Gratituity does for you. Pick a feature and I'll take you there.
FundraisersDraft, preview and publish; Gratituity approves.Read → DonationsDonors give through a secure checkout.Read → PayoutsWhen and how funds reach you.Read → ReceiptsUpload what you spent so donors can see it.Read → AI receipt readingThree readings, checked by a person when unsure.Read → Donor transparencyWhat donors see, and what stays private.Read → Your team's accessLogins and managing your team in Webiny.Read → HelpSupport, maintenance and who to contact.Read →
Getting started

Your agreement

Your relationship with Gratituity is set by two signed documents: the Main Services Agreement (the general terms) and a Work Order (what's included for your organization). If anything here differs from your signed copy, your signed copy wins.

  • Cost: the managed platform is provided at no cost under the standard work order.
  • Support tips: donors may be offered an optional "support" or "tip" for Gratituity at checkout. It's separate from the money for your fundraiser.
  • Attribution: you agree to reasonable "Powered by Gratituity" credit in places both sides agree on.
  • Early-stage platform: features and screens keep improving over time; your feedback shapes them.
  • Ending service: either side can cancel with written notice (email is enough). Access is then switched off, and funds already held are paid out according to the approved fundraiser terms.
  • Your content: you're responsible for the accuracy of the text, images and claims you publish.
Getting started

Logging in to Webiny

Webiny is the content system where you manage your fundraisers and files. Gratituity sets up your organization's Webiny and its first admin account; from there, your admins manage your team's accounts.

  • Use your own login. Each person gets their own account; don't share logins. It keeps a clear record of who changed what.
  • Gratituity will never ask for your password.
  • Someone joining or leaving your team? Your Webiny admins add and remove accounts. Remove access on someone's last day.
  • The two places you'll use most: Content (your fundraisers) and File Manager (pictures and receipts).
your-organization's Webiny address
Home 1 Content Your organization Fundraiser 2 File Manager Website Builder Settings

Welcome

1 Content → your organization → Fundraiser: create and edit fundraisers.

2 File Manager: pictures for fundraisers, and receipts.

Simplified illustration of the Webiny menu. Your screen may look slightly different.
Fundraisers

How a fundraiser works

Going live is your call. Approving is ours. Here's the whole trip, start to finish.

Every fundraiser goes through the same path:

Draft→ Published (live)→ Approved by Gratituity→ Spending + receipts→ Payouts

  1. You draft and publish the fundraiser

    In Webiny: what it's for, the goal, pictures. Preview it, then publish when you're ready. Going live is your call.

  2. Gratituity approves it

    Gratituity staff review it and switch on Approved. Approval is what lets the fundraiser collect and pay out money.

  3. You spend the funds and upload receipts

    Each verified receipt is shown to donors as a spending record.

  4. Gratituity pays out the funds

    Quarterly by default, or earlier on request.

Fundraisers

Create a fundraiser

Be specific about what the money is for. Every receipt gets matched against your description!

Draft a fundraiser for a specific project. Be specific about what the money is for: it's what donors give to, and what your receipts will be checked against.

Steps

  1. In Webiny, open Content, then your organization's Fundraiser list.

  2. Create a new entry and fill in the title, a description of what the money will pay for, up to three pictures, and the goal amount.

  3. Save without publishing and check it with a preview (next topic).

  4. Publish when you're ready. Gratituity then reviews and approves it.

Content › Fundraiser
Home Content Your organization 1 Fundraiser File Manager

Fundraiser

2 + New entry
Spring youth tournamentPublished
Library game nightDraft
Simplified illustration. 1 Open your Fundraiser list. 2 Create a new entry.
Content › Fundraiser › New entry

New Fundraiser

4 Save5 Publish
3 Spring youth tournament
Tables, chairs and prizes for our spring youth tournament.
tournament.jpg
Add image
Add image
500
0
Simplified illustration. 3 Fill in title, description, pictures and goal. 4 Save to keep a draft and preview it. 5 Publish when ready. Leave the faded Gratituity-only fields alone.

Good to know

  • Write the description for donors and for receipts. "Tables, chairs and prizes for our spring youth tournament" works better than "Spring event". Purchases are matched against it.
  • One project per fundraiser. Two similar fundraisers make it hard to tell which one a receipt belongs to.
  • Pictures are files in File Manager. Use images you have the right to publish.
  • Leave the Approved switch and the amount raised alone. They're for Gratituity staff only.
Fundraisers

Preview a fundraiser before publishing

Check how a fundraiser card will look on the site before it goes live.

Steps

  1. In Webiny, create or edit your fundraiser and save it without publishing.

  2. Open the homepage and add ?preview to the end of the address: https://gratituity.com/?preview

  3. Your draft appears alongside the live fundraisers. Check the title, description, pictures and goal.

  4. Happy with it? Go back to Webiny and publish. It now shows on the normal homepage, without ?preview.

1 https://gratituity.com/?preview

Spring youth tournament
$120 of $500

2 DRAFT
Library game night
$0 of $300

Holiday toy drive
$80 of $250

Simplified illustration. 1 Add ?preview to the address. 2 Your unpublished draft shows alongside the live fundraisers.

Good to know

  • Without ?preview, visitors only see published fundraisers. To leave preview, open the homepage without it.
  • Edits to a published fundraiser also show in preview before you publish them.
  • Don't see your draft? Press Ctrl+F5 (Mac: Cmd+Shift+R) to reload the page fully.
  • Didn't go live? If it doesn't appear on the normal homepage, it hasn't been published yet.
  • Anyone who adds ?preview can see drafts. Don't put private information in a draft.
Fundraisers

Approval

See that Approved switch? That one's ours. Please don't flip it, even if Webiny lets you.

You decide when a fundraiser goes live by publishing it. Separately, Gratituity staff review it and switch on Approved. Approval is about the money: it's what lets the fundraiser collect and pay out funds, and it protects donors.

Pending approval→ Approved or Disapproved
  • The Project Authorization Form records each approval. It's the official link between a fundraiser and the money collected for it, including any fees taken from payouts.
  • No approval, no money: a fundraiser can't collect or pay out funds until it's approved.
  • Receipts are only matched to approved fundraisers.
  • The Approved switch is for Gratituity staff only. Please don't change it, even though Webiny may let you.
  • Disapproved? Gratituity will tell you why. You can revise the fundraiser; we'll review it again.
Fundraisers

Update a live fundraiser

You can improve the description or pictures of a live fundraiser at any time.

  1. Edit the fundraiser in Webiny and save without publishing.

  2. Check it with ?preview.

  3. Publish when it looks right.

Changing what the money is for? Talk to Gratituity first. A change of purpose may need a new approval, because donors gave for the original purpose.
Money

How donations work

Donors give on the Gratituity site through a secure card checkout. Gratituity collects and holds the funds for approved fundraisers until they're paid out to you.

  • Optional tip: donors may add a separate "support" amount for Gratituity. It never comes out of your fundraiser's money.
  • Processing fees: card processing and any platform costs are taken from payouts as set out in the Project Authorization Form.
  • Donor privacy: Gratituity protects donor information and only uses it as your agreement allows.
Donors see the full breakdown before they pay: what goes to fundraisers, the optional support for Gratituity, and Square's card processing fee. The donor is charged exactly the amount they enter.
Money

Payouts

Gratituity pays out the funds collected for your approved fundraisers.

  • Quarterly by default: funds are paid out every quarter.
  • Need it sooner? Submit a Fund Disbursement Request to Gratituity. We release the funds as soon as reasonably possible.
  • Receipts first for finished projects: funds for a completed project are released once its receipts are uploaded and verified. Upload as you go to avoid waiting.
  • Net of fees: payouts are after processing fees and any platform costs in the Project Authorization Form.
Receipts

Upload receipts

Every receipt file is deleted 30 days after you upload it. Keep your own copies!

Send Gratituity the receipts for what your fundraisers paid for. Each verified receipt shows donors exactly how their money was spent.

Receipt files are deleted 30 days after upload. Keep your own copies. This applies to every receipt folder (their names end in - 30 day retention), whether a receipt was processed or not. Why: receipt photos can show names and card numbers, and Gratituity doesn't keep personal information it doesn't need. What we keep is only what was read from the receipt (vendor, date, amounts, items), never the photo.
Rolling out: receipt processing is switched on organization by organization. Gratituity will tell you when it's ready for yours.

Steps

  1. In Webiny, open File Manager.

  2. Open the folder Ready to be Processed - 30 day retention. It's the only folder the system reads receipts from.

  3. Upload the receipt (drag it in, or use the upload button). One receipt per file. You can upload several files at once.

    File Manager › Ready to be Processed - 30 day retention
    Bulk Receipts - 30 day retention 1 Ready to be Processed - 30 day retention Receipts Not Fully Validated - 30 day retention Receipts Processed Successfully - 30 day retention

    Ready to be Processed - 30 day retention

    2 Upload
    Or drag receipts here
    hardware-store-oct-12.jpg2.4 MB
    prizes-invoice.png310 KB
    Simplified illustration. 1 Open Ready to be Processed - 30 day retention. 2 Upload, or drag files onto the page. Then leave them there.

  4. Leave it there. Each receipt is read three separate times and the readings are compared, usually within a few hours (see When receipts are processed). Then it's moved for you:

    • Receipts Processed Successfully - 30 day retention: verified. It now counts as spending on your fundraiser.
    • Receipts Not Fully Validated - 30 day retention: Gratituity checks it (see When a receipt needs review).
    • 30 days after you uploaded it, the file is deleted. What was read from it stays on record.

Not ready to send yet? Stage receipts in Bulk Receipts

Bulk Receipts - 30 day retention is your staging area: collect receipts there while you sort them. Nothing reads them there. When a receipt is ready, Move it into Ready to be Processed - 30 day retention and it's picked up on the next run.

  • It's not storage. Files in Bulk Receipts are deleted 30 days after upload too, even if they were never processed. Keep your originals somewhere of your own.
  • Use Move, not Copy. Moving keeps one copy. If you copy instead, both copies follow the 30-day rule, and a copy that gets processed twice is flagged as a duplicate. Copying is fine if you want it; just know how it works.
File Manager › Bulk Receipts - 30 day retention
1 Bulk Receipts - 30 day retention 3 Ready to be Processed - 30 day retention Receipts Not Fully Validated - 30 day retention Receipts Processed Successfully - 30 day retention

Bulk Receipts - 30 day retention

2 receipt-to-check-later.jpgMove to…
quote-not-final.jpg
Simplified illustration. 1 Stage receipts here while you sort them; nothing reads them (they're still deleted after 30 days). 2 When one is ready, move it 3 into Ready to be Processed - 30 day retention. The old Fully Processed subfolder is no longer used.
Don't move, rename or delete files the system has filed (in Receipts Processed Successfully - 30 day retention and Receipts Not Fully Validated - 30 day retention), and don't rename the receipt folders. The system finds folders by name and tracks each receipt by where it put it. Moving files by hand can make a receipt get read twice or not at all. Your files in Bulk Receipts - 30 day retention are yours to organize.

Files we can read

Upload limit: 30 MB per file. Your File Manager won't accept anything larger.

File typeSize limitTip
PDFNot supported in version 1PDF reading is on our feature list. For now, take a screenshot of the PDF (or a photo of the printout) and upload that image.
Photo: JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIFUp to about 7 MBPhone photos are usually 2–5 MB. A larger photo still uploads, but goes to review. iPhone tip: if a photo is in HEIC format, share or export it as JPEG first.
Version 1 doesn't read PDFs. Many services send receipts and invoices as PDFs, so PDF support is logged as a feature request. Until then, upload a screenshot or photo instead. A PDF uploaded now isn't read and ends up in review.

With the PDF open, zoom in so the whole receipt fills the screen, then screenshot it using:

  • Windows: press Windows + Shift + S, drag a box around the receipt, then save the image from the notification that appears.
  • Mac: press Cmd + Shift + 4 and drag a box around the receipt. The image is saved to your Desktop.
  • iPhone: press the side button and volume up together. Android: press power and volume down together.

Long receipt that doesn't fit on one screen? Zoom out until the whole receipt fits in one screenshot (one receipt per image). If it's too small to read, ask Gratituity.

Other files (Word documents, spreadsheets) can't be read and go to review. Emailed receipt? A screenshot of it works, as long as the store name, date, items and total are visible.

Good to know

  • Good photo: lay the receipt flat in good light, whole receipt in frame, store name, date and total readable. No folds across the total, no glare, no shadows (your own shadow over the receipt is the most common problem).
  • Best: use a free scanner app. It flattens, crops and evens out the light for you. Your phone may already have one (iPhone: Notes → Scan Documents; Android: Google Drive → Scan), or use a free app such as Adobe Scan. Save it as a JPEG, not a PDF (PDFs can't be read yet).
  • Cover what you don't want seen. Before uploading, you may cover or crop names, card numbers and loyalty numbers. They're never read or shown, but this keeps them out of the file too.
  • Buy fundraiser items separately. A receipt that mixes in personal or unrelated items goes to review.
  • The fundraiser must be approved before its spending can be verified.
  • A big batch can take a few days: there's a daily reading limit (see When receipts are processed).

What can be counted

Fundraisers cover materials only: the things the fundraiser said it would buy (supplies, equipment, prizes). A receipt with anything else on it goes to review, and those items aren't counted. Examples that can't be counted:

  • Restaurant meals and dining (only groceries or supplies for the fundraiser itself make sense), alcohol, tobacco or cannabis, medication
  • Tips, fees and penalties, labor or services (we cover materials, not work)
  • Gift cards, cash back, lottery or gambling, and donations to anyone (these count as cash)
  • Tickets and entertainment, travel and lodging, personal care, weapons, adult items, and anything else that isn't a material for the fundraiser

Not sure? Ask Gratituity before you buy, and buy fundraiser items separately from anything else.

Receipts

How receipts are read

Three readings, one answer. If they don't agree, a real person double-checks.

Each receipt is read by an AI model running on Cloudflare Workers AI. It reads the same receipt three separate times and the three readings are compared field by field. If they agree and everything checks out, the receipt is verified. If anything is uncertain, a person at Gratituity checks it instead.

  • What it pulls out: vendor, date, total, subtotal and tax, items, a spending category, and which of your approved fundraisers it fits.
  • What it leaves out: it's told not to copy names, card numbers, addresses, phone numbers or loyalty numbers.
  • Your images: sent to Cloudflare Workers AI only to be read. Cloudflare doesn't train AI models, doesn't use your images to train them, and doesn't share them with other customers. The receipt file itself is deleted 30 days after upload.

Limits, and who sets them

LimitValueSet by
Upload size30 MB per fileGratituity (your File Manager setting)
Photo size we readAbout 7 MB per photoGratituity
Photo formatsJPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF (first frame only). Not HEICGratituity
PDFsNot read in version 1 (feature requested); upload a screenshot insteadGratituity
How long files are kept30 days after upload, then deletedGratituity (privacy)
PaceUp to 3 receipts per hourly run, within a daily reading limitGratituity (free AI allowance)

When receipts are processed

Receipts aren't read the moment you upload them. The system works on a schedule, in hourly blocks:

  1. Once an hour, a scheduled task checks your Ready to be Processed - 30 day retention folder.

  2. It reads receipts in small batches of 3.

  3. If more are waiting, it runs another batch right away, up to 5 batches in that hour (about 15 receipts), as long as the daily reading limit allows.

  4. There's a daily reading limit: Gratituity uses a free AI allowance that resets every day at midnight UTC (8 PM Eastern in summer, 7 PM in winter). When it's used up, the hourly runs keep trying and fail until it resets. That's expected and harmless: nothing is lost and you don't need to do anything.

  5. A receipt that fails 3 runs in a row moves to Receipts Not Fully Validated - 30 day retention (File Manager doesn't show why; Gratituity sees the reason). Gratituity puts it back in line after the reset, so leave it where it is.

You uploadUsually done within
A few receiptsA few hours
A large batch (dozens)Several days

Why it works this way

Gratituity provides the platform to you at no cost, so it's built to stay cheap to run without cutting corners on accuracy.

  • It only works when there's work. An hourly check costs almost nothing when your folder is empty, unlike a system that watches nonstop.
  • Small batches keep each run quick and reliable. If something goes wrong, only a few receipts are affected, and they're retried on the next run.
  • Every receipt is read once. The system tracks each one, so two runs never read the same receipt, finished receipts are never read again, and duplicates are flagged instead of processed twice.
  • Unreadable files skip the AI. Wrong file types go straight to review, so nothing is spent trying to read them.
  • Short, focused readings. The AI is asked only for the specific details we need, which keeps each reading small.
  • The one thing we don't save on: reading each receipt three times. It costs more than reading once, but it's what catches misreads and makes "verified" mean something to your donors.
Receipts

When a receipt needs review

Review isn't a bad thing. It just means a person takes a closer look before anything is shown to donors.

A receipt goes to Receipts Not Fully Validated - 30 day retention when it can't be verified with confidence. Instead of guessing, a person at Gratituity checks every one.

ReasonWhat usually helps
Part of it couldn't be readA clearer, flatter photo.
The readings didn't agreeA clearer photo, especially of the total and date.
The numbers don't add upCheck it's the final receipt, not a quote or a partial copy.
Looks like a duplicateNothing if it was uploaded twice by accident; we keep one.
Has items that can't be countedSee What can be counted. Buy fundraiser materials separately.
Doesn't match a fundraiserMake sure it's for an approved fundraiser and bought separately from other items.
Not a receiptUpload the receipt or invoice itself, not a bank statement or order confirmation.
File problemUse a supported file type within the size limit. PDFs aren't read yet: upload a screenshot instead.
Reading failedNothing. Usually the daily reading limit was reached (or the file was a PDF). Gratituity resubmits it.
  • Asked for a better copy? Upload the new file to Ready to be Processed - 30 day retention and leave the old one where it is.
  • Uploaded the wrong file? Leave it and tell Gratituity which one. We'll make sure it isn't counted.
  • Corrections are made by Gratituity. If a verified receipt shows the wrong amount or fundraiser, tell us; we fix it and keep a record of the change and the reason.
Receipts

Need it processed sooner?

This one's for your tech person. Everyone else can just wait for the next hourly run.

Receipts are picked up about once an hour. If you can't wait, your tech person can start a run right away with one API call.

  1. Ask Gratituity for your organization's run address and run token. Keep the token private, like a password.

  2. Send a POST request to the run address with the header Authorization: Bearer <your run token>. For example:
    curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer <your run token>" <your run address>

  3. The reply shows counts only, for example how many receipts were verified and how many went to review. Results appear in your folders as usual.

$ curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer <your run token>" <your run address> {"ok":true,"summary":{"confirmed":2,"needs_review":1,"deferred":0}}
Example reply: 2 receipts verified, 1 sent to review, none left waiting (deferred is how many are still waiting for the next batch).
  • Safe to repeat. A receipt is never read twice, so calling it again does no harm. Once every few minutes is plenty.
  • Each call reads only one batch of 3 receipts. Unlike the hourly run, it doesn't keep going on its own. If the reply shows deferred above 0, call it again, or let the next hourly run finish them.
  • Token leaked or someone left? Tell Gratituity and we'll replace it.
Transparency

What donors see

Donors see the facts, never the receipt itself. Card numbers and names stay private.

Your fundraiser's public page shows its title, description, pictures, goal and amount raised.

Coming soon: spending view. Each fundraiser will show what was spent next to what was raised, a running balance, and the list of verified receipts. Receipts confirmed by a person are marked "Verified by review".

From each receipt, donors see

  • Shown: vendor, date, total, a spending category, and short item descriptions with amounts.
  • Never shown: the receipt image, card numbers, names, addresses, phone numbers, or anything printed on the receipt that identifies a person.
  • Receipts still being checked may be shown as a count only ("2 receipts being verified"), never their details.
Help

Support and maintenance

Stuck? Your Gratituity contact is happy to help. Tell us the fundraiser or file name and we'll find it fast.
  • Getting help: contact your Gratituity contact through the channel listed in your work order.
  • Best-effort service: the platform is provided "as available". We work to keep it running and will try to let you know about longer outages.
  • Maintenance: Gratituity may take parts of the platform offline briefly for updates. Each January we rotate security keys across all clients; you may notice short interruptions.
  • Something looks wrong? A missing fundraiser, a receipt stuck for more than a day, a wrong amount: tell us. Include the fundraiser name or the file name.
Help

Glossary

Fundraiser (project)
A specific purpose you raise money for, with a goal and a description.
Approved
Reviewed and accepted by Gratituity. Only approved fundraisers can collect and pay out money.
Project Authorization Form
The record of a fundraiser's approval and terms, including fees taken from payouts.
Payout (distribution)
Gratituity paying collected funds to your organization. Quarterly by default.
Fund Disbursement Request
Your request for an earlier payout.
Verified receipt
A receipt read and confirmed by the system (or by a person, "Verified by review") and shown to donors as spending.
Needs review
A receipt that couldn't be verified automatically and is being checked by Gratituity.
Webiny
The content system where you manage fundraisers and files.
File Manager
The part of Webiny that holds your pictures and receipts.
Main Services Agreement / Work Order
Your signed terms with Gratituity: the general agreement, and what's included for your organization.