BiddingForGood

BiddingForGood is a strong fit for nonprofits and schools that want online or mobile charity auctions backed by FrontStream fundraising infrastructure and bidder reach. The tradeoff is that pricing, fees, support, and payment setup should be confirmed carefully before a high-stakes gala.

Fundraising & Auction Paid

Current pricing requires sales confirmation; legacy pricing PDFs exist but may be outdated

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Tool Nutrition Label

Founded 2003

Headquarters Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States; part of FrontStream

Company Size Part of FrontStream fundraising software business

Funding Acquired by FrontStream in 2015

Pricing Model Auction software subscription and transaction-fee model with optional premium support services

Free Trial No current public free trial found

Contract Confirm software subscription, transaction fees, payment processor options, premium support, onsite staffing, and data export terms

Attendee Capacity Suitable for nonprofit auction programs; validate bidder volume, payment volume, and onsite support needs

Mobile App Mobile-optimized auction and bidding experience; no separate attendee event app required

Offline Capability No

Data & Compliance Confirm with FrontStream contract and payment processor setup

Expertise Level Intermediate

Event Types

Fundraising GalasSchool AuctionsNonprofit AuctionsHybrid FundraisersVirtual AuctionsGolf TournamentsPeer-to-Peer Fundraisers

Key Integrations

FrontStream payments (Native) Credit and debit cards (Native) ACH (Native) Apple Pay (Native) Google Pay (Native) Stripe (Native) iATS (Native)

Support Channels

Help centerEmail supportPhone supportOnboarding assistancePremium remote or onsite auction support

Best For

+ Schools and nonprofits running charity auctions
+ Fundraising galas that need mobile bidding and faster checkout
+ Organizations that want auction pages, item management, tickets, donations, and payments in one workflow
+ Teams that may need remote or onsite auction support

Not For

− Commercial ticketing events without fundraising auction needs
− Small raffles or simple silent auctions that can run on lightweight forms
− Organizations that need transparent public package pricing before contacting sales
− Events with unreliable onsite internet and no contingency plan

Key Capabilities

✓ Build branded online auction pages optimized for desktop and mobile

✓ Run virtual, in-person, and hybrid charity auctions with mobile bidding

✓ Manage guests, tickets, seating, auction items, donations, and checkout

✓ Send mobile bidding and text updates to bidders

✓ Access consignment auction items and the BiddingForGood donor community

Honest Limitations

Current Pricing Is Opaque

The public site points to sales conversations, while legacy PDFs may not reflect current pricing.

Fee Structure Needs Review

Transaction fees, donor-covered fees, payment processor costs, and premium services should be modeled before launch.

Auction Operations Still Matter

Item procurement, bidder support, checkout staffing, and event internet planning remain critical.

Support Scope Varies

Remote and onsite support are premium services; buyers should confirm what is included.

Fundraising-Specific

It is not a general registration, conference, or event app platform.

Pricing Breakdown

Plan	Price	Details
BiddingForGood / FrontStream Auction	Contact sales	Current auction software and fundraising platform pricing requires vendor confirmation
Premium Services	Custom	Auction build, event design, premium onboarding, remote auction support, and onsite support may be available

Hidden Costs to Watch

! Payment processing and transaction fees
! Donor-covered-fee configuration and reconciliation
! Premium onboarding, remote support, or onsite staffing
! Consignment item costs and minimums
! Event internet, devices, and checkout staffing

BiddingForGood is built for fundraising auctions where mobile bidding, checkout, payments, and bidder reach matter.

Before committing, model the full event workflow and fee stack, including payment processing, donor-covered fees, support, and onsite staffing.

Comparing this with other event tools?

Get a shortlist of the best-fit options for your event workflow.

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Pairs Well With

Stripe

The payment engine many event tools rely on, with excellent developer ergonomics and flexible checkout options, but no built-in event workflow of its own.

Registration & Ticketing Paid

Use integrated payment processing options where appropriate for auction checkout

iATS Payments

Nonprofit-focused payment processor and gateway for credit cards, ACH/direct debit, recurring donations, virtual terminal, fraud tools, PCI support, and fundraising integrations.

Registration & Ticketing Paid

Compare nonprofit payment processing fit and reconciliation needs

Mailchimp

A dependable email marketing workhorse for invite flows and post-event nurture, but one that gets more expensive as contacts pile up and automation needs mature.

Event Marketing Freemium

Promote auction items and follow up with donors after the event

Alternatives

OneCause

Nonprofit fundraising platform for auctions, ticketed events, donations, and year-round campaigns with strong support, but less transparent pricing than leaner rivals.

Fundraising & Auction Paid

Broad nonprofit fundraising event suite with mobile bidding and auction tools

GiveSmart

Fundraising suite for nonprofits with event ticketing, auctions, mobile bidding, peer-to-peer campaigns, text-to-give, reporting, and donor CRM options.

Fundraising & Auction Paid

Fundraising platform with strong mobile bidding, giving, and event workflows

Handbid

Premium fundraising and auction platform with mobile bidding, ticketing, registration, checkout, text-to-give, reporting, and concierge support.

Fundraising & Auction Paid

Auction-focused platform with mobile bidding and event fundraising features

Questions to Ask the Vendor

1
What are the current subscription, platform, and transaction fees for our auction volume?
2
Which payment processors are supported, and how do refunds, failed cards, and reconciliation work?
3
What support is included versus premium, remote, or onsite services?
4
How does mobile bidding work for guest registration, bid notifications, and checkout?
5
Can we export all bidder, donor, item, payment, ticket, and receipt data after the event?

How we research tools

We research each tool by reviewing official documentation, pricing pages, and user feedback from Trustpilot, G2, and Capterra. If something's out of date or inaccurate, use the link below to flag it.

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