Every volunteer engagement on Catchafire is pro bono. A volunteer should never ask you to pay for their time, services, or hours spent creating a deliverable. If that ever happens, please let us know right away using the blue chat bubble on the bottom-right of your screen.
What you may run into, especially on marketing, technology, or web development projects, are conversations about third-party tools that have costs of their own. Things like website hosting, premium plug-ins, paid AI tools, or ad spend on Google or Meta. These costs are separate from the volunteer's labor, but it's helpful to know how to navigate the conversation. Read below for our guidance.
You are never obligated to pay for anything
This is the most important thing to know. If your budget for upgrades is zero, that is a complete answer. A great volunteer will work within that constraint and find free alternatives. Your engagement on Catchafire is meant to be a stellar experience at no cost to your organization.
If a volunteer asks about your budget
It's okay for a volunteer to ask about budget so they can scope the project appropriately, and it's okay for them to walk you through what's possible with free tools versus paid ones. What's not okay is pressure. You should feel free to say:
"We don't have budget for tech upgrades on this project. Please plan to work with free hosting, plug-ins, and tools."
A good volunteer will adjust and move forward as well as do their best to use free options. If you ever feel pressured to upgrade, reach out to us.
If you do choose to use a paid tool
Sometimes a nonprofit does have budget set aside, or decides an upgrade is worth it. If that's the case, please keep these guardrails in mind:
Pay the platform directly. Never provide payment information to a volunteer, and never reimburse a volunteer for a subscription, tool, or ad buy. You should always be the account holder paying Squarespace, WordPress, Google Ads, or any other platform directly.
Ask for written guidance. Your volunteer should provide written instructions on what each tool or plug-in does, how to access it, and how to cancel or downgrade if you decide to stop using it later.
Keep ownership. All accounts, logins, and billing should be in your organization's name, not the volunteer's.
A quick reminder
Volunteers on Catchafire are here to give their skills, not to sell you anything. If something feels off, trust that instinct and reach out to us.
Questions or concerns? Use the blue chat bubble on the bottom-right of your screen, or email us at [email protected]. We're here to help.