| Quick answer: A cash fund lets donors contribute money toward needs that aren’t products, rent, transport, bulk buys, emergencies, right alongside physical items on the same giving list. The key to raising well is framing: named, priced goals (‘a week of transport for one family, $60’) consistently outperform an open ‘donate any amount’ box. MyRegistry’s giving list includes a cash fund with no platform fee, so the full contribution reaches your organization. |
Some of your most important needs will never be a product on a list. Rent. Fuel. A bus pass. The bulk order you can only place when you have the cash. A cash fund covers exactly those, and if you frame it well, it can outperform your item list entirely. Here’s how to set one up and, more importantly, how to word it.
A MyRegistry giving list includes a cash fund at no platform fee, sitting on the same link as your physical items.
What a Cash Fund Covers
Everything your programs need that nobody can ship you: rent and utilities, transport and fuel, emergency assistance, staff-purchased perishables, bulk orders at wholesale, and the one-off individual needs a caseworker identifies on a Tuesday afternoon. These are often your most critical costs and your hardest to fundraise for, which is exactly why the fund matters.
Nobody can ship you a bus pass — that’s what the cash fund is for.
The Framing That Actually Raises
This is the whole game. An open ‘contribute any amount’ box asks the donor to invent both the reason and the number, abstract work that suppresses giving. Named, priced goals do the opposite: each one tells a small story and anchors a specific amount.
| Open box | Named, priced goals |
|---|---|
| ‘Donate any amount’ | ‘A week of transport for one family — $60’ |
| ‘Support our work’ | ‘One night of emergency shelter — $85’ |
| ‘General fund’ | ‘A month of fuel for our van — $200’ |
Aim for six to twelve named pieces across a range of amounts, so every donor finds one that fits.
| Add a 0%-fee cash fund — set one up on MyRegistry for Nonprofits . |
How to Set It Up
1. Identify Your Non-Product Needs
Rent, transport, bulk buys, emergencies, the costs no donor can ship.
2. Break Them Into Named Pieces
Each with a concrete outcome and a specific price.
3. Range the Amounts
From roughly $20 to $200+, so every donor can participate.
4. Put It Alongside Your Items
Same list, same link, donors choose items, cash, or both.
Why the 0% Platform Fee Matters
Some platforms take a percentage of every cash gift, which quietly reduces what reaches your programs. On a $10,000 fund, a 2.5% fee is $250, real money that came out of your donors’ generosity, not their intent. MyRegistry charges no platform fee on giving list cash contributions, so the full amount reaches you. Standard payment processing still applies, as it does anywhere money moves.
| Feature | MyRegistry Giving List | Single-store list |
|---|---|---|
| Add items from any store | Yes | No — one retailer |
| Cash gift funds | Yes | Rarely |
| Your logo & branding | Yes | Minimal |
| Embed on your website | Yes | Limited |
| Real-time tracking | Yes | Within that store |
| Cost | Free | Free |
A Real-World Scenario
A nonprofit’s cash fund read ‘Donate to our general fund’ and raised almost nothing, while their item list did fine. They rewrote it as six named goals: ‘a week of transport for one family, $60,’ ‘one night of emergency shelter, $85,’ ‘a month of fuel for the van, $200.’ Same fund, same link, same donors, but now every contribution had a story and a number attached. The cash fund overtook the item list within two campaigns, and finally covered the rent and fuel that products never could.
| ✔ Pros — A Cash Fund on Your Giving List | ✘ Cons — A Cash Fund on Your Giving List |
|---|---|
| • Covers rent, transport, emergencies | • Payment processing applies, as everywhere |
| • Named goals raise far more than an open box | • Requires thoughtful framing to perform |
| • Sits alongside items on one link | |
| • 0% platform fee on MyRegistry | |
| • Enables bulk buys at wholesale |
| ★ Expert recommendation: Never publish an open ‘donate any amount’ box. Break your non-product needs into six to twelve named, priced goals with concrete outcomes, ranged from about $20 to $200+. The framing is what raises the money — and with no platform fee, all of it reaches your programs. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a cash fund cover?
Everything nobody can ship you, rent, transport, emergencies, perishables, bulk buys at wholesale, and individual needs identified case by case.
Why do named goals raise more?
An open box asks the donor to invent the reason and the amount. A named, priced goal tells a small story and anchors a number — far easier to say yes to.
Does MyRegistry take a cut?
There’s no platform fee on giving list cash contributions, so the full amount reaches you. Standard payment processing applies, as it does anywhere.
The Bottom Line
Your most critical needs aren’t products, a well-framed cash fund covers them, and named goals are what make it work. Add one free at MyRegistry for Nonprofits.
