The 8-step onboarding path
Each step builds on the last. Steps 1–3 take a single sitting; steps 4–8 are how you turn a profile into real income.
- Join free & verify your 501(c)(3)Sign up at no cost. Good Circles verifies your status via IRS Publication 78 — usually in about three minutes, with nothing to upload. No paperwork, no fee.
- Complete your nonprofit profileAdd your mission, a short story, a clear photo or logo, and your cause category. A complete, recognizable profile is what earns a supporter's trust at the moment they pick you.
- Get your shareable supporter linkCopy the unique supporter link Good Circles generates for your cause. This single link is everything supporters need to choose you — keep it handy.
- Enroll your board and staff firstBefore any public push, have your board, staff and core volunteers pick your cause. This seeds your base, surfaces any setup questions, and gives you authentic social proof for the announcement.
- Announce to your email list & socialsSend a launch email and post on social. Lead with the simple truth: it's free, costs supporters nothing extra (they even save ~10%), and takes one click. For copy, templates and a sequence, use the supporter enrollment playbook.
- Add your link everywherePut your supporter link in your email signature, on your website, and in your newsletter footer. Passive funding rewards repetition — the easier your link is to find, the more supporters enroll.
- Report the running total to supporters monthlyEach month, share the dollars adding up. Visible progress is the single best driver of new enrollments — it turns a one-time ask into ongoing momentum.
- Claim Founding Nonprofit statusLock in Founding Nonprofit recognition and priority placement as an early adopter. The earlier you join, the more your supporters can fund before and after the September 2026 launch.
Why enroll your board first?
An announcement that says "our whole board is already in" converts far better than one that asks supporters to be first. Steps 4 then 5 — inner circle, then community — is the order that builds momentum instead of stalling it.
Your first 30 days checklist
Print this, or paste it into your project tool. If you complete every box this month, your passive base is live and growing.
First 30 days
- Days 1–2: Join free and verify your 501(c)(3) via IRS Pub 78 (~3 min)
- Days 1–2: Complete your profile — mission, story, photo/logo, cause category
- Day 2: Copy your shareable supporter link and save it somewhere central
- Days 3–7: Personally enroll your board, staff and core volunteers
- Day 7: Add your link to your email signature and website
- Days 8–14: Send your launch announcement email and post on socials
- Day 14: Add your link to your newsletter footer
- Days 15–21: Make a second touch — a reminder post and a thank-you to early enrollees
- Day 30: Report your first running total to supporters
- Day 30: Claim and announce your Founding Nonprofit status
Tips to onboard well
- Make it about the supporter's ease, not your need. "One click, free, you even save ~10%" beats "please help us raise money."
- Set honest expectations. The first weeks are quiet; the value compounds across the year. See passive funding math for the numbers, and treat every figure as an estimate.
- Never run a single announcement. Repetition is the whole game — signature, footer, posts, and a monthly total keep your link in front of people.
- Pair it with your other income. Passive funding is the dependable floor under your budget; combine it with grants and monthly recurring giving for a durable mix.
Join Good Circles and run this checklist today
Good Circles is a community marketplace launching September 2026. Supporters pick your cause once, then a share of their everyday local spending funds you automatically — about $72 per active supporter per year (≈ $36,000/year from 500 supporters), recurring and unrestricted. Joining is free, verification takes about three minutes via IRS Pub 78, and early adopters get Founding Nonprofit status. In Mississippi now, or on the waitlist everywhere else.
Claim a Founding Nonprofit spot →Sources & tools
Free first
- IRS — Charitable Solicitation: State Requirements — Checklist-ready reference for confirming your state registration before enrolling in any giving program.
- IRS — Tax Exempt Organization Search (verify your EIN/status) — Free lookup to confirm your organization's exempt status and exact legal name during onboarding.
- TechSoup — Discounted and donated nonprofit technology — Verifies nonprofit eligibility and supplies the validation tokens many platforms request during onboarding.
- Google for Nonprofits — Eligibility and enrollment — Model for the eligibility-verification and account-setup steps a nonprofit completes when joining a free program.
- National Council of Nonprofits — Fundraising & Resource Development — General good-practice guidance to sanity-check any new fundraising channel before committing staff time.
Paid — optional labor-savers
- Canva for Nonprofits — Free/discounted design tool for the supporter-facing flyers and social posts onboarding requires. Worth it when Worth it when you want polished enrollment graphics fast without a designer (free tier covers most needs).
- Mailchimp — Email platform to announce your program and drive supporters through the enrollment steps. Worth it when Worth it when you have a supporter list to mobilize and want trackable enrollment campaigns.
Last verified 2026-06-16. Figures and rules change — verify at the source before you act.
FAQ
How long does it take to join Good Circles?
Joining is free and 501(c)(3) verification via IRS Publication 78 usually takes about three minutes, with nothing to upload. You can complete your profile and copy your supporter link the same day.
What should I do in my first 30 days on Good Circles?
Join and verify, complete your profile, copy your supporter link, enroll your board and staff first, announce to your email list and socials, add your link to your email signature and newsletter footer, and claim Founding Nonprofit status. Then report the running total to supporters monthly.
Is there any cost to onboard?
No. Good Circles is free for nonprofits and for shoppers. There's no cost to join, verify, build your profile, or receive funds, and the income you receive is recurring and unrestricted.