Create organization and start fundraising

In SmartChange, an organization is the home for your whole fundraising operation: your forms, store, contributors, payouts, and settings. You can belong to more than one organization and switch between them from the organization switcher in the top left.

Create the organization

1. Log in at smartchange.app.
2. Click the organization switcher at the top left.
3. Click Create a new organization.
4. Follow the prompts to name and set up your organization.

You can also start one from your organizations list with New organization.

A new organization starts private. Nobody can give to it until you connect payouts and publish it.

Connect payouts

1. Click the Settings gear in the top bar.
2. Go to Settings → General → Payouts.
3. Connect your Stripe account and complete Stripe's verification.

See Link Your Bank + Verify Your Account for what Stripe asks for.

Check your details

In Settings → General, make sure your Legal business name matches your paperwork. It is used on your forms and receipts, including your 501(c)(3) registration line. Then fill in Settings → Compliance and check its Readiness panel. See Set up your compliance settings.

Go live

1. Go to Settings → General → Visibility.
2. Publish your organization.

Once it's live, the Visibility section shows Live. To stop new contributions later, click Pause new gifts there. Recurring contributions keep charging while new ones are paused.

Anything you set in Settings → General is inherited by every fundraiser, event, membership, and store in the organization.

Questions? Email us at support@smartchange.app.

Updated on: 25/09/2026