In short: school fees fundraising and community projects work best when donors can see exactly what their money pays for. With Fosia Crowdfunding on your WordPress site, you publish a campaign with a goal, budget lines and an end date, supporters give by Mobile Money from their phone, and you report back with updates and proof of spending. The money goes straight to your own PawaPay account, and FOSIA takes no commission.
Paying for a student’s term, fixing a leaking classroom roof, buying desks or digging a borehole: these projects are usually funded by many small gifts from parents, neighbours, alumni and relatives abroad. The difficulty is rarely generosity. It is organisation: who collects, how much is in, and what happened to the money. A campaign page on your own website answers those questions for everyone at once.
Two kinds of campaign, two kinds of story
A school fees campaign is about one person or a small group: a student admitted to secondary school, a class of orphans, a university entrance. A community project is about something everyone will use: a classroom, a water point, a health post, a bridge.
The story changes, but the basics stay the same: say who is organising, what the money is for, how much is needed and by when. For a student, the deadline is usually the start of term. For a building project, it may be the dry season, when work can start.
Turn the goal into budget lines people understand
“We need a large sum” discourages people. “This is what each part costs” invites them in. Fosia Crowdfunding shows budget lines (“what your money pays for”) on the campaign page. For a classroom roof, that could be:
- iron sheets, from the hardware supplier’s quote;
- timber and nails;
- the builder’s labour;
- transport of materials to the school.
With the licence, you can also add impact tiers that link an amount to something concrete, such as one amount for a set of textbooks or another for a desk, and an impact meter shows progress in those terms. Parents and pupils understand a number of desks far better than a percentage.
Let alumni and relatives abroad do the asking
Former students and family members in other cities or abroad are often the most motivated supporters. With the licence, group collections let supporters open their own page for your campaign, for example “Class of 2010 for the new roof”, with a leaderboard. You approve, open or switch off each page, and spam protection is built in.
Donations are WooCommerce orders, so any WooCommerce payment method can take them. Mobile Money is handled by Fosia Pay in 21 African countries (availability depends on what PawaPay has enabled on your merchant account). Relatives in countries without Mobile Money can give by card if your site also has a card gateway such as Stripe or PayPal.
If a company or a local leader offers to match gifts, the licence lets you show a matching sponsor separately from the amount raised by the community, so nobody is confused about the totals.
Bring the offline world in
Much of the giving will still happen face to face: at the school gate, at a parents’ meeting, after a village gathering. Fosia Crowdfunding helps in two ways:
- QR posters and stickers. With the licence, you can print A4 or A5 posters and table stickers. Anyone can scan the code and give on the spot, and the campaign is shared on WhatsApp with one tap.
- Offline gifts. Cash handed to the committee or a bank transfer can be recorded with its source and is shown separately, so the page reflects everything collected.
Report back to parents and the community
A school or community committee is accountable to many people. Plan your reports before the first shilling or franc arrives:
- Milestones. With the licence, reaching 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the goal prepares an update draft for you to review and publish.
- Proof of spending. A timeline shows what was bought, with a receipt or a photo: the iron sheets delivered, the school’s fee receipt for the student.
- Records. The donations log and CSV export give the treasurer a list to present at the next meeting.
Protect children and decide roles first
- Children’s privacy. For a student campaign, ask the parent or guardian before publishing a name or a photo. A first name, the school level and the goal are often enough.
- Pay the school directly. When possible, pay the fees to the school and publish the receipt. It is the clearest proof for donors.
- The receiving account. Fosia Pay connects your own PawaPay merchant account. For a school or a community group, an account in the institution’s or association’s name is easier to explain than a personal one.
- Local rules. Rules on public appeals for money differ from one country to another. Check with your local authorities before a large public campaign.
What it costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Fosia Pay Lite, Mobile Money through your own PawaPay account | Free download on pay.fosiarw.com (coming to WordPress.org); only PawaPay’s processing fees apply |
| Fosia Crowdfunding Lite | Free, no commission |
| Fosia Crowdfunding licence (impact tiers, group collections, posters, offline gifts, matching sponsor) | $29.99 a year or $89 once for life, full refund within 14 days |
For the overview of the plugin, read our guide to Mobile Money fundraising, and for the payment side, how Fosia Pay works with WooCommerce. Running a medical appeal instead? See our French guide to collecting for medical bills.
Frequently asked questions
Should we show the student’s photo and full name?
Only with the parent’s or guardian’s agreement. A first name, the school level and the amount needed are usually enough to explain the campaign.
Can alumni raise money on our behalf?
Yes, with the licence: group collections let supporters open their own page for your campaign, with a leaderboard. You approve each page and can switch it off at any time.
Can we pay the school directly from the donations?
The donations arrive in the PawaPay account linked to your site, and you then pay the school. Publish the school’s receipt in the proof of spending so donors see where the money went.
What if we do not reach the goal?
Decide before you start and write it on the page: for example, pay part of the fees or buy part of the materials and continue the campaign next term.
Do we need a website first?
Yes, a WordPress site with WooCommerce. If your school or association has none, FOSIA can build one with donations ready, for example through Digital-as-a-Service.
Planning a campaign for a school or a community project? See every feature on the Fosia Crowdfunding page or book a free call with our team in Kigali.
