The Challenge
Nonprofits needed an engaging fundraising tool that maximized both participation and donations. Traditional auctions leave money on the table—only winners contribute. We needed to flip the model: make every bid count as a donation while maintaining the competitive excitement of auctions.
The Solution
- WordPress Multisite architecture for white-label deployment
- React/TypeScript frontend with real-time bid updates via REST API
- Three-tiered free bid reward system to drive engagement
- WooCommerce + Stripe integration for seamless payments
- Custom WP-CLI tools for bulk auction imports
Technical Highlights
- Migrated from WebSocket to REST API polling for hosting compatibility
- Solved multisite authentication challenges across domain boundaries
- Built aggressive caching strategy to handle database connection limits
- Implemented milestone tracking system to prevent duplicate reward awards
Key Features
- Real-time bidding without requiring WebSocket infrastructure
- Automated winner notifications and invoice generation
- Referral system with shareable links
- Comprehensive auction management dashboard
- Mobile-responsive interface
Results/Impact:
- Currently serving Love Foco’s Resource Center fundraising campaign
- White-label ready for multiple nonprofit clients
- Has raised 5k since its launch this past month (December 2025)
Technologies:
WordPress Multisite | WooCommerce | React | TypeScript | Stripe | ACF Pro | WP-CLI | Git
