Helping You Help Others Since 2012
Hi, I'm Donna Lynne, the Founder of CausePilot.
The Spark
It All Started With a School Auction and a “Why Not?”
I was a stay-at-home mom with a background in marketing, and a handful of web design classes under my belt, and a heart for helping. When my friend asked me to build a simple online catalog for our elementary school’s annual auction & gala, I said yes. What I saw behind the scenes though, stopped me in my tracks: volunteers exhausted and overwhelmed by a tedious and chaotic process.
That’s when I thought, “There has to be a better way.”
The Leap
No Budget. No Team. No Problem. (Sort of).
I didn’t have money, experience, or a clue how to build real software. But I had an idea. I found a college student named Nathan, and together—with my vision and his programming—we built the first version of what would eventually become CausePilot.
It was rough. Buggy. Held together with digital duct tape. But it worked—and it made fundraising easier. And people loved it.
The Grind
It was Hard But I Kept Going.
For years, I poured everything back into CausePilot. I handled every call, every support ticket, and every update. I teamed up with two software developers, Jonathon and Joel, and we rebuilt the platform from scratch to make it more flexible and user-friendly—because I wanted my customers to succeed with the best software possible.
The process was so hard that I was afraid to grow, honestly. But the success stories—the fundraisers who felt empowered, the smiles, appreciation, and the teams who raised more than they thought possible—that’s what kept me going.
The Mission
It’s Not About Fundraising. It’s About What Fundraising Does.
No one really loves the “idea” of fundraising. What they love is being part of something that truly matters. Whether it’s a school, a church, a cause, a person in need—people show up when they believe in something. When they want to be part of something bigger than themselves. When they want to make friends and be part of a community. When they want to make a difference.
That’s what CausePilot is built for. To make it easier for people like you to say YES!—to step up, to lead, to make an impact—and to feel the joy and pride that comes with it.
We want to raise funds, but more than that—we want to lift spirits.
A Personal Note
From My Heart to Yours
I created CausePilot for everyday people—volunteers, teachers, church leaders, parents, fundraisers of all shapes and sizes—who want to make a difference but don’t always know how. I’ve been there. And, I’m here to help.
You can do this. You already have what it takes.
Let’s do something amazing together.
All my best, Donna
