TrustFund — A Transparent Crowdfunding & Donation System

A secure, transparent, and structured platform for crowdfunding and donations — built with a fully separated backend and frontend for scalability and clean architecture.

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Overview

TrustFund is a full-stack web application designed to provide a reliable and transparent environment for managing crowdfunding campaigns and donations. The system enables users to create fundraising campaigns, contribute securely, and monitor transaction history in real time.

The application follows a modular, layered architecture with a clearly separated backend and frontend, ensuring scalability, maintainability, and clean code organization.

Key architectural components include:

• A Node.js & Express powered RESTful backend API
• A responsive frontend interface for user interaction
• MongoDB for persistent data storage
• PayPal integration for secure, protected financial transactions
• Middleware layers for validation and structured error handling

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Features

• Campaign Management — Create, manage, and track crowdfunding campaigns
• Secure Payments — Online donations powered by PayPal
• Real-Time Tracking — Live transaction monitoring and history
• Transparent Records — Clear and accessible fund management
• RESTful API — Clean, resource-oriented API architecture
• MVC Architecture — Modular controllers, routes, and middleware
• End-to-End Workflow — Fully functional from campaign creation to donation receipt

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Technology Stack

Layer	Technology
Backend	Node.js, Express.js, JavaScript
Frontend	HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Database	MongoDB
Payment Gateway	PayPal
Version Control	Git & GitHub

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Project Structure

TRUSTFUND/
├── trustfund-backend/
│   ├── controllers/        # Business logic handlers
│   ├── routes/             # API route definitions
│   ├── middleware/         # Validation & error handling
│   ├── models/             # MongoDB schemas
│   ├── .env                # Environment variables (not committed)
│   └── server.js           # Entry point
├── trustfund-frontend/
│   ├── index.html          # Main HTML file
│   ├── style.css           # Stylesheet
│   └── app.js              # Frontend logic
└── README.md

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Installation & Setup

Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v14 or above)
• MongoDB (local or Atlas)
• A PayPal Developer account

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1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/krshydv/TRUSTFUND.git
cd TRUSTFUND

2. Install Backend Dependencies

cd trustfund-backend
npm install

3. Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file inside the trustfund-backend folder and add the following:

PORT=5000
MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
PAYPAL_CLIENT_ID=your_paypal_client_id
PAYPAL_CLIENT_SECRET=your_paypal_secret

4. Start the Backend Server

npm start

The server will run at http://localhost:5000.

5. Run the Frontend

Navigate to the trustfund-frontend folder and open index.html in your browser, or use a local development server:

npx serve trustfund-frontend

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Environment Variables

Variable	Description
PORT	Port number for the backend server
MONGO_URI	MongoDB connection string
PAYPAL_CLIENT_ID	PayPal API Client ID
PAYPAL_CLIENT_SECRET	PayPal API Client Secret

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Future Enhancements

• User authentication and role-based access control (RBAC)
• Admin dashboard for monitoring and managing campaigns
• Automated financial reporting and statements
• Cloud deployment (AWS / Render / Railway)
• Enhanced analytics and data visualization tools

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Author

Krish Yadav
B.Tech — Computer Science Engineering

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