How it works
Each fund has four lifecycle forms: request, claim, ROI, and invoice. Partners submit these forms, and the submissions flow into the standard submissions inbox, where you accept, decline, return, or reopen them just like any other form. The fund’s lifecycle tabs let you see and configure each step, and timeline settings define the deadlines for claiming, reporting ROI, and submitting invoices. ROI is tracked two ways: partners report it through the ROI form, and a fund can track real-time ROI from CRM data by counting objects or summing a property. When a request is fully reimbursed, you mark it paid, which updates its CRM record. There is no separate “statements” module: the statement of reimbursable spend is composed from the same forms. The claim and invoice forms capture the partner’s proof of spend as document uploads (receipts, invoices, creative), each step runs through an approval workflow that can be handled by a person or agentically (an AI review of the submission), and the approved claim and invoice records against a request are the auditable statement finance reimburses against. So MDF statements are delivered by the forms + document-upload + approval building blocks, not a bespoke screen.Prerequisites
- The MDF module enabled and a fund created.
- Write access to MDF and forms.
- Segments and partner access so partners can submit.
Settings & configuration
The lifecycle is configured on the fund and its forms.Lifecycle forms
A fund binds a request, claim, ROI, and invoice form, provisioned from templates. Edit each in the form editor at/forms/{org}/{formId}/edit to change fields, layout, and approval steps.
Timelines
On each form’s tab in edit mode, set the timeline: the request decision timeline, the claim submission window, the ROI reporting window, and the invoice reimbursement deadline. The claim, ROI, and invoice windows can be turned off if not used.Reviewing submissions
Review fund requests, claims, ROI, and invoices from the fund’s lifecycle tabs or the central Submissions inbox. Accept, decline, return, or reopen as needed.ROI tracking
Partners report ROI via the ROI form. For real-time tracking, configure the fund’s ROI settings: the object type, aggregation (count of objects or sum of a property), and filters.Marking paid
When a request is reimbursed, use mark as paid on the request to set its CRM status to paid and log the event.Sharing forms
Share request, claim, ROI, and invoice forms by link or in the portal. Request links carry the fund, while claim, ROI, and invoice links carry the request they belong to.Setup walkthrough
Open the fund
On Marketing Funds, open the fund.
How-to guides
Request funds by email
Let partners request MDF straight from their inbox, with the AI agent filling in the request for them.
Request funds by embed
Put an MDF request form on your own site or partner page so partners request in context.
Request funds by link
Give partners a shareable link to submit an MDF request in seconds, attributed to the right partner.
Run the MDF request-to-payout flow
Operate the full MDF lifecycle: configure the request, claim, ROI, and invoice steps, then review requests, collect proof of spend, and mark requests paid.
Track ROI on a fund
Measure the return of a marketing fund from partner-reported outcomes and real-time CRM data.
Limits & gotchas
Troubleshooting
- A partner cannot submit a claim - the claim window is disabled or has closed.
- ROI is not adding up - the real-time ROI configuration’s object type or filters exclude the records.
- A request will not mark paid - confirm it is fully reviewed and reimbursed first.