Donations 3 min read

Receiving Donations

How to receive and access the funds from your campaigns.

Understanding how donations flow from donors to your account helps you plan and manage your fundraising.

How Payments Work

When someone donates to your campaign:

  1. Donation Made — Donor completes payment through PayPal or Stripe
  2. Payment Processed — Funds are captured by the payment processor
  3. Fees Deducted — Processing fees are calculated
  4. Funds Available — Net amount is available for payout
  5. Payout Initiated — Funds transfer to your connected account

Setting Up Payouts

Before receiving funds, you must connect a payment account:

[!INFO]Payment details are only required for verified nonprofit organizations. All donations to nonprofit campaigns are sent directly to the 501(c)(3) organization, which controls the distribution of funds. If you are a missionary raising support under your organization, you do not need to set up payment details. Funds will be sent to your organization, and they will distribute them to you according to their internal process. .

For PayPal

  1. Go to "Org Dashboard" in the drop down
  2. Click "Settings" → "General Settings"
  3. Select PayPal
  4. Log into your PayPal account
  5. Authorize the connection

For Stripe

  1. Go to "Org Dashboard" in the drop down
  2. Click "Settings" → "General Settings"
  3. Click "Connect Stripe"
  4. Complete Stripe's onboarding process
  5. Provide required business information

Payout Timing

Payout frequency depends on your settings and is managed in your PayPal or Stripe Account:

  • Daily — Receive payouts every business day
  • Weekly — Consolidated weekly payouts
  • Monthly — All donations consolidated monthly

[!INFO] Payment processors may hold initial payouts for new accounts while they verify your identity and account status. This is normal and typically resolves within a few days.

Understanding Fees

Fees are deducted before payouts:

Payment Processing Fees

  • PayPal: Varies by transaction type and volume
  • Stripe: Standard credit card processing rates

Platform Fee

HopeGives charges ZERO platform fee and instead operates on an optional T.I.P model. See our Fees & Pricing page for current rates.

Viewing Your Earnings

Track your campaign finances:

  • Dashboard — Quick overview of recent donations
  • Campaign Details — Donation list with amounts
  • Reports — Downloadable detailed reports
  • Payout History — Record of all transfers

Donation Reports

Download detailed reports including:

  • All donations with dates and amounts
  • Donor information (where provided)
  • Fee breakdowns
  • Net amounts received

Export to CSV or PDF for your records or accounting.