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CharityStack Docs

Public product documentation for nonprofit admins using CharityStack.

Start Guide

This guide helps a nonprofit admin go from a new CharityStack account to accepting payments and managing supporter activity.

Concepts

These are the main CharityStack concepts nonprofit admins should understand before using the dashboard.

Installing the CharityStack Script

Installing the CharityStack Script in order to embed forms and use elements.

Dashboard

The dashboard is the main workspace where nonprofit admins review performance, navigate product areas, and act on payment and supporter data.

Tables, Filters, and Exports

Tables help admins find records, narrow results, and export data for reporting.

Forms

Forms are the fundraising and event payment experiences your supporters use to give or purchase tickets.

Hosted Pages

Hosted pages let you share a CharityStack Fundraiser Form or Event Form without editing your website.

Forms are the core giving and registration experiences in CharityStack. A form can be a Fundraiser Form for general giving, Giving Levels, or Sponsorships, or an Event Form for selling individual or group tickets.

Events and Ticketing

Event Forms let supporters register for events, purchase tickets, and provide attendee information.

Funds

Funds let your organization categorize what a payment supports, including campaigns, programs, designations, or event revenue.

Custom Input Fields

Custom input fields collect extra information from supporters during a form or payment flow.

FAQs

FAQs let you answer common supporter questions directly on contact-facing forms and pages.

Elements

Elements are CharityStack-powered widgets and share assets connected to your forms.

Installing Elements on Your Site

Install CharityStack elements by adding the main embed script and then placing element code where each widget should appear.

Fundraising Flag

A fundraising flag is a sticky website tab that prompts visitors to donate and opens your form when clicked.

Overlay Element

An overlay element opens a Fundraiser Form or Event Form experience over your website.

Fundraising Bar

A fundraising bar shows campaign progress on your website.

Supporter List

A supporter list shows contact activity or social proof on your website.

QR Codes

QR codes let supporters scan a code and open a Fundraiser Form, Event Form, or custom URL.

Add to Cart

Add-to-cart elements let supporters build a cart-like giving or purchase experience before checkout.

URLs and Prefilled Links

URLs and prefilled links let you share payment links that open a form directly, sometimes with selected details already filled in.

Payments

Payments show Fundraiser Form payments, Event Form purchases, and related transaction activity.

Process a Payment

Admins can create a payment from the dashboard when a payment needs to be processed or logged manually.

Payment Methods

CharityStack can support multiple payment methods depending on your organization's setup.

Payment Statuses

Payment statuses help admins understand whether a transaction succeeded, failed, refunded, disputed, or needs review.

Offline Payments

Offline payments are payments recorded in CharityStack even though the money was collected outside the normal online checkout flow.

Refunds

Refunds return money to a supporter through the original payment path when supported.

Disputes

Disputes occur when a cardholder challenges a payment through their bank or card issuer.

Receipts

Receipts confirm payment activity for supporters and help organizations answer contact questions.

Contacts

Contacts are supporter records that help admins understand giving history and relationship context.

Contact Record

Contact records show supporter details and giving history in one place.

Exports

Exports let admins download table data for reporting, reconciliation, and offline analysis.

Contact Tags

Subscriptions

Subscriptions are ongoing scheduled support records.

Subscription Options

Subscriptions let supporters give on an ongoing schedule.

Update, Reactivate, or Cancel

Admins can manage Subscriptions when a contact requests a change or when a subscription needs to be restored.

Update Payment Method

Contacts may need to update the payment method used for a Subscription.

Failed Payments

Failed Subscription payments need review so your team can recover the Subscription or help the contact update payment details.

Payouts

Payouts show transfers from processed funds to your organization's bank account.

How Payouts Work

Payouts move eligible processed funds to your organization's bank account.

Payout Statuses

Payout statuses explain where a bank transfer is in its lifecycle.

Reconciliation

Reconciliation is the process of matching CharityStack payments, fees, refunds, disputes, and payouts to your accounting records.

Portal

The portal is a self-service page your contacts can use for payment history and Subscription management.

Contact Login

Contacts can log in to the portal to access self-service features.

Payment History

Payment history helps contacts review past giving and event payment activity.

Manage Subscriptions

The portal can help contacts manage Subscriptions.

Account and Settings

Settings let admins manage organization information, users, compliance, payout configuration, website setup, portal links, and integrations.

Integrations

Integrations connect CharityStack to other tools your organization uses.

Zapier

Zapier can connect CharityStack activity to other apps through automation workflows. CharityStack uses Zapier webhook URLs for this connection.

Double the Donation

Double the Donation helps organizations support employer matching workflows when enabled.