Are you looking to streamline your donation process, engage more effectively with your supporters, or simply make your website more user-friendly?
There are plugins out there that can help. Many of these plugins are designed with nonprofits in mind, offering features that cater specifically to your unique needs.
Since 2017, I’ve run my own animal welfare NGO and we’ve used quite a few plugins to help raise funds. Plus, as a WordPress expert, I’ve had the privilege of working with various nonprofits and charitable organizations, helping them maximize their online presence.
In that time, I’ve tried and tested countless WordPress plugins to find the absolute best tools for organizations like yours and mine. So this list is based on my own experience after extensively using these plugins.
In this post, we’ll explore only the top WordPress plugins that can take your nonprofit or charity website to the next level.
I’ve picked 3 tools that aren’t just for established organizations – they’re perfect for anyone looking to make a difference, whether you’re running a global NGO or raising funds for a local cause close to your heart.
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How I Test and Review WordPress Donation Plugins
I want to help you find tools that will make your nonprofit’s website better and easier to run.
So I take plugin recommendations seriously, knowing that non-profits value every dollar and minute. I make sure the plugins I suggest are really good for nonprofits in real life, not just on paper. Here’s my general testing process:
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Does it work well and is it easy to use? I try out all the features to make sure they work right and are easy for beginners. The plugin needs to help with things nonprofits need, like taking donations or managing volunteers.
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How does it affect your website? I use speed-testing tools to check if the plugin slows down your site or makes it hard to use on phones. I also make sure it works well with other plugins and WordPress themes nonprofits often use.
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Is it safe and does it have good help? I look at how secure the plugin is and how often it’s updated. I also check if they have good customer support in case you need help.
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Is it worth the money? If the plugin costs money, I make sure it’s worth it for nonprofits who don’t have big budgets. For free plugins, I check if they’ll still be good to use in the long run.
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What do other nonprofits think? I ask other nonprofits and clients what they think about the plugin. I use the plugin on real websites for a while to see how it works over time.
Now let’s dive into the WordPress donation plugins that can help you change the world.
Reviewing the Best Donation Plugins for WordPress
1. WP Charitable
Charitable is a fantastic WordPress donation plugin that simplifies the process of accepting online donations for nonprofits and charities. What I love most about it is how it streamlines the entire donation process, from setting up campaigns to managing donors.
And the best part is that they never charge you any platform fees. You can use the free version for free! The only charges you may incur are from your payment gateway. There’s a premium plugin available too that gives you access to advanced fundraising features. You pay for the plugin and you can start raising funds that are 100% yours to keep.
I love how easy it is to create multiple campaigns. For one of my clients, a local animal shelter, we set up Charitable so that they could run fundraisers for different rescue cases.
You can choose premade designs inside the template library. They’re neatly categorized by popular causes so you can find what you’re looking for easily. You can also start from scratch using simple columns.
To give you a glimpse at how good these templates are, check out this template that comes with a progress bar, goal, number of days left, and a strong call-to-action ‘Donate Now’ button.
You just have to change the content and images and you’re ready to publish your fundraiser.
That’s easy to do as Charitable comes with a visual drag and drop builder. You can add new elements by dragging and dropping them where you want them to appear.
If you click on any text in the campaign, you can edit it and change it to match your cause.
It’s also simple to configure the settings of your campaigns. You never have to touch any coding. You can add suggested donation amounts or allow your donors to enter their own.
While this is a premium feature, I’ve found recurring donations to be invaluable for organizations looking to establish a steady income stream. Charitable makes it as easy as clicking a button to enable recurring donation options.
You set it up once and then Charitable takes care of the rest making sure your donation comes in on time every time.
Other standout features include:
- Peer-to-peer fundraising
- Crowdfunding
- Donor covered fees
- Donation management
- Email integrations
- Donor comments
- Anonymous donations
You can connect to payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, Braintree, Mollie, Authorize.net, and so many more.
Need to accept donations in different currencies? Charitable has you covered there too. So you can reach a global audience to support your cause.
Once a donation is made, receipts are automatically generated and sent to the donor. This saves so much time. Donors get immediate confirmation of their contribution, which builds trust.
You also get built-in analytics that shows you how your campaigns are performing. Plus, it includes a donation database to view, track, and export your donation data.
In my experience, Charitable strikes a great balance between simplicity and functionality. It’s been my go-to recommendation for nonprofits just starting out with online donations, as well as for more established organizations looking for a user-friendly solution.
Get started with WP Charitable »
2. WPForms
WPForms is the best WordPress form builder out there! I’ve set up complex forms in minutes, which is a huge time-saver. Even clients with limited tech skills find it easy to use.
WPForms comes with a variety of pre-built templates. I’ve used the donation form template for smaller nonprofits, and it works great as a simple solution for accepting donations.
Learn how to use WPForms with step-by-step tutorials »
The plugin integrates with payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, Square, and Authorize.Net. So you can accept donations securely.
The process is simple, no coding involved. So it’s pretty straightforward to create order forms or donation forms that process payments directly.
Now there’s a feature I love about WPForms and that’s smart conditional logic. This feature has been a game-changer for many of my nonprofit clients. For example, I created a form where donors can sponsor a meal. If the donor chooses 1 meal, we gave them the option to add a collar for a dog at just 50 cents.
This helped boost the average donation amounts received by just prompting donors with add-on donations.
One thing to keep in mind when using forms on your site is the endless spam that can come in from spam bots and hackers. WPForms comes with built-in spam protection. You can also add country and keyword filters as well as CAPTCHA protection.
Once a donor makes a contribution, you can display a thank you message, or redirect them to a URL. You can also send automatic emails with the donation receipt.
All forms created with WPForms are mobile-friendly out of the box, which is crucial for reaching donors and volunteers on all devices.
WPForms also gives you access to built-in analytics and a donor list that you can manage right inside your WordPress dashboard.
See our Full WPForms Review »
The main downside I’ve encountered is that while WPForms is great for general form needs, it doesn’t have the specialized nonprofit features that dedicated plugins like Charitable offer. For instance, it lacks built-in campaign management or donor walls.
Overall, I’ve found WPForms to be an excellent all-purpose form solution. For nonprofits with diverse form needs beyond just donations – like volunteer applications, event registrations, or contact forms – it’s a solid choice. However, for organizations focusing primarily on fundraising, I often recommend using it together with a dedicated donation plugin for the best results.
3. WP Simple Pay
WP Simple Pay is the best donation solution if you want a simple way to accept donations on your site. One of the things I love most about WP Simple Pay is how quick and easy it is to set up. I’ve had it up and running on sites in less than 10 minutes. The setup wizard walks you through connecting your Stripe account, which is really user-friendly.
WP Simple Pay is built specifically for Stripe, which I’ve found to be a reliable payment processor. Since it uses Stripe, the plugin is PCI-compliant. It doesn’t store sensitive card data on your website, which is a big plus for security.
I’ve used it to make simple donation forms for nonprofits, and the process is intuitive. You can easily set up one-time or recurring payment options using readymade templates.
You can customize the forms to match your site’s branding. You can also adjust colors, add custom fields, and even use custom CSS if needed.
It’s easy to tweak the settings of your donation form like this:
If you want to run special campaigns for specific time periods, WP Simple Pay lets you do this by scheduling the time and date. This is great for flash promotions, sales, and special campaigns such as Christmas. You can schedule these to run during periods when you know giving is higher.
If you want to offer recurring donations, the subscription management feature is really good. Donors can manage their own subscriptions, which reduces admin work for you.
Learn How to Use WP Simple Pay »
I’ve found WP Simple Pay to be an excellent choice for organizations that prioritize simplicity and ease of use, especially if they’re comfortable with Stripe as their payment processor. It’s great for smaller nonprofits or those just starting out with online donations.
However, for larger organizations or those needing more complex fundraising features, I recommend looking at more specialized nonprofit plugins like Charitable.
Get started with WP Simple Pay »
That’s my tried and tested list of donation plugins for WordPress that actually work and will bring in results.
If you’re looking for more options, here are a few that you can check out:
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GiveWP – A powerful and flexible donation plugin with extensive features and reporting.
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Donations via PayPal – Simple plugin for accepting PayPal donations with customizable buttons.
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Donorbox – Streamlined donation forms with recurring options and multiple payment gateways.
- Paytium – A flexible and user-friendly WordPress payment plugin that can be used for donations as well as other payment types.
Next, I’ll answer frequently asked questions on donation plugins for your WordPress site.
FAQs on WordPress Donation Plugins
Which plugin is best for accepting donations?
If your primary focus is donations, Charitable is likely your best bet. It’s built specifically for nonprofits and offers features like campaign management and donor walls.
What’s the main difference between Charitable, WPForms, and WP Simple Pay?
- Charitable is specifically designed for nonprofit donations.
- WPForms is a versatile form builder that can handle donations among other things.
- WP Simple Pay is focused on simple payment processing, primarily through Stripe.
Are there any free donation plugins for WordPress?
Yes, several donation plugins offer free versions with basic features. Charitable, Give, and PayPal Donations all have free versions. However, keep in mind that premium features often require paid upgrades.
Which plugin is best for recurring donations?
I’ve found Charitable to be particularly effective. They offer robust recurring donation features that are easy to set up and the rest is automated. Donors get their own accounts that they can log into to manage, adjust, or cancel their recurring donations.
Can I use these plugins together?
Absolutely! I’ve often used WPForms alongside Charitable or WP Simple Pay on the same site. For example, you might use Charitable for donations and WPForms for volunteer sign-ups.
Can I use WPForms for donations?
Yes, WPForms can be used for donations. It has a donation form template and can integrate with payment gateways. However, it lacks some nonprofit-specific features that Charitable offers.
That’s all. If you haven’t set up your website yet, check out our complete step-by-step tutorial: How to Create a Website from Scratch Using WordPress.
Next, you’ll also want to read:
- How to Create a Donation Form in WordPress (With Secure Payments)
- 7+ Best WordPress Membership Plugins
- 6 Best WordPress Support Agencies
I’ve handpicked these guides to help you set up your donation form, add membership options, and get WordPress support if you need it.
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