Fundraising Is Hard. The Tools Shouldn't Be.
Most fundraising advice focuses on messaging and storytelling — and that really does matter. But the second-most-important factor is friction. Every step between "I want to give" and "my gift went through" is a step where donors fall off. Accounts they have to create, forms that don't work on phones, payment flows that redirect to unfamiliar pages, missing confirmation emails — each one costs you donations.
Signup Square's donation pages are built to remove that friction entirely. Donors can give with a name, email, and payment method in under thirty seconds. The pages work identically on phones, tablets, and desktops. Every gift triggers an automatic confirmation email. And a live progress bar gives your supporters the feeling of contributing to real, visible momentum.
The goal is simple: make the infrastructure invisible so your story and your cause can do the work. Whether you're raising money for a school PTA, a mission trip, a nonprofit annual fund, or a memorial — the setup is the same and the path from donor intent to completed gift is as short as we can make it.
Everything You Need to Run a Real Fundraiser
Goal Tracking
Every donation page shows a live progress bar toward your fundraising goal. Donors see how close you are and feel part of the momentum.
One-Time or Recurring
Accept one-time gifts or set up monthly recurring donations for steady, predictable fundraising — especially valuable for nonprofits and ministries.
Automatic Receipts
Donors receive confirmation emails with the donation details. Export clean records for your bookkeeping and for issuing year-end tax receipts.
Share-Ready Links
Your campaign has a unique link that works everywhere — email blasts, social media, text messages, QR codes on printed materials, and embedded on your own website.
Donor Management
See every donor and gift in your dashboard. Send thank-you messages to all donors or to specific groups, and build your supporter list over time.
Secure, Powered by Stripe
Donations are processed through Stripe, the same trusted payment platform used by millions of businesses worldwide. Your donors get bank-grade security every time they give.
Suggested Amounts
Offer suggested donation levels ($25, $50, $100, $250) to guide donor decisions. Presets nudge average gift size up without feeling pushy.
No Donor Account Required
Donors give with just a name, email, and payment method. No account creation, no app download, no friction — which is the single biggest driver of completion rate.
Real Fundraising Scenarios
See how organizations actually use Signup Square to raise money.
School PTA Fundraising Campaign
A PTA launches a spring fundraiser with a $10,000 goal. Parents share the link in the school newsletter, class group chats, and social media. Suggested amounts of $25, $50, and $100 guide giving. The live progress bar builds momentum, and the PTA hits its goal three days before the deadline.
Mission Trip Fundraiser
A youth group needs $8,000 to fund a summer mission trip. Each student creates their own donation page with a story and photo. Family and friends contribute one-time or recurring gifts. The youth pastor tracks total progress and individual pages from one dashboard.
Nonprofit Monthly Giving Program
A community food bank launches a monthly giving program with three tiers ($15, $30, $75/month). Recurring donations provide predictable funding. Donors get automated thank-yous on signup and every renewal, and exports make year-end tax letters straightforward.
Memorial Fund
A family raises money in memory of a loved one to benefit a charitable cause. The donation page includes a story, photos, and a goal. Sharing via text and social media brings in gifts from people who might not otherwise have found the effort.
Best Practices for Donation Campaigns
Fundamentals that move the needle on almost every campaign.
Lead with the story, not the ask
Donation pages that open with a real story — a specific person helped, a concrete need, a measurable outcome — convert significantly better than pages that open with the goal amount. Put the story first, the ask second.
Set a visible, specific goal
Goals create urgency. "Help us raise $10,000 by May 15" outperforms "Please give what you can." The live progress bar reinforces this — donors see momentum and want to help push past the finish line.
Offer suggested amounts
Suggested amounts guide donors. Most people don't know what to give, so they pick the default or the recommended mid-tier option. Set three to four levels and label the middle one as suggested.
Make recurring giving a clear option
A $20/month donor gives $240 over a year — more than most one-time givers. Make the recurring option visible and frame it around impact ("$20/month provides 80 meals per year"), not just cost.
Thank donors promptly and personally
Automated thank-yous are the minimum. For meaningful gifts, follow up with a personal note or short video within a week. Donors who feel personally thanked are dramatically more likely to give again next year.
Simple, Transparent Fees
One flat, all-in rate: 5% + $0.50 per donation. That's everything — platform fees and secure card processing, powered by Stripe. No hidden charges, no line items to decode.
Payments are processed through Stripe, the trusted payment infrastructure used by millions of businesses worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up an online donation page?
Create a Signup Square account, start a new donation campaign, write your story, add a goal amount and optional photos, configure your suggested amounts, and share the link. Most organizations have a live donation page ready in under 15 minutes — no technical skills required.
What fees does Signup Square take from donations?
Signup Square charges a flat, all-in rate of 5% + $0.50 per donation transaction. That covers everything — platform fees and secure card processing (powered by Stripe) — so you always know exactly what you're paying. No hidden charges, no surprise deductions.
Can I accept recurring monthly donations?
Yes. Donors can choose one-time or recurring (monthly) giving at the time of donation. Recurring donations process automatically each month and send a receipt on each renewal. Donors can cancel any time through a link in their confirmation emails.
Are donations through Signup Square tax-deductible?
Tax-deductibility depends on your organization's status — gifts to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofits are generally tax-deductible for US donors. Signup Square provides donation records you can use to issue tax receipts, but we don't provide tax advice. Check with your accountant and your organization's tax status.
How do I share my donation campaign?
Every campaign has a unique URL that works anywhere: email blasts to your supporter list, social media posts with preview images, text messages to close contacts, QR codes on printed materials, and embeds on your organization's website. Sharing through multiple channels typically outperforms any single channel.
Can multiple people manage the same donation campaign?
Yes. Paid plans support collaborators who can view donations, message donors, and update the campaign page. This is useful for development committees, church staff, and nonprofit teams where multiple people are involved in fundraising.
Is there a minimum or maximum donation amount?
There is no maximum. Minimums depend on payment processor rules — typically around $1 for credit card transactions. You can set your own minimum and choose whether to allow custom amounts or require donors to pick a suggested level.
How do donors know their donation went through?
Donors receive an automatic confirmation email immediately after giving, with the donation amount, date, organization name, and a transaction reference. For recurring donors, a confirmation is sent on every monthly renewal. You can also customize the thank-you message that appears on-screen.