Enrollsy gives you three ways to set up donation collection, depending on how much reporting detail and donor flexibility you need.
Option 1 — Donation Enrollment Period (with one or more Programs and Classes): Creates a separate Enrollment Period just for donations. Best if you take a lot of donations and want more reporting detail — when you export a Transactions Report or Charge Item/Discount Item Report, you can sort results by Enrollment Period.
Option 2 — Donation Program (with one or more Classes, under an existing Enrollment Period): Lets donors make a one-time gift or set up a recurring donation at different levels. Good for organizations that want to give donors flexibility in how they contribute.
Option 3 — Donation Charge Items (added to one or more Programs or Classes): Sets a specific donation amount and frequency on an existing Program or Class. Best for organizations with a specific fundraising goal who want to encourage a set contribution.
You can add a donation using any of these options, and you can start wherever fits your setup. If you don't want a whole Enrollment Period dedicated to donations, skip to Option 2 and add a Donation Program to any existing Enrollment Period. If you only want a charge added to an existing Program or Class, skip straight to Option 3.
Option 1 — Set Up a Donation Enrollment Period
You can title the Enrollment Period by year to keep each year separate, for example 2024 Donations. Follow these steps:
Click on the Enrollment Period component (your component may be labeled differently depending on how your account is set up).
Click the plus button in the bottom left. Give the Enrollment Period a label, such as [Year] Donations or just Donations.
Click Save. You'll see a success message — click OK. You should now see the new Enrollment Period listed.
Before donors can enroll, publish the Enrollment Period by clicking the cog icon on the Enrollment Period widget, then the eye icon. When the eye icon is open, the Enrollment Period is published and visible on the Enroll Form.
From here, continue to Option 2 below to create Program Options and Programs.
Option 2 — Set Up a Donation Program
Step 1: Create Program Option(s)
The first step is creating one or more Program Options. This can be as simple as one option called Type with a single choice, Donation.
You can also set up Program Options with more detail, for example:
Donation Type: One-Time Donation / Recurring Donation
Donation Level: $25 Donation / $50 Donation / $100 Donation
To create the Program Options above:
Open the Programs tab in My Company settings and click Manage Program Options.
Click the plus button to create your first Program Option — in this example, Donation Type. Create a second one called Donation Level.
Once a Program Option is added, create the choices within it. Under Donation Type, add: One-Time Donation and Recurring Donation. Under Donation Level, add: $10 Donation, $25 Donation, $50 Donation, and $100 Donation.
Step 2 - Set Up the Program
Once your Program Option(s) are created, click the blue plus button to create a Program and adjust the following settings in the Program editor:
Program Options — Add the Program Option(s) you just created.
Enrollment Model — Choose one of the following:
Simple enrollment model: if you have a Donation Level Program Option and only one donation Class.
Classes enrollment model: if you'll have the donation levels set up as Classes instead of Program Options. Check Enrollees can pick their Class, and choose List View.
Pricing — Uncheck Pricing is the same for each Class. Pricing will then be entered under each Class (each donation level).
After editing these settings, click Add to create the new Program.
Step 3 - Add Charge Items
Before setting pricing, create one or more Charge Items for your donations. Go to the Items page, click the plus button, and add a Charge Item — for example, 25 Donation, or whatever your first donation level is called. Under the Charge Item settings, check:
Required at enrollment or in a payment plan
Due at enrollment > Charged every enrollment
Step 4 - Set Pricing
Where pricing is configured depends on the Enrollment Model you chose. If you chose Simple, pricing is set on the Program. If you chose Classes and unchecked Pricing is the same for each Class, pricing is set on each Class.
Simple Model Pricing
If you have Program Options for One-Time Donations and Recurring Donations, each will be priced differently on the Program.
One-Time Donations
Under Pricing, choose Fixed Cost. Under What is the total Program cost?, select the Charge Item for one-time donations (for example, One-Time Donation), and enter the amount. Click the eye icon to publish the pay-in-full donation amount.
Recurring Donations
Under Pricing, choose Subscription. Select Add/Remove Payment Plan and create a subscription payment plan — enter a label, choose the frequency (monthly, weekly, or annually), and choose when the first payment occurs. Then click the pencil icon beside the Payment Plan to add the recurring donation Charge Item and amount.
Classes Model Pricing
Go to the Classes page to add donation classes — one for each donation level. Select Add Class and set:
The name of the first donation level (for example, $25 Donation)
A large capacity, such as 100,000
Under Price, click Fixed Cost, then add the Charge Item for that level and enter the amount.
Click Done or Add Another to add each remaining donation level as its own Class.
Step 5 - Add a Program Form Question
You can also add a question to your Enroll Form asking what the donation is for. See this article for instructions on creating a Program Form and attaching it to one or more Programs. Here's an example question:
Option 3 — Add Donation Charge Items
Step 1 — Create Charge Items
This step overlaps with Step 3 under Option 2 above — you'll need to create donation-specific Charge Items:
Go to the Items page.
Click the plus button to add a Charge Item, and name it (for example, 25 Donation, or whatever your donation levels start at). Check:
Required at enrollment or in a payment plan
Due at enrollment > Charged every enrollment
Step 2 — Add Charge Items to a Program or Class
If your pricing is at the Program level, add the Donation Charge Item(s) to the Program(s). If pricing is on the Classes, add them to the Classes. Here's how to do both.
Program-Level Pricing
On the Programs page, open the Program editor by clicking the pencil icon beside the Program, then click Pricing in the left menu. Where you add the Charge Item depends on the Program setup:
Simple Model/Fixed Cost and Days per Week Model/Fixed Cost — click Add/Remove Charge Item under What is the total Program cost?
Classes Model/Fixed Cost or Subscription — click Add/Remove Charge Item under Program enrollment fees, so the donation is charged once no matter how many Classes the person enrolls in.
Simple Model/Days per Week/Subscription — when the program cost is set to Subscription in either model, Total cost and Program enrollment fees don't appear. Instead, create a Donations subscription payment plan (see this article for detailed steps). You can also include a custom Donation Charge Item, covered below.
Class-Level Pricing
On the Classes page, open the Class editor by clicking the pencil icon beside the Class. Under Price, click Add/Remove Charge Item to add the Donation Charge Item.
Custom Donation Charge Item
You can also set up a custom donation option where donors enter their own amount — a great choice for organizations that want to give donors full control over their contribution.
On the Charge Item page, the Donation Charge Item should have Quantity is specified checked. The Charge Item can be optional or required, and enabled for Payment Plans or Due at Enrollment.
Once Quantity is specified is active, enter a base amount, such as $1.00.
The donor can then enter a quantity, such as 10, for a $10.00 total.
This custom Donation Charge Item can be added anywhere you'd add a regular Donation Charge Item, instead of a fixed donation amount.
Conclusion
No matter which option you choose, Enrollsy makes it easy for donors to contribute to your cause. With secure payment processing and customizable donation options, you can build a donation Program that fits your organization and your donors.