CharityGlow Documentation - Complete User Guide

Introduction

Welcome to CharityGlow, a complete donation and fundraising solution for WordPress. Whether you're running a nonprofit organization, church, school, or community foundation, CharityGlow provides all the tools you need to accept donations and manage your fundraising campaigns.

Multiple Payment Gateways

Accept payments via Stripe, PayPal, and offline bank transfers with full recurring donation support.

Beautiful Forms

5 pre-designed form templates that are fully customizable and mobile responsive.

Donor CRM

Complete donor management with profiles, donation history, and lifetime value tracking.

Detailed Analytics

Real-time dashboard with charts, reports, and insights to optimize your fundraising.

Installation

Method 1: Install from WordPress.org (Recommended)

1

Go to Plugin Page

In your WordPress admin, navigate to Plugins → Add New

2

Search for CharityGlow

Type "CharityGlow" in the search box and press Enter

3

Install and Activate

Click Install Now, then click Activate

Method 2: Manual Upload

1

Download the Plugin

Download the charityglow.zip file from WordPress.org or your purchase confirmation.

2

Upload to WordPress

Go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, choose the zip file, and click Install Now.

3

Activate the Plugin

After installation, click Activate Plugin.

Success!

After activation, you'll see a new CharityGlow menu in your WordPress admin sidebar. The plugin automatically creates all necessary database tables.

Requirements

Requirement	Minimum	Recommended
WordPress Version	5.8 or higher	6.4 or higher
PHP Version	7.4 or higher	8.1 or higher
MySQL Version	5.6 or higher	8.0 or higher
SSL Certificate	Required for payment processing (HTTPS)

Quick Start Guide

Get your first donation form up and running in under 5 minutes:

1

Configure Payment Gateway

Go to CharityGlow → Settings → Payment Gateways. Enable at least one gateway (Stripe recommended) and enter your API keys.

2

Create a Campaign (Optional)

Go to CharityGlow → Campaigns → Add New. Set a title, goal amount, and description for your fundraising campaign.

3

Add Donation Form to a Page

Create or edit any page and add the shortcode: [charityglow_form]

4

Test Your Form

With Test Mode enabled (default), make a test donation to ensure everything works correctly.

5

Go Live!

Once satisfied, disable Test Mode in Settings → General to start accepting real donations.

Important: SSL Required

Payment gateways require your site to have an SSL certificate (HTTPS). Most hosting providers offer free SSL certificates.

General Settings

Configure the basic settings for your CharityGlow installation. Navigate to CharityGlow → Settings → General.

Test Mode

When enabled, all transactions use sandbox/test credentials from your payment gateways. This allows you to test your donation forms without processing real payments.

Test Mode is ON by default

Remember to disable Test Mode when you're ready to accept real donations!

Organization Information

Setting	Description
Organization Name	Your nonprofit or charity name. Appears on receipts and emails.
Tax ID / EIN	Your tax identification number. Displayed on donation receipts for tax-deductible donations.

Currency Settings

Setting	Description
Currency	Select your primary currency (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.)
Currency Position	Display symbol before ($100) or after (100$) the amount
Thousand Separator	Character for thousands (e.g., 1,000 or 1.000)
Decimal Separator	Character for decimals (e.g., 10.50 or 10,50)
Number of Decimals	How many decimal places to show (typically 2)

Donation Limits

Setting	Description
Minimum Donation	The minimum amount a donor can give (default: $5)
Maximum Donation	The maximum amount for a single donation (default: $10,000)

Payment Gateways

CharityGlow supports multiple payment gateways. Navigate to CharityGlow → Settings → Payment Gateways to configure them.

Stripe Setup

Stripe is the recommended payment gateway for credit/debit card processing. It supports one-time and recurring donations.

1

Create a Stripe Account

Visit stripe.com and sign up for an account if you don't have one.

2

Get Your API Keys

In your Stripe Dashboard, go to Developers → API Keys. Copy both the Publishable Key and Secret Key.

3

Enter Keys in CharityGlow

Paste your keys in the appropriate fields. Test Keys start with pk_test_ and sk_test_. Live Keys start with pk_live_ and sk_live_.

4

Configure Webhooks (Optional but Recommended)

In Stripe Dashboard, go to Developers → Webhooks and add your webhook endpoint.

Stripe Webhook URL

https://yoursite.com/?charityglow-webhook=stripe

PayPal Setup

PayPal allows donors to pay using their PayPal account or credit/debit cards.

1

Create a PayPal Business Account

Visit developer.paypal.com and log in with your PayPal Business account.

2

Create an App

Go to My Apps & Credentials, click Create App, and name it (e.g., "CharityGlow Donations").

3

Get Your Credentials

Copy the Client ID and Secret for both Sandbox and Live environments.

4

Enter Credentials in CharityGlow

Paste your Client ID and Secret in the PayPal settings section.

Offline / Bank Transfer

Accept donations via bank transfer, check, or cash. Donations are marked as "Pending" until you manually mark them as complete.

Setting	Description
Enable Offline Payments	Turn on/off offline payment option on forms
Payment Instructions	Instructions displayed to donors (bank details, mailing address, etc.)

Campaign Management

Campaigns allow you to organize your fundraising efforts around specific causes, projects, or events. Navigate to CharityGlow → Campaigns to manage them.

Creating a Campaign

1

Go to Campaigns

Click CharityGlow → Campaigns → Add New

2

Enter Campaign Details

Fill in the Title, Description, Goal Amount, End Date (optional), and Featured Image.

3

Set Status and Publish

Set the status to Active and click Save Campaign

Campaign Statuses

Status	Description
Draft	Campaign is being created, not visible to public
Active	Campaign is live and accepting donations
Paused	Campaign is temporarily not accepting donations
Completed	Campaign has ended (goal reached or deadline passed)

Displaying Campaigns

Shortcodes

// Display a single campaign with donation form
[charityglow_campaign id="123"]

// Display a grid of all active campaigns
[charityglow_campaigns]

// Display campaigns grid with filters
[charityglow_campaigns status="active" limit="6" columns="3"]

Donation Forms

CharityGlow includes 5 professionally designed form templates. Each template is optimized for different use cases.

Available Templates

Classic Form

Default

Full-featured form with all options. Best for dedicated donation pages and campaign pages.

[charityglow_form template="classic"]

Inline Form

Compact single-row form. Perfect for sidebars, headers, and footers.

[charityglow_form template="inline"]

Minimal Form

Just amount and payment. Great for floating buttons and quick donations.

[charityglow_form template="minimal"]

Card Form

Beautiful card-style form with vertical layout. Ideal for landing pages.

[charityglow_form template="card"]

Multi-Step Wizard

Highest Conversion

Step-by-step guided donation process. Best for higher conversion rates.

[charityglow_form template="wizard"]

Form Shortcode Parameters

Parameter	Description	Example
`id`	Load a specific form by ID	`[charityglow_form id="2"]`
`template`	Load form by template name	`[charityglow_form template="card"]`
`campaign_id`	Associate form with a campaign	`[charityglow_form campaign_id="5"]`
`amounts`	Preset donation amounts	`[charityglow_form amounts="10,25,50,100"]`
`default_amount`	Pre-selected amount	`[charityglow_form default_amount="50"]`

Donor Management

CharityGlow includes a built-in CRM to manage your donors. Navigate to CharityGlow → Donors to view and manage donor profiles.

Donor Profiles

Each donor profile includes:

Contact Information - Name, email, phone, address
Donation History - All donations made by this donor
Total Donated - Lifetime donation amount
Average Donation - Average amount per donation
First/Last Donation Date - Engagement timeline
Notes - Add private notes about the donor

Donor Actions

Action	Description
View Profile	See complete donor information and donation history
Edit Donor	Update contact information and add notes
Export Data	Download donor data as CSV (GDPR compliance)
Delete Donor	Remove donor and all associated data (GDPR compliance)

Exporting Donors

Export your donor list as a CSV file:

Go to CharityGlow → Donors
Click the Export button
The CSV file will download automatically

Reports & Analytics

CharityGlow provides comprehensive analytics to help you understand your fundraising performance. Navigate to CharityGlow → Dashboard or CharityGlow → Reports.

Dashboard Overview

The dashboard shows real-time statistics:

Total Revenue - Total amount raised in selected period
Total Donations - Number of donations received
Average Donation - Average donation amount
Total Donors - Unique donor count
Revenue Chart - Visual representation of donations over time
Top Donors - Your most generous supporters
Recent Donations - Latest donation activity

Detailed Reports

The Reports page provides more detailed analytics:

Monthly Overview - Month-by-month breakdown
Campaign Performance - How each campaign is performing
Payment Gateway Stats - Which payment methods donors prefer
Donor Retention - New vs. returning donors

Shortcodes Reference

Complete reference for all CharityGlow shortcodes.

Donation Form

Basic Usage

[charityglow_form]

With Parameters

// Use specific template
[charityglow_form template="wizard"]

// Associate with campaign
[charityglow_form campaign_id="5"]

// Custom amounts
[charityglow_form amounts="25,50,100,250" default_amount="50"]

// Load specific form by ID
[charityglow_form id="3"]

// Combine parameters
[charityglow_form template="card" campaign_id="5" amounts="10,25,50,100"]

Single Campaign

Usage

// Display single campaign with donation form
[charityglow_campaign id="123"]

Campaign Grid

Usage

// Display all active campaigns
[charityglow_campaigns]

// With parameters
[charityglow_campaigns status="active" limit="6" columns="3"]

// Featured campaigns only
[charityglow_campaigns featured="true" limit="3"]

Progress Bar

Usage

// Display campaign progress bar
[charityglow_progress_bar campaign_id="123"]

// With custom styling
[charityglow_progress_bar campaign_id="123" show_amount="true" show_percentage="true"]

Donor Wall

Usage

// Display recent donors
[charityglow_donor_wall]

// With parameters
[charityglow_donor_wall limit="10" campaign_id="123" show_amount="false"]

Email Settings

Configure email notifications sent to donors and administrators. Navigate to CharityGlow → Settings → Emails.

Email Configuration

Setting	Description
From Name	The name that appears as the sender (e.g., "Your Charity Name")
From Email	The email address used as the sender (use an address from your domain)
Admin Email	Email address to receive donation notifications

Email Types

Donation Receipt

Sent to donors immediately after a successful donation. Includes donation details, amount, transaction ID, and tax information.

Admin Notification

Sent to administrators when a new donation is received. Includes donor information and donation details.

Testing Emails

Use the Send Test Email button in the Email Settings to verify your email configuration is working correctly.

Receipts & Tax Documents

CharityGlow automatically generates donation receipts for tax purposes and donor records.

Receipt Contents

Organization Name - Your charity or nonprofit name
Tax ID / EIN - Your tax identification number
Receipt Number - Unique receipt identifier
Donation Amount - The amount donated
Donation Date - When the donation was made
Payment Method - How the donation was paid
Transaction ID - Payment gateway transaction reference
Donor Information - Name and email of the donor

Resending Receipts

Go to CharityGlow → Donations
Find the donation and click View
Click Resend Receipt

Tax Compliance

Consult with a tax professional to ensure your receipts meet local tax authority requirements for charitable donation documentation.

Display Options

Customize the appearance of donation forms to match your website. Navigate to CharityGlow → Settings → Display.

Form Appearance

Setting	Description
Primary Color	Main accent color for buttons, links, and highlights
Default Template	Template used when no template is specified in shortcode
Default Amounts	Preset donation amounts shown on forms
Show Anonymous Option	Allow donors to give anonymously
Show Comment Field	Allow donors to leave a message with their donation

Pages

Setting	Description
Success Page	Page shown after successful donation (uses `[charityglow_donation_success]`)
Failed Page	Page shown after failed donation (uses `[charityglow_donation_failed]`)

Frequently Asked Questions

CharityGlow supports three payment gateways: Stripe (credit/debit cards), PayPal, and Offline/Bank Transfer. All gateways support both one-time and recurring donations.

Yes! Donors can choose to give on a recurring basis - daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly. Recurring donations are automatically processed through Stripe or PayPal subscriptions.

Absolutely! All donation forms are fully responsive and optimized for mobile devices, tablets, and desktops. The forms automatically adjust to provide the best experience on any screen size.

Yes, donors automatically receive a beautifully designed HTML email receipt after donating. The receipt includes the donation amount, transaction ID, date, and your organization's tax ID (if configured).

Yes, CharityGlow includes GDPR compliance features including consent checkboxes, data export functionality, and the ability to delete donor data upon request.

Yes, you can customize form colors through the Display Options settings. You can set the primary color to match your website's branding.

CharityGlow is designed to work with any properly coded WordPress theme. The donation forms use self-contained styles that won't conflict with your theme.

CharityGlow supports 20+ currencies including USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, JPY, INR, and more. The currency can be configured in the General Settings.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Solutions

Donation form not displaying

Possible Causes:

JavaScript error on the page - Check browser console for errors
Theme conflict - Try switching to a default WordPress theme
Plugin conflict - Disable other plugins to identify conflicts
Shortcode typo - Ensure shortcode is correct: [charityglow_form]

Payment not processing

Possible Causes:

Invalid API keys - Double-check your Stripe/PayPal credentials
Test mode mismatch - Ensure you're using test keys when test mode is enabled
SSL not installed - Payment gateways require HTTPS
Webhook not configured - Set up webhooks for subscription processing

Email receipts not sending

Possible Causes:

WordPress mail not configured - Default wp_mail() may not work on all hosts
Emails going to spam - Check donor's spam folder
Invalid from address - Use a valid email from your domain

Solution: Install an SMTP plugin like "WP Mail SMTP" and configure it with your email provider.

Debug Mode

To troubleshoot issues, enable debug logging:

Go to CharityGlow → Settings → Advanced
Enable Debug Logging
Reproduce the issue
Check the logs at wp-content/debug.log

Security Notice

Remember to disable debug mode on production sites as it may expose sensitive information.

Support & Resources

WordPress.org Forums

Get help from the community and plugin developers on the official WordPress.org support forum.

Visit Support Forum →

Documentation

Complete documentation covering all features, settings, and shortcodes.

View Full Documentation →

Rate & Review

If CharityGlow has helped your organization, please leave a review on WordPress.org!

Leave a Review →

Before Requesting Support

To help us resolve your issue quickly, please include:

WordPress version
CharityGlow version
PHP version
Active theme name
List of active plugins
Detailed description of the issue
Steps to reproduce the problem
Any error messages

Useful Links

Changelog

Version 1.0.0 Latest

Released: December 2025

🎉 Initial release
✅ Stripe payment gateway with recurring support
✅ PayPal payment gateway with subscriptions
✅ Offline/Bank transfer payments
✅ Campaign management system
✅ 5 donation form templates
✅ Donor CRM with full profiles
✅ Automated email receipts
✅ Analytics dashboard with charts
✅ GDPR compliance tools
✅ Export functionality (CSV)
✅ Multi-currency support
✅ Translation ready