If this is your first time using GiftFlow, keep it simple: set up one payment method, create one campaign, publish it, and test a donation. That's it.

Before You Start — Set Up a Payment Method First

Campaigns need a working payment method before donors can complete a donation. Do this first — you will not be able to test anything without it.

Choose one payment method to start

How to configure it

1. Go to GiftFlow → Settings in your WordPress admin.
2. Click the Payment tab.
3. Find your chosen payment method, expand it, and toggle Enable on.
4. Enter your API keys or account credentials.
5. Click Save Settings.
6. Run a quick sandbox / test payment to confirm it works before creating your campaign.

Detailed setup guides:

• Configure Stripe (Sandbox / Test Mode)
• Configure PayPal (Sandbox / Test Mode)

Step 1 — Create Your First Campaign

1. In your WordPress admin sidebar, go to Campaigns → Add New.
2. Enter a clear Campaign Title in the title field at the top.

Example title: Support our 2026 Scholarship Fund

A good title is specific and tells donors exactly what they are contributing to.

Step 2 — Fill in Campaign Details

The campaign editor has a Campaign Details meta box below the content area. It has two tabs: General and Advanced.

General tab

These are the essential fields. Fill them all in before publishing.

Goal Amount

Your fundraising target — the total you are trying to raise.

Example: 10000

Leave blank only if the campaign has no fixed goal. When a goal is set, GiftFlow automatically shows a progress bar on the campaign page.

Start Date

The date and time when the campaign begins accepting donations.

Pick today's date if you want the campaign to go live immediately after publishing. You can also set a future date and set the Status to Pending — the campaign will auto-activate when the start date is reached.

End Date

The date and time when the campaign stops accepting donations.

If you leave this empty, the campaign runs indefinitely — the status bar will show no end date.

Status

Controls whether the campaign is currently open for donations.

For your first campaign: choose Active.

One-Time (toggle)

Allows donors to make a single one-time donation.

Turn this ON. One-time is the default and simplest donation type. It is on by default.

Recurring (toggle)

Allows donors to set up a repeating subscription (monthly, yearly, etc.).

Leave this OFF for your first campaign. Recurring donations require webhook configuration on Stripe or PayPal and a working subscription setup. Get your first one-time campaign working first, then add recurring later.

Advanced tab

Click the Advanced tab in the Campaign Details box to access these fields.

Preset Donation Amounts

A list of suggested amounts shown as quick-select buttons on the donation form.

Click Add to add each amount. Four options is a good starting point:

Donors can still type any amount — these are just suggestions to make choosing easier.

Allow Custom Donation Amounts (toggle)

Lets donors type in any amount they want, in addition to the preset buttons.

Leave this ON (it is on by default). Most campaigns benefit from accepting any amount.

Location

A text label showing where the campaign is based. Optional — helpful for local or community campaigns.

Example: New York, NY or Ho Chi Minh City

Gallery

Upload images for the campaign's photo gallery. The first image is shown as the main campaign image; additional images become the thumbnail strip below it.

Start with 1 good photo. You can always add more later. A single strong, relevant image is better than several low-quality ones.

Step 3 — Write Your Campaign Content

In the main post editor area (above the Campaign Details box), write the campaign story. Tell donors:

• What the campaign is for
• Who it helps
• Why their donation matters
• What the money will be used for

This is the content that appears in the Campaign tab on the single campaign page. Keep it honest and human — donors give to people, not to fundraising copy.

Step 4 — Publish and Test

1. When you are happy with the content and fields, click Publish (top-right).

2. Click View Campaign (the link that appears after publishing) to open the campaign page as a visitor.

3. Make a test donation using your payment method's test credentials:

   • Stripe Sandbox: card 4242 4242 4242 4242, any future expiry, any CVC
   • PayPal Sandbox: log in with your sandbox buyer account
   • Bank Transfer: submit the form — the donation records as Pending for manual confirmation

4. After the test, go back to your WordPress admin and confirm all three things happened:

   ✅ A Donation record is created under GiftFlow → Donations with status Completed
   ✅ A Donor record is created or updated under GiftFlow → Donors
   ✅ Emails are sent — check both the admin notification inbox and the donor email inbox

Recommended First-Campaign Settings

When in doubt, use these defaults. They cover the vast majority of first campaigns and you can adjust anything later.

Quick Checklist

Before you share your campaign link with anyone, run through this list:

• Payment method configured and sandbox test passed
• Campaign title is clear and specific
• Goal Amount, Start Date, and Status are set
• Preset donation amounts added (4 is plenty)
• Campaign content (story) written
• Published and test donation end-to-end confirmed
• Donation, Donor records created ✅
• Admin and donor emails received ✅

Once everything is checked off — you are ready to share your campaign and start raising. 🎉