Set up a donation block with suggested amounts, a custom thank-you message, and optional recurring giving — everything your supporters need to contribute directly from your UniLink page.
Whether you're an independent creator accepting tips from fans, a nonprofit raising funds for a cause, or an individual collecting support for a community project, UniLink's Donation block makes it straightforward to receive contributions directly on your profile page. Supporters don't need to navigate to a separate GoFundMe or PayPal link — they can donate in two clicks without leaving your UniLink page.
What the UniLink Donation Block Does
The Donation block is a purpose-built component for collecting contributions. Unlike a general payment block, it's designed around the giving experience: it shows your campaign story or cause description, presents suggested donation amounts as selectable buttons, allows custom amounts, and displays a real-time fundraising progress bar if you set a target goal. After a donor completes their contribution, they see a personalized thank-you message and optionally receive an email receipt.
Stripe handles all payment processing, which means donations can be made with credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. For recurring donations, Stripe's subscription billing runs automatically each month or year, and donors can cancel any time through a self-service link in their receipt email.
The optional donor recognition wall shows the names (or anonymous aliases) of recent supporters directly on your page. This social proof element creates a community feeling around your cause and often encourages new visitors to donate when they see others have already contributed.
How to Get Started Accepting Donations
- Connect Stripe to your UniLink account — Go to Settings, then Payments, and click Connect with Stripe. Complete the Stripe onboarding, which requires your bank account and identity verification. This step is required before you can accept any payments including donations.
- Add the Donation block to your page — From your Dashboard, click Add Block and select Donation (or Tips, depending on your plan). It will appear as a giving widget on your public profile page.
- Write your cause description — In the block editor, add a headline and a short paragraph explaining what the donations support. Be specific: "Help me produce my next documentary film" works better than "Support my work." Specificity increases conversion.
- Set your suggested donation amounts — Add 3 to 5 preset amounts as selectable buttons. A common pattern is $5, $10, $25, $50, and a custom amount field. Pre-select the middle option as the default — anchoring to a middle amount typically increases average donation size.
- Write your custom thank-you message — This message appears immediately after a successful donation. Thank the donor by name if possible (the Stripe checkout captures it), explain how their contribution helps, and invite them to share your cause with their network.
- Set a fundraising goal (optional) — Enter a target amount to display a progress bar. Progress bars create momentum — donors who see a goal close to completion are more likely to give than donors who see a goal that's barely started. Update your goal as you reach milestones.
- Enable the donor recognition wall (optional) — In block settings, toggle on the donor wall. Donors can choose to be listed by name or donate anonymously. New entries appear at the top of the list in real time.
How to Set Up Recurring Donations
- Enable recurring donation option in block settings — In the Donation block editor, go to the Giving Options tab and toggle on "Allow monthly recurring donations." This adds a monthly vs one-time toggle to the donor-facing widget.
- Set monthly suggested amounts separately — Monthly donors have different price sensitivity than one-time givers. Set lower suggested amounts for monthly (for example, $5, $10, $20 per month) than for one-time donations ($25, $50, $100).
- Write a separate thank-you message for recurring donors — Acknowledge that they've set up ongoing support. Tell them they'll receive a receipt each billing cycle and explain how to update or cancel their subscription if needed.
- Configure Stripe billing for recurring payments — UniLink creates Stripe subscriptions automatically when a donor chooses monthly giving. In your Stripe dashboard, you can see all active subscriptions, their billing dates, and failed payment alerts.
- Set up a failed payment email — In Stripe settings, enable Smart Retries and dunning emails. When a recurring donation fails due to an expired card, Stripe automatically retries the charge and notifies the donor to update their payment method. This prevents involuntary churn.
- Send a monthly impact update to recurring donors — Segment recurring donors in your email platform using the tag UniLink applies at subscription creation. Send them a monthly email showing what their ongoing support has made possible. Recurring donors who feel connected to outcomes retain at a much higher rate.
- Handle cancellations gracefully — When a recurring donor cancels, Stripe sends a cancellation confirmation to them automatically. Consider adding a re-engagement email 30 days later thanking them for their past support and inviting them to give again when they're ready.
Key Settings Explained
| Setting | What it controls | Best practice |
|---|---|---|
| Suggested amounts | Pre-filled donation buttons shown to donors | Pre-select the middle amount as default — it anchors donor expectations and raises average gift size |
| Fundraising goal | Target amount shown with a progress bar | Set an achievable first goal, not your maximum aspiration — early progress bar momentum drives more donations |
| Donor wall toggle | Whether donor names appear publicly on the page | Enable with anonymous option — the social proof drives conversions, and anonymous choice respects privacy preferences |
| Tax receipt email | Whether Stripe sends an automatic receipt after each donation | Always enable — tax receipts are legally required in many countries for charitable giving and increase donor trust |
| Payment methods | Which payment options appear at Stripe checkout | Enable Apple Pay and Google Pay in Stripe dashboard settings — they dramatically increase mobile checkout completion |
How to Get the Most Out of Your Donation Setup
Your cause description is the single most important element of your donation block. Most people make giving decisions emotionally and justify them rationally. Lead with the human story or the specific impact of their contribution, then follow with the practical details. A three-sentence story about one person or one outcome outperforms a three-paragraph description of your organization's mission every time.
Promote your donation page at the right moment. The best time to ask for support is immediately after delivering value — right after someone watches your video, reads your newsletter, or attends your event. Add your UniLink donation link to video descriptions, email footers, and event thank-you messages. Donors who are already grateful are the easiest to convert.
For nonprofits and charities, note that UniLink's donation setup through Stripe collects payments but does not automatically qualify as a tax-deductible charitable donation in the eyes of tax authorities. The donor receives a Stripe receipt, not a formal tax deduction letter. If tax-deductibility is important to your donors, consult your organization's legal counsel and potentially supplement with a platform that handles 501(c)(3) documentation. For creators and individuals accepting tips or support, this distinction usually doesn't apply.
Run periodic donation campaigns rather than leaving your donation block permanently on autopilot. Launch a fundraising drive with a specific goal, a deadline, and daily updates on progress. Campaigns with momentum and urgency outperform always-on donation buttons. Rotate between permanent passive donation and active timed campaigns for the best results across your audience.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Donations not appearing in Stripe dashboard | Stripe account connected to wrong UniLink workspace or not fully verified | Go to Settings, Payments, disconnect and reconnect Stripe to the correct account, then complete all verification steps |
| Recurring donations failing after first month | Donor's card expired or subscription billing failed | Stripe sends automatic retry and dunning emails — ensure Stripe Smart Retries are enabled in your Stripe dashboard settings |
| Progress bar not updating after donations received | Goal amount not set or donations made outside the block | Confirm the fundraising goal is set in block settings and that all payments are processed through the Donation block, not a separate link |
| Donor wall showing incorrect names | Donor used a different name at Stripe checkout than expected | Donors control the name entered at checkout — the wall displays exactly what Stripe captures, including anonymous entries |
Pros
- Donors can contribute without leaving your UniLink page — no external platform required
- Recurring donation option builds predictable monthly income for ongoing projects
- Donor recognition wall creates social proof that encourages new contributions
- Stripe handles tax receipts, payment retries, and subscription management automatically
Cons
- Stripe receipts are not equivalent to formal tax-deduction letters required by some nonprofit donors
- PayPal Giving Fund and other charity-specific platforms may have lower fees for registered nonprofits
- Goal progress bar resets if you change the fundraising target mid-campaign
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I accept donations without connecting Stripe?
Stripe is the primary payment processor for UniLink's Donation block. If you prefer PayPal, you can add a standard Link block pointing to your PayPal.me donation link, though this redirects donors to an external page and bypasses UniLink's built-in donation tracking and recognition features.
What fee does Stripe charge on donations?
Stripe's standard processing fee in the US is 2.9% plus 30 cents per successful transaction. For registered nonprofits, Stripe offers a discounted rate of 2.2% plus 30 cents through its Stripe for Nonprofits program. Apply directly through Stripe's website to qualify.
Can I set a minimum donation amount?
Yes. In the Donation block settings, you can set a minimum amount. Stripe requires a minimum charge of 50 cents in most currencies. Setting your minimum above that (such as $1 or $5) is a block-level setting you control.
How do I export a list of donors for my records?
Go to your Stripe dashboard and export your payment history filtered by the UniLink donation source. Alternatively, if you've connected an email integration, UniLink tags donors in your email platform, where you can export the list as a CSV.
Can donors leave a message with their contribution?
Yes. Enable the Message field in Donation block settings. Donors can write a short personal note at checkout. These messages appear in your order notifications and can be shared publicly on your donor wall if the donor opts in.
Key Takeaways
- Add the Donation block, set 3 to 5 suggested amounts, write an outcome-focused cause description, and connect Stripe to start accepting contributions.
- Pre-select the middle suggested amount as the default to anchor donor expectations and raise average gift size.
- Enable recurring donations for predictable monthly income and segment recurring donors for impact update emails.
- The donor recognition wall creates social proof — enable it with an anonymous option to respect donor privacy preferences.
- Promote your donation link immediately after delivering value — viewers who are already grateful convert at the highest rate.
Ready to start accepting donations?
Set up your Donation block, connect Stripe, and give your supporters a simple, trusted way to contribute directly from your UniLink page.
Get Started Free