This article explains how to set up and manage one-time and recurring donations in your On The Stage dashboard, customize donor messages, and view or manage recurring gifts from both the donor and admin sides.
👟Walkthrough
1. To access the Donations setup page, click on Donations underneath Fundraising on the navigation.
2. At the top of the page, you will see a breakdown of gross donations by type (Monthly, Annual, and One-Time). Use the filter to view other time periods of this data.
3. Underneath the table is the One-Time Donation setup. By default, the system has 3 values (5, 10, 20 in local currency).
4. To override these values, click on the field and type in a new number.
5. Underneath this section is the Recurring Donations setup. If you do not wish to display this option to your donors, you may toggle it off using the switcher below.
6. To enter a recurring donation value, click into the field and type a number.
7. Click 'Add Recurring Donation' to enter another value. You can add up to 9 values in this section. Each value you enter will be stored as both a Monthly and an Annual donation for your donors to pick from.
8. Click on Remove to delete a value.
9. Click on Save at the bottom of this section to save all values.
10. The next section is the Message to Donors. This will appear right above the values you have set up on the donations widget. Here, you can write a brief message explaining your mission and encouraging a donor to give.
Note: You may still enter text through the website and org site editors that will appear on the webpage. This message will appear just above the donate buttons and in the checkout flow.
11. Click on Save Message to save.
12. At the bottom of this page, there is a Recent Donations table. Here, you will see all 3 types of donations as they come in.
13. On the show site and org site, this is how your donation section will look to donors. You will see your message, and all values you have created. This tab is the One Time donation tab.
14. Click on a value to choose a preset value.
15. You can also type in your own amount in the box below.
16. Click on Continue to proceed.
17. If you click on the Recurring tab, you will see all values entered for recurring donations. Here, a donor must choose a preset value and the payment term in which they wish to donate.
18. Click on a value to proceed.
19. Then click on a term.
20. Click on Continue to head to checkout and proceed with payment.
21. Recurring donations can now be managed by a donor through the Patron Portal. To log in, click the link in your confirmation email, at the end of the checkout flow, or log in through the banner on the Donations page.
On this page, you will see all of your active recurring donations and details about the payments.
22. Click on Manage Payments to open a link to view or cancel your recurring donation.
23. On the external link that opens, you will see a Cancel subscription button. Clicking on this will stop all future payments of your recurring donation.
24. You can also manage a donor's recurring donation through their contact page. Click on Contacts underneath Patron Management.
25. Once you search for your contact, click on the Recurring Donations tab.
26. Here, you will see all active recurring donations stored on that contact and whether or not they are active.
27. Click on send management link to send the email.
28. Click on cancel donation to cancel the recurring donation on their behalf.
29. Click on Generate login link to log in on behalf of the donor and view their Patron Portal.
🚀Best Practices
Encourage recurring gifts: Recurring donors contribute more consistently, so keep this option enabled and highlight it in your donor messaging.
Set thoughtful donation amounts: Choose preset values that feel approachable but still motivate donors to give slightly more. Avoid large jumps between tiers.
Keep choices simple: Offer no more than 6–9 preset amounts to reduce decision fatigue.
Add a personal message: Use the donor message section to briefly explain your mission and thank supporters—it builds connection and trust.
Empower donors to manage gifts: Remind them they can update or cancel recurring donations in their Patron Portal anytime.
Monitor donation activity regularly: Check the Recent Donations table to track performance and spot opportunities to re-engage past donors.