Charitable Documentation

Learn how to make the most of Charitable with clear, step-by-step instructions.

How to install and activate Charitable extensions

Charitable extensions are normal WordPress plugins which add extra features to Charitable.

1. Make sure you have activated your license

When you purchase a plugin license through wpcharitable.com, you will receive a single code to register Charitable as a paid (or a “pro” version, not a lite or free version).

After you make your purchase, check your email for the Purchase Receipt email.

Important: Can’t find email? Don’t worry. This code can also be found in your account dashboard on wpcharitable.com.

Once you activate your license in Charitable with this code you will be able to install Charitable extensions two ways.

2. Install the addon manually via wpcharitable.com.

You can download your plugin(s) through the wpcharitable.com account area. Simply log in using the account created when you made your purchase and then download the plugin from the Downloads tab.

Once you download a zip file of an extension you can install it on your site in one of two ways:

  1. Install it in the WordPress dashboard — the recommended approach.
  2. Install it through FTP.

How to install a plugin in your WordPress dashboard

You can install a Charitable extension in your WordPress dashboard. This is the way we recommend installing Charitable extensions, since it’s the easiest.

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New:

Next, click on the Upload Plugin in the top left corner, attach the zip file you downloaded earlier, and finally click Install Now.

WordPress-plugin-install-with-a-zip-file

Skip ahead to find out how to activate your plugin.

How to install a plugin via FTP

If you have FTP access to your website server and you are comfortable with using an FTP program like Cyberducks or Filezilla, you can follow the steps below to install with FTP.

First of all, you will need to unzip the zip file you downloaded earlier. You will be uploading the plugin folder, not the zip file itself.

Next, log in to your website server using FTP. Navigate to the /wp-content/plugins directory in your WordPress installation files.

Upload the plugin folder to the plugins directory to install it.

Activate the plugin

Now that you have installed the plugin, the final step is to activate it.

If you installed the plugin via the WordPress dashboard, simply click on the Activate Plugin button:

You can also activate plugins by going to Plugins > Installed Plugins.

3. Installing via the addons screen in Charitable

You can also do a one-click install of an extension or addon you have available in your plan by going to the addons screen in the Charitable menu.

Still have questions? We’re here to help!

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automation update

⚡ Visual Automation Builder: Drag and Drop With No Code!

Charitable Automation Connect 2.3.0 introduces the Visual Automation Builder, a full-screen canvas that lays each automation out as a flow of connected cards: a trigger, optional conditions, and a list of actions that run in order.

🧩 Many actions, one trigger: Tag a donor, send an email, add a note, and fire a webhook from a single event, dragged into any order.

✉️ Act inside Charitable: New Send Email, Tag Donor, and Add Donor Note actions run with no external service required.

🔤 Merge tags: Personalize emails and notes with live fields like {first_name}, {total}, and {campaign_name}.

🔁 Apply to existing donors: Run Tag Donor and Add Donor Note against the donors you already have.

🖥️ Canvas or Simple: Switch views anytime, and automations built before 2.3.0 keep working unchanged.

Read more here.

Integration updated

📬 Introducing Brevo for Charitable: Turn Donors into Subscribers Automatically

The moment a supporter makes a gift is when they are most engaged. With the new Brevo integration for Charitable, you can automatically turn those one-time donors into long-term subscribers without touching a single spreadsheet.

Simply collect donor consent right on your donation form and start your welcome series immediately.

What’s New:

🔄 Automated Subscriber Sync: New donors who opt in are added straight to your Brevo contact list as soon as their payment clears—no manual exports or CSV imports required.

🎯 Granular Consent & Opt-In Control: Customize your checkbox label, choose whether it defaults to checked or unchecked, or turn on Brevo double opt-in to keep your list clean and compliant.

📋 Per-Campaign List Mapping: Route supporters to your global email list or map specific campaigns to targeted Brevo lists to tailor your follow-up messaging.

⚡ 5-Minute Setup: Connect instantly by pasting your Brevo API key into the Newsletter settings, map your contact fields, and start building your email list on autopilot.

Ready to grow your mailing list? Brevo is available now starting on the Charitable Plus plan—connect your account today!

recurring donations updated

💳 Introducing Card Updates: Fix Expired Cards Without Losing Subscriptions!

newExpired or updated credit cards are one of the biggest silent leaks in recurring fundraising. With Card Updates in the Recurring Donations extension, donors can now refresh their payment details directly—keeping their subscription, schedule, and giving history completely intact.

No canceled plans, no lost history, and zero administrative headache for your team.

What’s New:

⚡ 30-Second Self-Service: Donors get a dedicated “Update Card” button in their dashboard that opens Stripe’s secure, PCI-compliant Customer Portal to update card details instantly.

🔒 Scoped & Safe Access: Scoped exclusively to card updates by default, donors can’t accidentally cancel or alter their plans from inside the portal, keeping your webhooks and data in sync.

🤝 Admin-Assisted Support: Helping a donor on the phone? Open their secure Stripe portal in one click from your admin screen or generate a single-use update link to email them.

📋 Automatic Audit Trail: Every payment method update is recorded automatically with a timestamp in both system-wide logs and the individual donor’s profile.

Ready to protect your recurring revenue? Get the Plus or Pro plan and update Recurring Donations to 2.3.0+ and enable “Update Payment Method” under your Settings today!

Integration page builder

Divi Fans Rejoice! Native Divi 5 Campaign Progress Bar Module!

With our new native Divi 5 module, you can anchor your microsites with real-time fundraising stats directly on the visual canvas. Here’s how it works, and why it’s worth turning on today.

Create campaign updates that are VISUAL AND LIVE. You can also:

📊 Campaign Progress Bar: Drop a live progress bar into any Divi 5 layout and show goal progress in real time.

🎨 Deep styling controls: Easily customize the bar and track color, height, and radius to match your brand perfectly.

👁️ Visual Builder ready: Configure and preview everything directly on the Divi canvas as a first-class module.

🔁 Identical rendering: The same exact engine powers this module, meaning consistent design without legacy shims.

✅ Faster launches: Never leave the Divi 5 interface to configure shortcodes or guess how your goal labels will look.

Learn more here.

Integration page builder

👉🏻 New in Charitable: Native Elementor Widgets for Seamless Campaign Building

With native Elementor widgets, you design donation campaigns right alongside the rest of your page without touching code. Here’s how it works, and why it’s worth turning on today.

Create fundraising pages that are VISUAL, NATIVE, AND SHORTCODE-FREE. You can also:

⚡ Mini Donation: Add a compact, high-converting donation widget with preset amounts and full color control.

⏳ Campaign Countdown: Build urgency for a deadline-driven appeal, complete with optional confetti when the goal is hit.

📣 Donation Feed: Prove momentum by showing visitors the social proof of real people giving right now.

🏆 Donor Leaderboard: Celebrate top supporters with gold, silver, and bronze styling to spark friendly giving.

🖼️ Campaign Showcase: Feature multiple campaigns in a landing page grid or carousel, with search, filters, and badges.

Learn more here.