🫶Setting Up Donations
Accept donations from your patrons at checkout, on a dedicated public Donations page, or both. Configure where donations appear, customize your campaign message, and track contributions over time.
Donations let your patrons rally behind a season, a building project, an outreach program — or just keep the lights on. CrowdWork lets patrons donate at checkout when they're already buying a ticket, on a dedicated public Donations page they can visit anytime, or both.
Quick start: Your dedicated Donations page lives at https://crowdwork.com/v/[your-subdomain]/donations. Visit your Theatre Details to enable donations, choose where they appear, and customize your campaign message.
Where Donations Can Appear
You control where donations show up using the Collect Donations dropdown in your Theatre Details.
Disabled
Donations are turned off entirely.
Everywhere
At checkout and on your dedicated public Donations page.
Only Events
At ticket and registration checkout only — the dedicated Donations page is hidden.
Only Public Page
On your dedicated Donations page only — not at checkout.
Turning On Donations and Setting Your Preferences
Direct link: Theatre Details — Donation Options
Navigate to Theatre → Theatre Details in your Dashboard sidebar.
Scroll to the Donation Options section.
Use the Collect Donations dropdown to choose where donations appear (see the table above for what each option does).
(Optional) Add a Donation Campaign Text message — see Customizing Your Donation Message below.
Click Save.
Customizing Your Donation Message
The Donation Campaign Text field lets you tell patrons what their donation supports. This message displays on your dedicated public Donations page — so a clear, specific call to action will go further than a generic thank-you.
Direct link: Theatre Details — Donation Options
Some ideas to inspire your message:
Funding an upcoming season of performances or productions
Supporting outreach, education, or scholarship programs
Raising money for space improvements, renovations, or equipment
Disaster relief or humanitarian causes your community cares about
General operating support to keep the doors open
Running a time-bound campaign? Update this text whenever your focus changes — like a year-end appeal or a renovation drive. The page URL stays the same; only your message rotates.
Your Dedicated Donations Page
Every theatre with donations enabled gets a public Donations page at:
Replace [your-subdomain] with the subdomain that appears in your other CrowdWork URLs (your Shows page, Classes page, etc.).
How to Find Your Donations Page
From your CrowdWork Dashboard menu, find Public Links > Donations. Click this link to open your dedicated Donations page in a new window.
What Patrons See on the Donations Page
Three suggested amounts — $25, $50, $100 — plus a Custom Amount field for any other amount
Their name and email (both required, so a receipt can be sent)
An optional message — patrons can include a short note with their donation
A "Cover the transaction fees" checkbox — when checked, the patron pays a little extra so 100% of their intended donation reaches your theatre
Your campaign message — the Donation Campaign Text you customized in Theatre Details
The Donate Tab on Your Public Page
When donations are enabled on your public page (Everywhere or Only Public Page), a Donate tab automatically appears in your public site navigation alongside Shows, Classes, and Memberships. Patrons can find their way to your Donations page from anywhere on your CrowdWork pages with one click.
Promoting Your Donations Page
Your Donations page does its best work when supporters can find it easily. A few ways to point people there:
Add a Donate button to your website. Link the button directly to
https://crowdwork.com/v/[your-subdomain]/donations. Most website builders (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc.) let you add a styled button with a custom link in a couple of clicks.Include the link in your email signature and newsletter. Especially effective for year-end campaigns and post-show thank-yous.
Share it on social media. The page is a regular URL, so posts, link-in-bio tools, and stories all work normally.
Post QR codes around your venue. Print a QR code that points to
https://crowdwork.com/v/[your-subdomain]/donationson lobby signs, table cards, or programs, paired with a short prompt like "Support our work" or "Like what you see? Donate." Patrons can scan it with their phone camera and give before they've even left the building. See Tips, Tools & Resources for Your Theatre for free ways to generate one.Mention it in show programs and confirmation emails. Patrons who just enjoyed a performance are often the most likely to donate — a small note in your global confirmation email text can go a long way. See Customizing Your Theatre Settings for how to edit that.
Tracking Donations
Donation Reports in Analytics
Direct link: Analytics Dashboard
To see how much you've raised over a given time range:
Go to Dashboard → Analytics.
Set the Starts At and Ends At dates (or pick a Preset Range).
In the Report dropdown, choose Donations.
Click Search.
You'll see a total dollar amount and a daily chart of donation activity over the selected period.
Finding Your Donors in the Customer List
Direct link: Customers Dashboard
Anyone who donates — including supporters who give on your standalone Donations page — is added to your Customers list. Exporting that list is currently the most complete way to get a full roster of your donors alongside their contact details.
Go to Dashboard → Customers.
(Optional) Use the Filters to narrow the list before exporting.
Click the Export CSV button.
Open the spreadsheet and find the
total donationscolumn — it shows the total amount each patron has given.
For a breakdown of every column in the export, see Exporting Your Data.
Get an Email Every Time Someone Donates
Direct link: Notifications Dashboard | + Create New Notification
Set up a notification so that you (or anyone you choose) gets an email whenever a donation comes in — perfect for promptly sending a note of thanks to your generous supporters.
Go to Dashboard → Notifications.
Click + Create New Notification.
In the Notification Trigger dropdown, select Donation Received.
Add the email address(es) that should be notified.
Click Save Notification.
For more on notification setup and other available triggers, see Setting Up Notifications.
Related Tasks
Configure your Theatre Settings
Get notified when donations come in
View your sales and donation reports
Understand fees on transactions
FAQ
Are there fees on donations?
Donations go through the same payment processor as your tickets, so the standard processing fee applies to each donation. Patrons can opt to cover the transaction fees at checkout using the checkbox on the donation form — when they do, 100% of their intended donation reaches your theatre.
Do donors automatically get a receipt?
Yes. When a patron completes a donation, an email receipt is sent to the email address they entered on the donation form.
Can patrons donate without buying a ticket?
Yes — that's exactly what the dedicated Donations page is for. As long as your Collect Donations setting is Everywhere or Only Public Page, patrons can visit your Donations page anytime and contribute without going through a ticket purchase.
How do I turn off the public Donations page but still accept donations at checkout?
Set Collect Donations to Only Events in Theatre Details. Donations will appear during ticket and registration checkout, and the public Donate tab and dedicated Donations page will be hidden.
How do I see who donated?
A few options, depending on what you need:
Get an email each time by setting up a Donation Received notification — the email includes the donor's details.
See totals over time in the Donations report in your Analytics dashboard.
Get a full donor roster by exporting your Customers list — the CSV includes a
total donationscolumn. See Finding Your Donors in the Customer List above.
Need Help?
If you have questions about setting up donations or running a fundraising campaign, contact our support team — we're here to help!
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