How to Set Up Online Giving in Under 10 Minutes

Why Online Giving Matters

If your church or faith-based nonprofit still relies exclusively on passing a plate or mailing checks, you are almost certainly leaving donations on the table. Research from the Nonprofit Source giving report shows that organizations offering online giving receive, on average, significantly more per donor than those that rely solely on cash and checks. The reason is simple: people carry less cash, but they always have their phones.

The good news is that launching a professional online giving page does not require a web developer, a big budget, or even a weekend. With StewardKit you can go from zero to accepting donations in under ten minutes. This guide walks you through every step.

What You Will Need Before You Start

A StewardKit account — free to create at stewardkit.com.
Your organization's bank account details — routing number and account number for Stripe payouts.
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) — required for Stripe identity verification and for issuing tax-deductible receipts.
A logo or image (optional but recommended) — helps donors feel confident they are giving to the right place.

That is the entire list. No plugins, no hosting fees, no custom code.

Step 1: Create Your StewardKit Account (2 Minutes)

Head to stewardkit.com and click Get Started. Enter your name, email, and the name of your church or nonprofit. You will receive a confirmation email — click the link, set a password, and you are in.

Once inside the dashboard you will see a simple setup wizard that guides you through the remaining steps. Everything is designed to be completed in a single sitting, but you can always return later if you need to step away.

A Note on User Roles

StewardKit lets you invite additional administrators later, so do not worry about getting everyone on board right now. As the account creator you automatically receive full admin access. Treasurers, pastors, and office staff can be added under Settings → Team Members at any time.

Step 2: Connect Your Stripe Account (3 Minutes)

StewardKit uses Stripe to handle payment processing securely. Stripe is trusted by millions of businesses, encrypts all card data, and deposits funds directly into your bank account — StewardKit never touches your money.

From the dashboard, navigate to Settings → Payments.
Click Connect with Stripe. You will be redirected to Stripe's onboarding flow.
Enter your organization's legal name, EIN, and bank account information.
Verify your identity (Stripe may ask for a photo ID for the primary account holder).
Click Submit and you will be returned to StewardKit.

Stripe verification is usually instant, but in some cases it can take up to 24 hours. You can still configure everything else while you wait.

What About Processing Fees?

Standard Stripe processing fees apply (typically 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction). StewardKit itself is free — we do not add any platform fees on top of what Stripe charges. Donors can optionally cover the processing fee at checkout so your organization receives the full donation amount.

Step 3: Customize Your Giving Page (3 Minutes)

Now for the fun part. Under Giving Page in the dashboard you can:

Upload your logo — this appears at the top of your giving page and in donation receipts.
Set your brand color — choose a color that matches your website or bulletin.
Add giving funds — create categories like General Fund, Building Fund, Missions, or Benevolence. Donors select where they want their gift to go.
Set suggested amounts — pre-fill common gift amounts (e.g., $25, $50, $100) to make giving faster. Donors can always enter a custom amount.
Enable recurring giving — let donors set up weekly, biweekly, or monthly gifts with one click.

Click Preview at any time to see exactly what donors will see. When you are satisfied, hit Save.

Giving Page Best Practices

Keep your giving page simple. Three to five funds is ideal — too many options can create decision fatigue. If your organization has seasonal campaigns (e.g., a Christmas offering or a summer missions trip), you can add and remove funds as needed without affecting recurring gifts tied to other funds.

Your giving page is live the moment you save it. Every StewardKit giving page gets a clean, shareable URL like stewardkit.com/give/your-church-name. Here are the most effective ways to share it:

Add it to your website — place a prominent "Give" button in your navigation bar that links to your giving page.
Include it in the bulletin or program — print the URL and a QR code that members can scan with their phones.
Send an email — introduce online giving to your congregation or donor list with a short, friendly email.
Share on social media — post the link on your Facebook page, Instagram bio, or X (Twitter) account.
Announce it from the stage — a brief, enthusiastic announcement goes a long way. Let people know that giving just got easier.

"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." — 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

Online giving removes friction so people can act on the generosity already in their hearts — without fumbling for a checkbook or worrying about carrying cash.

What Happens After a Donation?

Every donor automatically receives an email receipt with the date, amount, fund designation, and your organization's EIN — everything needed for tax purposes. You do not have to lift a finger.

On your end, every donation appears in the StewardKit dashboard in real time. You can filter by date, donor, fund, or amount. At year-end, StewardKit generates IRS-compliant giving statements that you can email to donors with a single click.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is StewardKit really free?

Yes. There is no monthly fee, no per-transaction platform fee, and no feature gating. Standard Stripe processing fees still apply because those go directly to Stripe, not to StewardKit. Donors can optionally add a small amount to support the StewardKit platform, but it is never required.

Do donors need to create an account?

No. Donors enter their name, email, and payment information on the giving page. If they choose to set up recurring giving, StewardKit remembers their details securely via Stripe — no separate login needed.

Can we accept giving from people outside our congregation?

Absolutely. Your giving page is a public URL. Anyone with the link can make a donation, which makes it perfect for mission partners, community supporters, and online followers.

What if we already use another giving platform?

You can run StewardKit alongside your existing platform during a transition period. Many churches and nonprofits start by directing new donors to StewardKit while allowing existing recurring donors to continue on the old platform until they naturally switch.

You Are Ten Minutes Away

Offering online giving is no longer a luxury — it is an expectation. Whether your church has fifty members or five thousand, whether your nonprofit has a full-time staff or is run entirely by volunteers, StewardKit makes it possible to accept donations digitally without paying a dime in platform fees. Ten minutes of setup today can unlock a more generous tomorrow.

Ready to get started? Visit stewardkit.com and create your free account now.