Donara documentation
Everything you need to install Donara, connect Stripe in test mode, and launch your first campaign. This is the getting-started overview; deeper guides are being expanded during the beta.
Getting started
Requirements: WordPress 6.4+, PHP 8.1+, HTTPS, and a Stripe account. Install the Donara plugin from the package you received, activate it, then open Donara → Settings to connect Stripe and create your first campaign.
Stripe test setup
For the beta we strongly recommend Stripe test mode. In Donara → Settings → Payments, set the mode to Test and enter your test publishable and secret keys (secret keys are stored write-only and never displayed back). Add Stripe’s webhook endpoint pointing at /wp-json/donara/v1/stripe/webhook and subscribe to the payment and invoice events Donara consumes. Never share your secret key with anyone, including us.
Campaigns
Create a campaign with a goal, suggested amounts, and a status. Enable one-time and/or monthly giving and choose whether to offer fee recovery. Embed the donation form with the Gutenberg block or the [donara_campaign id="…"] shortcode, or link to the campaign’s page.
Branding
Upload your organization logo and set your brand colors once. Campaigns inherit your branding automatically, and any individual campaign can override the logo or colors when it needs to.
Donations & monthly giving
Donors choose an amount (or a custom amount), pick one-time or monthly, and give. Monthly giving shows a clear disclosure before anyone is charged. A donation is marked complete only when Stripe’s signed webhook confirms payment — never just because the browser reached a success page — and a receipt is sent once per completed gift.
Fee recovery
Fee recovery is an optional processor-cost contribution a donor can add at checkout. The amount is calculated to offset the exact payment-processing cost, Donara keeps $0 margin, and it is excluded from your campaign’s progress total. It’s always optional and always disclosed to the donor before they give.
Uninstall & data preservation
When you deactivate or delete Donara, your financial data is kept by default — Donara does not drop its donor, donation, subscription, or payment-event tables. If you want a clean removal, enable the erase option in settings before uninstalling; that action is irreversible, so back up first.