Alumni fundraising guide
Chapter Alumni Donations on ChapterLine
ChapterLine helps fraternity and sorority chapters accept alumni gifts on their public organization page. Chapters connect Stripe Express, turn on donations from the organization dashboard, and let alumni give through secure Stripe Checkout—with optional fundraising funds, public leaderboards, and anonymous giving.
What ChapterLine donations are (and are not)
ChapterLine provides the technology for chapter donation checkout and leaderboard display. ChapterLine is not the charitable recipient—funds are processed by Stripe and paid out to the chapter’s connected Stripe account.
Donations are available on organization Legacy plans. Donors pay a 2.5% plus $0.30 ChapterLine platform fee on top of the donation. The chapter receives the full chosen donation amount; ChapterLine pays Stripe processing fees.
- Stripe Checkout creates a destination charge on the platform account.
- Funds transfer automatically to the chapter’s connected Stripe Express account.
- Public leaderboards can show donor display names unless the donor gives anonymously.
- Donations are not tax-deductible unless the chapter has confirmed applicable tax-exempt status.
How chapters set up alumni donations
Organization owners on Legacy connect Stripe from the organization dashboard, complete Express onboarding, and choose whether donations appear on the public chapter page.
- Upgrade the chapter workspace to organization Legacy.
- Open the organization dashboard and start Stripe Connect Express onboarding.
- Finish Stripe identity and payout requirements in the Connect flow.
- Toggle public donation visibility from the Alumni donations panel when the chapter is ready to fundraise.
- Optionally create a named fundraising fund with description and goal for the public donate section.
- Share the public organization URL so alumni can browse trees and donate.
How alumni give on the public chapter page
When donations are enabled, the public organization page includes a donate section with preset amounts, custom amounts between $1 and $10,000, and an optional anonymous checkbox.
- Donors enter a display name unless they choose to donate anonymously.
- Stripe Checkout collects payment details securely; ChapterLine does not store card numbers.
- After payment, donations are recorded through Stripe webhooks and confirm-on-return handling.
- Successful gifts can appear on the chapter’s public donation leaderboard.
What chapter admins can manage
Organization administrators control whether donations are visible on the public page, optionally highlight a fundraising fund, and review the donation leaderboard from the organization dashboard. Donor emails are available to admins but are not shown on public leaderboards.
- Stripe Connect onboarding and Express dashboard login from the Alumni donations panel.
- Public donation visibility toggle on the organization dashboard.
- Optional fundraising fund with name, description, and goal (owner only).
- Donation leaderboard preview with link to the public org page.
- Public org page header Donate button that scrolls to the checkout section.
Compliance and chapter responsibilities
Each chapter remains responsible for charitable solicitation rules, tax-exempt status, donor receipts, and accurate public messaging about where gifts go. ChapterLine displays standard disclaimers on the donate form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do chapters need a Legacy plan to accept donations?
Yes. Stripe Connect alumni donations are part of the organization Legacy workspace, which also unlocks unlimited trees, the alumni dashboard, multi-admin access, and archive mode.
Does ChapterLine take a fee on alumni donations?
Yes. Donors pay a 2.5% plus $0.30 ChapterLine platform fee on top of each donation. The chapter receives the full chosen donation amount; ChapterLine pays Stripe processing fees.
Can alumni donate anonymously?
Yes. Donors can check Donate anonymously on the public checkout form. Anonymous gifts appear on the leaderboard without a display name.
Are chapter donations tax-deductible?
Not automatically. Donations support the chapter, but tax deductibility depends on the chapter’s own tax-exempt status and receipt practices. ChapterLine displays this disclaimer on the donate form.
Where do donation funds go?
Payments are processed by Stripe and sent to the chapter’s connected Stripe account. ChapterLine facilitates checkout and reporting but is not the charitable recipient.
Can we hide donations on the public page?
Yes. Organization administrators can disable public donation visibility from the organization dashboard while keeping Stripe connected for internal readiness or future campaigns.
Ready to add alumni giving to your chapter page?
Upgrade to organization Legacy, connect Stripe, and publish a public chapter profile where alumni can explore lineage and support the chapter.