Recipes

Fundraising Event (Beta)

Beta

Beta feature

Fundraising features are in beta and must be enabled for your org. Navigate to the **Beta** page (`/beta`) in Forge and toggle on Fundraising (Donations) to access this feature. Beta features may change before general availability.

A fundraising event combines standard event registration with a donation component — letting attendees make a gift at the time of registration, alongside or instead of purchasing a ticket. Forge uses the `bt_fundraising__` namespace for donation records, keeping them separate from payment transactions.

Fundraising event checkout — attendees can select a ticket tier and add a donation in a single transaction.
Fundraising event checkout — attendees can select a ticket tier and add a donation in a single transaction.

Before you start

  • Fundraising (beta) must be enabled on the Beta page.
  • Your org must have the Blackthorn Fundraising managed package installed (`bt_fundraising__` namespace).
  • A Payment Gateway must be configured for processing donations.
  • Have a donation designation ready (the fund or program the donation supports) — this maps to a `bt_fundraising__Designation__c` record in Salesforce.

Steps

  1. Create your event and open the **Tickets & Items** tab.
  2. Click **+ New Item** and set **Type** to *Donation*. Name it clearly (e.g., *Donate to the Scholarship Fund*). Set a suggested **Price** (attendees can override this amount at checkout). Click **Save**.
  3. Optionally, create standard Ticket items alongside the Donation item. Attendees can purchase a ticket and make a donation in the same checkout flow.
  4. Go to the **Donations** beta tab (visible after enabling Fundraising on the Beta page). Link the donation item to a `bt_fundraising__Designation__c` in Salesforce to ensure the gift is allocated to the correct fund.
  5. On the **Page Designer** tab, ensure the donation prompt is enabled in the checkout section. You can add a fundraising appeal paragraph in the event description explaining what the donation supports.
  6. Set Status to *Active* and share the registration link. Attendees will see the donation option at checkout.

Donations vs. ticket purchases

Donations made through this flow are recorded as `bt_fundraising__Donation__c` records in Salesforce — separate from the `bt_stripe__Transaction__c` that covers the ticket purchase. This separation supports proper gift accounting, gift aid processing, and donor reporting.

What this creates in Salesforce

Salesforce Field Mapping
ForgeSF ObjectSF Field
Donation item on eventconference360__Event_Item__cconference360__Type__c = Donation / conference360__Price__c
Donation recordbt_fundraising__Donation__camount, designation, recurring
Designation (fund)bt_fundraising__Designation__cName
Ticket purchase transactionbt_stripe__Transaction__camount, status
Attendeeconference360__Attendee__cconference360__Status__c

Donor PII is protected

Donor names, email addresses, and gift details are stored in Salesforce objects (`bt_fundraising__Donation__c` linked to a Contact). Forge never persists this information in its own database. Always handle donor data in compliance with your organization's data privacy policy.

Verify

  • The Fundraising beta is toggled on at `/beta`.
  • A Donation item appears in Tickets & Items with Type = Donation.
  • The donation amount field is editable by the attendee at checkout (they can increase or decrease the suggested amount).
  • After a test registration with a donation, a `bt_fundraising__Donation__c` record exists in Salesforce linked to the correct Designation.
  • A separate `bt_stripe__Transaction__c` exists for the ticket portion (if a paid ticket was also purchased).
  • The attendee receives a confirmation email that includes both the ticket confirmation and the donation receipt.