How donors cover processing fees

Every DonorFinch form has a "Cover processing fees" checkbox. When a donor ticks it, we add the fees on top of their gift so your organization receives the full amount they intended. Most donors say yes, so most organizations leave the box pre-checked.

The math

We solve for a gross amount that, after Stripe's fee and ours, leaves exactly the gift:

gross = (gift + 0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.022 − 0.012)

For a $100 gift: (100 + 0.30) ÷ 0.966 = $103.83 charged to the donor (rounded to the cent, up). After Stripe's $2.58 and our $1.25, you receive $100.00.

We use Stripe's nonprofit card rate (2.2% + 30¢) for the estimate because that's what most eligible organizations pay. If your Stripe account is on the standard rate, the cover amount will fall a little short of covering everything, and if a donor pays by bank transfer (which costs less) it will slightly over-cover. Either way, the difference is cents.

What the donor sees

On the form: "Add $3.83 to cover processing fees" next to the checkbox, and the total before they confirm.

On the receipt: the gift amount, a line "Processing fees covered by donor: $3.83", and the total charged. The deductible amount shown is the full amount the donor paid, since the whole payment went to your organization (the fees are costs you paid out of it).

About deductibility: DonorFinch prints the standard receipt language, but whether and how much a donor can deduct depends on their situation. Suggest they ask their tax adviser; we and your staff shouldn't give tax advice.

Turning it off or changing the default

In the form builder under Amounts & frequency, untick Pre-check "cover processing fees" to leave the box empty by default. The donor can still tick it. There is no option to remove the box entirely.

Recurring gifts

The cover-fee choice sticks to the plan: if the donor covered fees on the first charge, every monthly charge includes the cover amount.