📚 Table of Contents

1. Getting Started
2. Initial Setup
3. Adding Members
4. Recording Contributions
5. Managing Events
6. Generating Tax Statements
7. Email Settings
8. Reports
9. Common Tasks
10. Troubleshooting

What This Plugin Does

Church Contributions helps you keep track of all donations and event payments in one place. Whether someone gives cash on Sunday, writes a check, or donates online, everything is recorded in the same system.

At the end of the year, you can generate tax statements for your donors with just a few clicks.

First Time Setup

After installing the plugin, you’ll see a new menu item called “Contributions” in your WordPress admin sidebar.

Your first steps:

1. Go to Contributions → Settings
2. Fill in your church information
3. Set up your contribution types (Tithes, Offerings, etc.)
4. Configure email settings
5. Add your first members
6. Start recording contributions

Don’t worry — we’ll walk through each of these steps below.

Church Information

Go to Contributions → Settings and click the Church Info tab.

Fill in these details:

• Church Name — Your church’s full name (appears on statements)
• Address — Your church’s mailing address
• Phone Number — Main church phone
• Email Address — General church email
• EIN (Tax ID) — Your church’s Employer Identification Number (required for tax statements)

Click Save Settings at the bottom when done.

Setting Up Contribution Types

Contribution types help you organize different kinds of giving.

Default types include:

• General
• Tithes
• Offerings
• Building Fund
• Missions

To add or edit types:

1. Go to Contributions → Settings
2. Click the Types & Methods tab
3. In the “Contribution Types” box, you’ll see one type per line
4. Add new types by typing them on new lines
5. Delete types by removing the line
6. Click Save Settings

Example:

General
Tithes
Sunday Offerings
Building Fund
Missions
Youth Ministry
Food Pantry

Payment Methods

These are the ways people can give. Default options are:

• Cash
• Check
• Online
• Credit Card
• Debit Card

To customize:

1. Same place as contribution types (Settings → Types & Methods)
2. Edit the “Payment Methods” box
3. One method per line
4. Click Save Settings

Stripe Setup (For Online Giving)

If you want to accept online donations and event payments:

1. Go to Settings → Stripe
2. You’ll need a Stripe account (free to create at stripe.com)
3. Enter your Stripe API keys:
   • Test Mode — for trying things out without real money
   • Live Mode — for actual donations

Where to find your Stripe keys:

• Log into your Stripe dashboard
• Go to Developers → API keys
• Copy the “Publishable key” and “Secret key”
• Paste them into the plugin settings

Members are the people in your church. You need to add them before you can record their contributions.

Add a Single Member

1. Go to Contributions → Members
2. Click Add New at the top
3. Fill in the form:
   • First Name (required)
   • Last Name (required)
   • Email Address — needed for emailing statements
   • Phone Number
   • Address — needed for mailed statements
   • Member Number — if your church uses member IDs
   • Status — Active or Inactive
4. Click Save Member

Import Multiple Members from a Spreadsheet

If you have a list of members in Excel or Google Sheets:

1. Go to Contributions → Members
2. Click Import Members (the form will expand)
3. First, download the sample template to see the correct format
4. Your spreadsheet needs these column headers (exactly as shown):

   first_name, last_name, email, phone, address_line1, city, state, zip

5. Save your spreadsheet as a CSV file
6. Click Choose File and select your CSV
7. Click Upload and Import

Editing or Deleting Members

To edit a member:

1. Go to Contributions → Members
2. Find the member in the list
3. Click Edit
4. Make your changes
5. Click Save Member

To delete a member:

• Click Delete next to their name
• Warning: Deleting a member also deletes all their contribution records

Add a Single Contribution

1. Go to Contributions → Contributions
2. Click Add New
3. Fill in the form:
   • Member — Select from the dropdown
   • Date — When the gift was given
   • Amount — Dollar amount
   • Type — What kind of gift (Tithes, Offerings, etc.)
   • Payment Method — How they gave (Cash, Check, etc.)
   • Check Number — If they wrote a check
   • Notes — Any additional details
   • Tax-Deductible — Check this box unless it’s an event fee or non-deductible payment
4. Click Save Contribution

Import Multiple Contributions

For entering many contributions at once:

1. Go to Contributions → Contributions
2. Scroll to the import section
3. Download the sample template
4. Your CSV needs these columns:

   member_number, contribution_date, amount, contribution_type, payment_method

5. Date format must be: YYYY-MM-DD (example: 2026-02-15)
6. Save as CSV and upload

Example CSV:

member_number,contribution_date,amount,contribution_type,payment_method
1001,2026-01-05,100.00,Tithes,Check
1002,2026-01-05,50.00,General,Cash
1001,2026-01-12,100.00,Tithes,Check

Editing or Deleting Contributions

To edit:

1. Go to Contributions → Contributions
2. Find the contribution in the list (filter by date, member, or type)
3. Click Edit
4. Make changes
5. Click Save Contribution

To delete:

• Click Delete next to the contribution
• This cannot be undone

Events work differently than regular contributions. Use events for:

• Retreats and conferences
• Fundraisers
• VBS registration
• Classes and programs
• Any gathering where you need to track who’s coming and collect payments

Create an Event

1. Go to Contributions → Events
2. Click Add New Event
3. Fill in the event details:

4. Click Publish

View Event Registrations

1. Go to Contributions → Events
2. You’ll see a list of all your events
3. Click View Registrations for any event

This shows you:

• Who registered
• How many adults and kids
• Payment status (Paid, Pending, or Free)
• Contact information

Export to CSV: Click Export CSV to download the registration list.

Online Event Registration

Each event gets a registration form that you can add to any page on your website.

1. Edit the event
2. Copy the shortcode shown (looks like [ccm_event_registration event_id="123"])
3. Paste it into any WordPress page or post
4. People can register and pay online through that page

Tax-Deductible Event Fees

Most event fees are NOT tax-deductible because attendees receive something in return (a meal, materials, admission, etc.).

Only check “Tax-Deductible” if:

• The fee is actually a donation to the event
• No goods or services are provided to the attendee
• You’ve confirmed with your treasurer or accountant

• When checked: The payment appears on the person’s year-end tax statement
• When unchecked (default): Tracked as an event registration only and does NOT appear on tax statements

At the end of each year, you’ll need to generate contribution statements for your donors.

Generate a Single Statement

1. Go to Contributions → Statements
2. Select the member from the dropdown
3. Select the year
4. Click Download PDF — saves a PDF to your computer
5. OR click Email to Member — sends it directly to their email address

The statement includes:

• Church information
• Donor name and address
• List of all contributions for the year
• Total amount given
• IRS-compliant tax language

Generate Statements for Everyone

To create statements for all members at once:

1. Go to Contributions → Statements
2. Choose the year
3. Click Generate All Statements (ZIP)
4. Wait a moment while the plugin creates all the PDFs
5. Download the ZIP file
6. Extract it to get individual PDF files for each member

Or email them all:

1. Click Email All Statements
2. The plugin sends each member their statement via email

What Appears on Tax Statements

Included:

• All contributions marked as “Tax-Deductible”
• Regular giving (tithes, offerings, designated gifts)
• Event fees marked as tax-deductible

NOT included:

• Event registrations where “Tax-Deductible” was unchecked
• Any contribution with the tax-deductible box unchecked

The plugin sends automatic emails for:

• Donation receipts (after online giving)
• Event registration confirmations
• Year-end tax statements

Set Up Email Templates

1. Go to Contributions → Settings
2. Click the Email tab

Donation Receipt Email:

• Sent automatically when someone gives online
• Edit the subject and body
• Use these tags to personalize: {member_name}, {amount}, {fund}, {date}, {church_name}

Event Registration Email:

• Sent when someone registers for an event
• Can include event details, payment info, and next steps

Example:

Subject: Thank you for your donation to {church_name}

Dear {member_name},

Thank you for your generous donation of {amount} to {fund}.
We are so grateful for your faithful generosity.

Date: {date}
Amount: {amount}
Fund: {fund}

This letter confirms that no goods or services were provided
in exchange for your contribution. Please retain this receipt
for your tax records.

Blessings,
{church_name}

Test Your Emails

1. Go to Settings → Email
2. Scroll down to “Test Email”
3. Enter your email address
4. Click Send Test Email
5. Check your inbox to make sure it arrives and looks correct

View Reports

Go to Contributions → Reports to see:

Filters:

• Date range (This Week, This Month, This Year, or Custom)
• Contribution type
• Payment method

Export to CSV: Click the Export button to download any report as a spreadsheet.

Member Giving History

To see everything a specific member has given:

1. Go to Contributions → Members
2. Click on the member’s name
3. You’ll see their complete giving history
4. Filter by date range or contribution type
5. Export their record if needed

How to Record Sunday Offerings

How to Handle Memorial Gifts

1. Create a contribution type called “Memorial Gift”
2. When recording the contribution:
   • Select the donor (the person giving the memorial)
   • In the Notes field, write who the memorial is for
   • Example: “In memory of John Smith”

How to Track Building Fund Campaigns

1. Create a contribution type called “Building Fund”
2. Record all building fund gifts using that type
3. Run a report filtered by “Building Fund” to see your progress
4. Export to CSV if you need to share with leadership

How to Change Past Contributions

If you recorded something incorrectly:

1. Go to Contributions → Contributions
2. Find the contribution
3. Click Edit
4. Make your corrections
5. Click Save Contribution

How to Delete Test Data

If you entered test contributions while learning the plugin:

1. Go to Contributions → Contributions
2. Find each test entry
3. Click Delete
4. Confirm the deletion

Or delete the test member entirely (this deletes all their contributions at once).

🙋 Need More Help?

Common Questions

Q: Can I use this with QuickBooks?
A: You can export contribution data as CSV and import it into QuickBooks.

Q: Can multiple people use this?
A: Yes, anyone with WordPress admin access can use the plugin.

Q: Is my data secure?
A: Yes, all data stays in your WordPress database. Online payments are processed securely through Stripe (we never store credit card numbers).

Q: Can I customize the tax statement?
A: Yes, go to Settings → Statement Settings to edit the header, footer, and disclaimer text.

Q: What if someone gives multiple times on the same day?
A: Record each gift as a separate contribution. The statement will list them individually and show the total.

Q: Do I need to manually enter online donations?
A: No, online donations are automatically recorded when processed through Stripe.

Q: Can I track pledges or recurring giving?
A: Yes, the plugin has a recurring giving feature. Go to Contributions → Recurring Plans.

✅ Best Practices

Weekly Routine

Every Sunday:

1. Record cash and check offerings
2. Enter contribution date, member name, amount, and type
3. Note check numbers for auditing

Monthly:

1. Run a report to verify totals
2. Export to CSV for your treasurer
3. Review any pending online payments

Annually:

1. Generate tax statements by January 31st
2. Email or mail to all members
3. Keep PDF copies for your records (at least 7 years)

Data Backup

Your contribution data lives in your WordPress database.

• Your web host backs up your database regularly
• OR install a backup plugin (like UpdraftPlus)
• Download a full backup before making major changes

Training Your Team

Who needs access:

• Church treasurer or bookkeeper
• Staff who record contributions
• Anyone who manages events

What they need to know:

• How to add members
• How to record contributions
• How to run basic reports
• How to generate statements

Print this guide or share the link with your team.

⚡ Quick Reference

Common Shortcuts

Important Dates

• January 31 — Deadline to mail/email tax statements for the previous year
• December 31 — Last day contributions count for the current tax year

Support Resources

• Plugin Settings: Contributions → Settings
• Diagnostic Tool: Contributions → Diagnostic (checks if everything is set up correctly)
• Import/Export: Contributions → Import/Export

That’s it! You now have everything you need to manage contributions, track events, and generate tax statements for your church.

If you have questions not covered in this guide, check the diagnostic tool or Contact Us.