FundraiseUp API Skill

Overview

This skill enables Claude to interact with the FundraiseUp REST API for processing donations, managing recurring plans, retrieving supporter data, and accessing fundraising analytics. FundraiseUp is a digital fundraising platform that allows nonprofits to process donations from various channels.

Configuration

Required environment variables:

FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY - API Key (e.g., ABEDDDD_XSSSHwzZc98KR53CWQeWeclA)

Base URL

https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1

Authentication

API Key Generation

1. Go to Dashboard > Settings > API keys
2. Click "Create API key"
3. Enter a descriptive name
4. Select data mode:
   • Live data: For production use
   • Test data: For testing (keys have test_ prefix)
5. Select permissions:
   • Retrieve donation data
   • Create new donations
   • Generate Donor Portal access links
6. Save the API key securely (shown only once)

Authentication Header

All API requests must include the Authorization header with Bearer token:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Important Notes

• API keys are scoped to specific accounts/subaccounts
• Parent account API keys cannot create donations for subaccounts
• Only Organization Administrators can create API keys
• Never expose API keys publicly

Rate Limits

• 8 requests per second
• 128 requests per minute
• Implement retry logic with exponential backoff for rate limit handling

Required Headers

Content-Type: application/json
Accept: application/json
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

---

API Endpoints

1. Donations

List Donations

Endpoint: GET /donations

Description: Retrieve all donations with cursor-based pagination.

Query Parameters:

• limit (optional): Number of records per page (1-100, default: 10)
• starting_after (optional): Cursor for pagination (donation ID)
• ending_before (optional): Cursor for backward pagination (donation ID)
• Note: starting_after and ending_before are mutually exclusive

Example Request:

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/donations?limit=50' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY}}'

Response Fields:

• id: Donation identifier
• created_at: ISO 8601 timestamp
• livemode: Boolean (true for live, false for test)
• amount: Donation amount in selected currency
• amount_in_default_currency: Amount in organization's default currency
• currency: Three-letter ISO code (lowercase)
• status: Donation status (e.g., succeeded, pending, failed)
• campaign: Campaign details (id, code, name)
• supporter: Supporter information
• recurring_plan: Recurring plan details (if applicable)
• designation: Fund/program designation
• tribute: Tribute information (if provided)
• custom_fields: Array of custom field values
• processing_fee: Processing fee details
• platform_fee: Platform fee details
• fees_covered: Amount of fees covered by donor

---

Get Single Donation

Endpoint: GET /donations/{id}

Description: Retrieve details of a specific donation.

Path Parameters:

• id (required): Donation ID

Example Request:

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/donations/DFQLCFEP' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY}}'

---

Create Donation

Endpoint: POST /donations

Description: Create a one-time or recurring donation. API-created donations will have "API" as the donation source.

Prerequisites:

• Stripe account connected to FundraiseUp and activated
• Active campaign with money-based payment method
• API key with "create new donations" permission
• Stripe Payment Method ID (created via Stripe API)
• PCI compliance requirements met

Request Body:

{
  "campaign_id": "FUNCPJTZZQR",
  "amount": "25.00",
  "currency": "usd",
  "payment_method_id": "pm_1234567890abcdef",
  "supporter": {
    "first_name": "John",
    "last_name": "Doe",
    "email": "john.doe@example.com",
    "phone": "+1234567890",
    "mailing_address": {
      "line1": "123 Main St",
      "line2": "Apt 4B",
      "city": "New York",
      "region": "NY",
      "postal_code": "10001",
      "country": "us"
    }
  },
  "recurring_plan": {
    "frequency": "monthly"
  },
  "designation": [
    {
      "id": "EHHJ9R36"
    }
  ],
  "tribute": {
    "type": "in_honor_of",
    "honoree": "Jane Smith"
  },
  "comment": "Monthly donation for general fund",
  "anonymous": false,
  "custom_fields": [
    {
      "name": "referral_source",
      "value": "Email Campaign"
    }
  ]
}

Required Fields:

• campaign_id: Must belong to the account and be active
• amount: Decimal string (e.g., "9.99" for USD, "200" for JPY), minimum $1 or equivalent
• currency: Three-letter ISO code (lowercase)
• payment_method_id: Stripe Payment Method ID
• supporter.first_name: Up to 256 characters
• supporter.last_name: Up to 256 characters
• supporter.email: Valid email address (not verified by API)
• supporter.phone: Up to 20 characters (required if campaign requires it)
• supporter.mailing_address: Required if campaign requires it

Optional Fields:

• recurring_plan.frequency: Creates recurring plan ("monthly", "weekly", "quarterly", "yearly", "daily")
• designation: Array of designation IDs
• tribute.type: "in_honor_of" or "in_memory_of"
• tribute.honoree: Name of person being honored
• comment: Donation comment
• anonymous: Boolean (default: false)
• custom_fields: Array of custom field objects

Example Request:

curl --request POST \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/donations' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY}}' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "campaign_id": "FUNCPJTZZQR",
    "amount": "50.00",
    "currency": "usd",
    "payment_method_id": "pm_1234567890",
    "supporter": {
      "first_name": "Jane",
      "last_name": "Smith",
      "email": "jane@example.com"
    }
  }'

Important Notes:

• All string parameters are trimmed; empty strings converted to null
• Addresses and emails are not formatted or verified
• Only credit card payments are currently supported
• Fees may show as 0 initially until Stripe finalizes (use Events endpoint for finalized fees)

---

Update Donation

Endpoint: PATCH /donations/{id}

Description: Update a donation. Updates only allowed within 24 hours of creation and only for API-created donations.

Path Parameters:

• id (required): Donation ID

Limitations:

• Only API-created donations can be updated
• Updates must occur within 24 hours of creation
• No bulk updates supported

---

2. Recurring Plans

List Recurring Plans

Endpoint: GET /recurring_plans

Description: Retrieve all recurring donation plans.

Query Parameters:

• limit (optional): Number of records per page (1-100)
• starting_after (optional): Cursor for pagination
• ending_before (optional): Cursor for backward pagination

Example Request:

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/recurring_plans?limit=50' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY}}'

Response Fields:

• id: Recurring plan identifier
• created_at: ISO 8601 timestamp
• frequency: "monthly", "weekly", "quarterly", "yearly", or "daily"
• amount: Recurring donation amount
• currency: Three-letter ISO code
• status: Plan status (active, paused, canceled)
• next_installment_at: Next scheduled donation date
• ended_at: End date (if set)
• campaign: Associated campaign details
• supporter: Supporter information

---

Get Single Recurring Plan

Endpoint: GET /recurring_plans/{id}

Description: Retrieve details of a specific recurring plan.

Path Parameters:

• id (required): Recurring plan ID

Example Request:

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/recurring_plans/RVSHJNPJ' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY}}'

---

Update Recurring Plan

Endpoint: PATCH /recurring_plans/{id}

Description: Update a recurring plan. Updates only allowed within 24 hours of creation and only for API-created plans.

---

3. Supporters

List Supporters

Endpoint: GET /supporters

Description: Retrieve all supporters/donors.

Query Parameters:

• limit (optional): Number of records per page (1-100)
• starting_after (optional): Cursor for pagination
• ending_before (optional): Cursor for backward pagination

Example Request:

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/supporters?limit=50' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY}}'

Response Fields:

• id: Supporter identifier
• created_at: ISO 8601 timestamp
• email: Email address
• first_name: First name
• last_name: Last name
• phone: Phone number
• mailing_address: Address details
• mailing_list_subscribed: Boolean
• anonymous: Boolean
• employer: Employer name (if provided)

---

Get Single Supporter

Endpoint: GET /supporters/{id}

Description: Retrieve details of a specific supporter.

Path Parameters:

• id (required): Supporter ID

Example Request:

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/supporters/SXXXXXXX' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY}}'

---

4. Events

List Events

Endpoint: GET /events

Description: Retrieve audit log events for donations, recurring plans, and supporters.

Query Parameters:

• limit (optional): Number of records per page (1-100)
• starting_after (optional): Cursor for pagination
• ending_before (optional): Cursor for backward pagination

Example Request:

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/events?limit=50' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY}}'

Use Cases:

• Track when fees are finalized (look for donation.success event)
• Monitor status changes
• Audit trail for compliance
• Integration debugging

---

5. Campaigns

List Campaigns

Endpoint: GET /campaigns

Description: Retrieve all campaigns.

Query Parameters:

• limit (optional): Number of records per page (1-100)
• starting_after (optional): Cursor for pagination
• ending_before (optional): Cursor for backward pagination

Example Request:

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/campaigns' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY}}'

Response Fields:

• id: Campaign identifier
• code: Campaign code
• name: Campaign name
• status: Campaign status

---

Get Single Campaign

Endpoint: GET /campaigns/{id}

Path Parameters:

• id (required): Campaign ID

---

6. Designations

List Designations

Endpoint: GET /designations

Description: Retrieve all fund/program designations.

Example Request:

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/designations' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY}}'

---

7. Donor Portal Access

Generate Supporter Portal Link

Endpoint: POST /donor_portal/access_links/supporters/{id}

Description: Generate a secure link for a supporter to access their Donor Portal without logging in.

Path Parameters:

• id (required): Supporter ID

Prerequisites:

• API key with "Generate Donor Portal access links" permission enabled

Example Request:

curl --request POST \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/donor_portal/access_links/supporters/64b0ba9d9a19ea001fa3516a' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY}}'

Response:

{
  "url": "https://yourorg.org/login/?auth=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..."
}

Important Security Notes:

• Links are valid for 1 minute only
• Should only be used within Donor Portal context
• Never share via email, SMS, or public channels
• Provides access to sensitive data (payment methods, donation history, receipts)
• Validate supporter ownership before generating links
• Implement automatic redirect (do not require manual action)

---

Generate Recurring Plan Portal Link

Endpoint: POST /donor_portal/access_links/recurring_plans/{id}

Description: Generate a link for a supporter to access a specific recurring plan in the Donor Portal.

Path Parameters:

• id (required): Recurring plan ID

Optional Query Parameters:

• return_url (optional): URL to return to after managing the recurring plan

Example Request:

curl --request POST \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/donor_portal/access_links/recurring_plans/RVSHJNPJ' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer {{FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY}}'

Response:

{
  "url": "https://yourorg.org/login/?auth=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..."
}

---

Pagination Best Practices

All list endpoints use cursor-based pagination:

1. Initial Request: Set limit parameter (1-100)
2. Next Page: Use the last item's id in starting_after
3. Previous Page: Use the first item's id in ending_before
4. Sorting: Records sorted by creation date (newest first), then by ID (Z to A)

Example Pagination Flow:

# Page 1
GET /donations?limit=50

# Page 2 (use last donation ID from page 1)
GET /donations?limit=50&starting_after=LAST_DONATION_ID

# Previous page
GET /donations?limit=50&ending_before=FIRST_DONATION_ID

---

Error Handling

Standard HTTP Response Codes

• 200 OK: Successful GET request
• 201 Created: Successful POST request
• 400 Bad Request: Invalid request parameters
• 401 Unauthorized: Missing or invalid API key
• 403 Forbidden: Insufficient permissions
• 404 Not Found: Resource not found
• 429 Too Many Requests: Rate limit exceeded
• 500 Internal Server Error: Server error

Best Practices

1. Implement exponential backoff for rate limits
2. Log all API errors with request details
3. Validate data before sending to API
4. Handle null values gracefully
5. Check for finalized fees using Events endpoint

---

Code Examples

Python Example

import requests
import os

API_KEY = os.environ.get('FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY')
BASE_URL = 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1'

headers = {
    'Authorization': f'Bearer {API_KEY}',
    'Accept': 'application/json',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}

# List donations
def get_donations(limit=50):
    url = f'{BASE_URL}/donations'
    params = {'limit': limit}
    response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=params)
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()

# Create donation
def create_donation(campaign_id, amount, currency, payment_method_id, supporter):
    url = f'{BASE_URL}/donations'
    data = {
        'campaign_id': campaign_id,
        'amount': str(amount),
        'currency': currency,
        'payment_method_id': payment_method_id,
        'supporter': supporter
    }
    response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=data)
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()

# Get single donation
def get_donation(donation_id):
    url = f'{BASE_URL}/donations/{donation_id}'
    response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()

Node.js Example

const axios = require('axios');

const API_KEY = process.env.FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY;
const BASE_URL = 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1';

const headers = {
  'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
  'Accept': 'application/json',
  'Content-Type': 'application/json'
};

// List donations
async function getDonations(limit = 50) {
  const response = await axios.get(`${BASE_URL}/donations`, {
    headers,
    params: { limit }
  });
  return response.data;
}

// Create donation
async function createDonation(campaignId, amount, currency, paymentMethodId, supporter) {
  const response = await axios.post(`${BASE_URL}/donations`, {
    campaign_id: campaignId,
    amount: amount.toString(),
    currency,
    payment_method_id: paymentMethodId,
    supporter
  }, { headers });
  return response.data;
}

// Get single donation
async function getDonation(donationId) {
  const response = await axios.get(`${BASE_URL}/donations/${donationId}`, { headers });
  return response.data;
}

cURL Example with Environment Variable

# Set your API key as environment variable
export FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"

# List donations
curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/donations?limit=50' \
  --header "Accept: application/json" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY"

# Create donation
curl --request POST \
  --url 'https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/donations' \
  --header "Accept: application/json" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "campaign_id": "FUNCPJTZZQR",
    "amount": "25.00",
    "currency": "usd",
    "payment_method_id": "pm_1234567890",
    "supporter": {
      "first_name": "John",
      "last_name": "Doe",
      "email": "john@example.com"
    }
  }'

# Get single donation
curl --request GET \
  --url "https://api.fundraiseup.com/v1/donations/DFQLCFEP" \
  --header "Accept: application/json" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $FUNDRAISEUP_API_KEY"

---

Testing

Test Mode

• Generate API keys with "Test data" mode
• Test keys have test_ prefix
• Test mode data doesn't affect live data or banking networks
• Use test Stripe Payment Methods for creating test donations

URL Parameter for Testing

Add fundraiseupLivemode=no to any URL for testing without processing real donations

---

Integration Patterns

Historical Data Sync

1. Use limit parameter to fetch batches (recommended: 50-100)
2. Use starting_after with last record ID for next batch
3. Process batches sequentially
4. Implement error handling and retry logic

Real-time Polling

1. Poll API at regular intervals (respect rate limits)
2. Use Events endpoint to track changes
3. Store last processed record ID
4. Use starting_after to get only new records

Event-Based Integration

• Use Zapier for event triggers (FundraiseUp doesn't support direct webhooks)
• Configure Zapier to trigger on FundraiseUp events
• Trigger sync jobs in your system based on events

---

Common Use Cases

1. Processing Offline Donations

   • Face-to-face fundraising
   • Direct mail donations
   • Telethon pledges
   • Event registrations

2. CRM Integration

   • Sync donation data to CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
   • Update supporter records
   • Track recurring plans
   • Generate reports

3. Analytics and Reporting

   • Export donation data for BI tools
   • Track campaign performance
   • Analyze donor behavior
   • Calculate lifetime value

4. Donor Portal Integration

   • Seamless authentication from custom portals
   • Direct access to recurring plan management
   • Single sign-on experience

---

Security Best Practices

1. API Key Management

   • Store API keys in environment variables (never hardcode)
   • Use separate keys for different integrations
   • Rotate keys periodically
   • Revoke compromised keys immediately

2. HTTPS Only

   • All requests must use HTTPS
   • HTTP requests are rejected

3. Data Validation

   • Validate all input before sending to API
   • Sanitize user-provided data
   • Check response data before processing

4. PCI Compliance

   • Never handle raw card data in your application
   • Use Stripe Payment Methods API for card processing
   • Meet PCI DSS requirements (SAQ D for direct API integration)
   • Consider using Stripe Elements to reduce PCI scope

5. Donor Portal Security

   • Validate supporter ownership before generating access links
   • Use automatic redirects (never manual links)
   • Never share access links via email or public channels
   • Access links expire in 1 minute

---

Limitations and Considerations

1. Payment Methods: Currently only credit cards are supported
2. Updates: Only allowed within 24 hours of creation, only for API-created records
3. Bulk Operations: No bulk update support
4. Webhooks: Direct webhooks not supported (use Zapier for events)
5. Subaccounts: Parent API keys cannot create donations for subaccounts
6. Fee Calculations: Fees may be 0 initially; use Events endpoint for finalized fees
7. Address Validation: API does not format or verify addresses
8. Email Validation: API does not verify email addresses
9. Migration: REST API is not a migration mechanism (use Migration service)

---

Additional Resources

• Official Documentation: https://fundraiseup.com/docs/rest-api/
• API Resources: https://fundraiseup.com/docs/rest-api-resources/
• Donor Portal Integration: https://fundraiseup.com/docs/seamless-donor-portal/
• Support: https://fundraiseup.com/support/

---

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

401 Unauthorized

• Check API key is correct and active
• Verify Authorization header format
• Ensure API key has required permissions

429 Rate Limit Exceeded

• Implement exponential backoff
• Reduce request frequency
• Batch operations where possible

400 Bad Request

• Validate all required fields are present
• Check data types and formats
• Ensure currency codes are lowercase
• Verify amount format (decimal string)

Fees Showing as 0

• Fees are finalized asynchronously
• Use Events endpoint to get finalized fees
• Look for donation.success event

Cannot Update Donation

• Verify donation was created via API
• Ensure update is within 24 hours
• Check API key permissions

---

Version Information

• API Version: v1
• Last Updated: February 2026
• Supported Payment Methods: Credit Card only