Setting Up DonorChase
Most of this is done once, by an administrator, and everything can be changed later. If you haven't signed up yet, start with Getting started with DonorChase and Xero.
1. Choose your periods
Periods decide how invoices are grouped on your dashboard. Open Settings → Dashboard Setup, click Dashboard Settings next to the dashboard, and choose a Period Type.
| Period Type | Each period covers | Named like |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | A calendar month | January 2026 |
| Quarterly | January to March, April to June, July to September, October to December | 2026 Q1 |
| Termly | January to April, May to August, September to December | Winter 2026, Summer 2026, Autumn 2026 |
| Annually | A calendar year | 2026 |
| Custom | Dates you enter yourself | Whatever you choose |
With all but Custom, DonorChase creates each period by itself when the first invoice for it arrives.
If your year or terms don't fit the options above, for example an academic year running September to August, choose Custom. Click Add Period, enter a name with start and end dates, and click Save before adding the next one. Make sure your periods cover every invoice date: an invoice dated outside them won't appear under any period until you add one that covers it and the next sync runs.
If you change the Period Type later, invoices that are already in a period stay there. The new type applies to invoices that don't have a period yet.
2. Create your groups
Groups split a dashboard into sections so you can treat donors differently. On the same Dashboard Settings page, click Add Group for each one, then Save. The names are up to you. Some that work well:
- Standing orders, for donors who pay automatically;
- Annual payers, for those who pay in one go;
- Needs chasing, for donors who usually need a reminder;
- Do not chase, for donors who shouldn't be contacted.
Groups appear in alphabetical order, with any donors not yet in a group at the bottom under Ungrouped. To control the order, start each name with a number, such as 1 Standing orders.
To put donors into groups, tick them on the dashboard and use the bar that appears below it (see changing several donors at once), or choose a group on the donor's own page.
3. Check the general settings
On Settings → Dashboard Setup, these apply to your whole organisation. Click Save when you've finished.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Hide Invoices Before | Leaves older invoices off your dashboards and donor pages, so old balances don't get in the way. Nothing is deleted, and you can clear the date to bring them back. |
| Default Team Member | The person made responsible for each new donor when it arrives from your bookkeeping package. |
| Terms Shown on Dashboard | How many periods the dashboard shows, from 1 to 10, including the current one. The default is 3. |
| Default Chaser Assignee | Who automatic chasers are given to, and who is suggested when anyone adds a chaser. Keep this filled in, as DonorChase needs it to create automatic chasers. |
| Default Statement Start Date | The date filled in for you when opening a donor's statement. |
| Invoice Wording | Tick this if you charge fees or memberships. Leave it unticked for voluntary contributions: donor pages then say Request and Donation instead of Invoice and Payment, and DonorChase warns you about words best avoided in WhatsApp messages. |
4. Allocate new invoices
Your very first sync puts every invoice on your dashboard for you. After that, each new invoice waits for you to say where it belongs. The number next to Settings shows how many are waiting.
Open Settings → Allocate Invoices. The page lists waiting invoices, up to 1,000 at a time.
- One at a time: choose a dashboard in the Allocation column. It saves straight away, and a tick confirms it.
- Several at once: tick two or more invoices (or the box at the top to select them all), choose a dashboard next to Bulk Edit, and click Bulk Save.
- Invoices you don't want to chase: choose Don't Import. They stay off your dashboards, but still appear on the statement on the donor's own page.
Narrow the list with the filters for date, amount, invoice number and donor name. To change an invoice you've already allocated, untick Unallocated, find it, and choose again.
If an invoice is the first one for a new automatic period, the period appears after the next sync. An administrator can click Sync Now on Settings → Xero Connection to see it straight away.
5. Add your donors' contact details
Email addresses and phone numbers aren't copied from your bookkeeping package, so add the ones your team will use. Click Add Contact on a donor's page, or upload them all from a spreadsheet.
6. Invite your team
See Your team and users.
