Overview

Giftflow is implemented as a WordPress-based system that manages fundraising activity and donation processing through:

• WordPress Custom Post Types (CPTs) for core domain objects (Campaigns, Donors, Donations)
• Page-level options / settings to configure payment, email, and other operational behavior
• A donation form per campaign, used by donors to submit donations
• Email notifications sent to both admins and donors after a successful donation

Workflow diagram

+-----------------------------------+
| Admin creates / updates Campaign  |
+-----------------------------------+
                |
                v
+-----------------------------------+
| Campaign page + Donate CTA        |
+-----------------------------------+
                |
                v
+-----------------------------------+
| Donor opens donation form         |
+-----------------------------------+
                |
                v
+-----------------------------------+
| Submit donor details + amount     |
+-----------------------------------+
                |
                v
+-----------------------------------+
| Create / update Donor record      |
+-----------------------------------+
                |
                v
+-----------------------------------+
| Create Donation record            |
+-----------------------------------+
                |
                v
        +---------------------+
        |   Payment result    |
        +---------------------+
             /           \
            /             \
           v               v
+-------------------+   +--------------------+
| Mark as PAID      |   | Mark as FAILED     |
+-------------------+   +--------------------+
           |                     |
           |                     |
           v                     v
+-------------------+   +--------------------+
| Send email        |   | Send email         |
| to Admin          |   | to Admin           |
+-------------------+   +--------------------+
           |
           v
+-------------------+
| Send email        |
| to Donor          |
+-------------------+

Core entities (WordPress CPTs)

Campaign

A Campaign represents a fundraising initiative. It is the primary object that donors interact with.

• Owned by: Admin / operators
• Used by: Donors (via the donation form)
• Key responsibility: Define the campaign content and connect to a corresponding donation form

Donor

A Donor represents a person who makes a donation.

• Created/updated when: A donor submits a donation form
• Purpose: Provide a consistent identity for donations and donor communications
• Typical data: Name, email, phone, address (as required), consent flags (as applicable)

Donation

A Donation represents a single donation transaction/attempt associated with a donor and campaign.

• Created when: Donor completes the donation form (and payment step if applicable)
• Linked to: One Campaign + one Donor
• Typical data: Amount, currency, payment method, status, timestamps, receipt/reference IDs

Settings & configuration (Page options)

Operational behavior is configured through page options (settings screens / page-level configuration), including:

• Payment method settings
  • Payment provider selection (e.g., card/bank transfer/etc.)
  • Provider credentials (stored securely via WP configuration)
  • Supported currencies, minimum/maximum amounts (if needed)
• Email settings
  • Admin notification recipients (one or more email addresses)
  • Donor email sender details (from name/address)
  • Email templates (admin + donor)
• Other settings
  • Donation form fields (required/optional)
  • Thank-you page behavior
  • Compliance options (consent, terms, privacy links)

Campaign → donation form mapping

Each campaign has a corresponding donation form. The mapping is one-to-one from the donor’s perspective:

• Campaign page: Presents campaign details + call-to-action to donate
• Donation form: Collects donor info and donation details for that campaign

Implementation detail (conceptual):

• The donation form must know the Campaign ID so every Donation is created with the correct association.

Donation flow (end-to-end)

1) Donor starts a donation

• Donor visits a campaign and opens the campaign donation form.
• Donor enters:
  • Donor contact details
  • Donation amount and any options (e.g., message, anonymity, recurring if supported)
  • Payment details (if required by the chosen payment method)

2) System creates/updates records

When the donation form is submitted:

• Donor CPT: Created or updated (commonly matched by email)
• Donation CPT: Created and linked to the Campaign + Donor
• Status: Set based on the payment method outcome (e.g., pending/paid/failed)

3) Email notifications

After the donor completes the donation flow (and the system records the donation):

• Admin email is sent with donation details
  • Campaign name
  • Donor identity/contact (as permitted)
  • Amount, payment method, status, reference IDs
• Donor email is sent as confirmation/receipt (as configured)
  • Donation summary
  • Receipt/reference details
  • Any next steps (e.g., bank transfer instructions if applicable)

Operational responsibilities

• Admins/operators
  • Create and manage Campaigns
  • Configure payment methods and email settings
  • Monitor Donations and handle exceptions (failed/pending)
• System
  • Maintain Donor + Donation records
  • Ensure each donation is associated with the correct Campaign
  • Send admin and donor emails after donation completion