Most WordPress donation pages don’t show how many people are already giving. When supporters feel like they’re the only ones donating, they’re less likely to follow through. A donor leaderboard fixes that by showing real support in action. Seeing others donate builds social proof and motivates new visitors to give.
Why add a donor leaderboard?
– Strengthens community engagement by turning individual donations into a shared experience.
– Recognizes top supporters publicly, increasing donor loyalty.
– Creates friendly competition that can boost gift sizes and recurring donations.
– Builds transparency and trust by showing active support.
Overview of what I’ll cover
1. Install and activate the Charitable plugin
2. Create a campaign with a donor leaderboard
3. Embed the campaign on your site
4. Alternative: show a donor leaderboard across all campaigns (block or shortcode)
5. Bonus: create a donor portal
6. FAQs and next steps
Step 1: Install and activate the Charitable plugin
Charitable (WP Charitable) is a purpose-built donation and fundraising plugin for WordPress. The Donor Leaderboard feature is available in Charitable Pro. You can try the free version first, but the leaderboard requires Pro.
– Sign up at the Charitable site, choose a plan, and download the plugin zip and license key.
– In WordPress go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, choose the zip file, install and activate.
– Enter your license key at Charitable → Settings and click Verify Key to unlock Pro features.
Step 2: Create a campaign with a donor leaderboard
With Charitable Pro active, create a campaign and add the leaderboard element:
– Go to Charitable → Campaigns → Create Campaign.
– Give the campaign a clear name (e.g., “Annual Scholarship Fund”) and pick a template.
– In the campaign builder, drag the “Leaderboard” field into your layout. Position it where it will be visible—many nonprofits place it near the top.
– Configure leaderboard settings:
– View Type: List or Card.
– Number of Donors and Pagination.
– Order By: total donations, most recent, or name; choose DESC for top donors first.
– Title Settings: title, description, top contributors/all contributors labels.
– Display Settings: show/hide avatar, donation amount, donation count, last donation date, campaign name, supporter level, and width.
– Test settings until you’re happy, then change status from Draft to Publish and Save. The leaderboard will populate as donations come in.
Step 3: Embed your campaign on your site
Charitable includes an embed wizard that makes placing campaigns easy.
– Click the Embed button in your campaign settings.
– Choose to add to an existing page or create a new page. Follow the wizard to open the WordPress block editor.
– Add a Charitable Campaign block, select your campaign from the dropdown, and preview the campaign including the leaderboard.
– Save or Publish the page. New campaigns might not show donors until donations arrive; the leaderboard updates automatically as donations are processed.
Alternative: Show a donor leaderboard across all campaigns
If you run multiple campaigns, you may want a site-wide leaderboard that recognizes donors across all efforts. Charitable supports this via a block or shortcode.
Option 1 — Block editor
– Edit the page where you want the leaderboard. Add the Donor Leaderboard block.
– Set View to List/Table or Card.
– Choose Campaign: All Campaigns, Current Campaign, or a specific campaign.
– Adjust Number of Donors, enable pagination, and set Display Options (avatar, amount, donation count, last campaign, supporter level).
– Customize title, icons, border colors, and then Publish.
Option 2 — Shortcode
Shortcodes let you place a leaderboard in sidebars, widget areas, or page builder sections.
– Go to Appearance → Widgets (or use a Shortcode block in the block editor) and add a Shortcode widget where you want the leaderboard.
– Basic shortcode: [charitable_donor_leaderboard]
– With parameters: [charitable_donor_leaderboard view=”card” number=”12″ campaign=”123″]
– Replace campaign=”123″ with your campaign ID (found in the campaign edit URL as post=123).
– Save and view the site. Shortcodes are helpful inside page builders like Elementor, SeedProd, or Beaver Builder.
Bonus tip: Create a donor portal
A donor portal improves the experience for returning donors by letting them view donation history, manage recurring gifts, and update details without contacting your team. This reduces admin workload (resending receipts, updating records) and gives donors control over their giving—encouraging retention. Charitable supports building donor-facing areas; follow a donor portal guide to set it up quickly.
FAQs
Can I show a leaderboard for a specific campaign only?
Yes. Use the Donor Leaderboard block and select the specific campaign, or use the campaign parameter in the shortcode.
Can I control what information appears?
Yes. You can show/hide avatars, donation amounts, counts, last donation date, campaign names, and supporter levels via block settings or shortcode parameters.
Will the leaderboard update automatically?
Yes. The leaderboard updates in real time as donations are processed.
Can I place the leaderboard anywhere?
Yes. Use the block on pages and posts, or the shortcode in widgets, sidebars, footers, or page-builder sections.
Does a donor leaderboard actually increase donations?
Yes. Leaderboards provide social proof and friendly competition. Seeing others give builds trust and can motivate increased or recurring donations.
Next steps to grow your nonprofit site
After adding a leaderboard, consider:
– Accepting international donations
– Adding a fundraising thermometer
– Installing other nonprofit plugins to enhance donor experience
– Applying donation form best practices to boost conversions
If you found this useful, follow WordPress tutorial channels for more guides on fundraising tools, plugin recommendations, and nonprofit site best practices.