How to Set up a Paypal Account to Receive Donations

Last Updated: March 29, 2019

PayPal is an online payment system that allows you to receive donations and other payments through websites and email accounts. There are special considerations for non-profit organizations, although anyone can sign up for a PayPal account and get the code for a "Donation" button to insert on a web page. Set up a PayPal account and receive donations for your charitable venture or donation-financed project.

Steps

1
Create a PayPal account.
- Visit the official PayPal website, which is linked in the sources area of this article, and click the "Business" tab at the top of the screen.
- Click the "Get Started" button and follow the prompts.
2
Select "Non-profit organization" from the account type drop-down list if you are creating an account for a charitable organization. Otherwise, choose "Business" and then click the "Create New Account" button.

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3
Enter the login email and password for your business account, create your security questions and provide the code before clicking the "Continue" button.
4
Provide the details for your business or charitable organization.
- The legal business name, date established and website URL should be entered in the appropriate boxes.
- Nonprofit organizations will need to select the correct category such as political, educational, charity, religious or other. These types of accounts will be asked to supply backup documentation to support their nonprofit status.
5
Type in a federal tax I.D. or personal Social Security number, primary contact information and a business address before clicking the "Agree and Continue" button.
6
Supply banking information so that can transfer money donated to your PayPal account into a checking or savings account.

Community Q&A

Question

We are a non-profit charitable organization. Do I need a website to collect donations via PayPal?

Community Answer

You need somewhere for other people to click the link to pay you. That could be a website, you could include the information on printed material or a social media account, or you could use PayPal.me.
Question

Can I get PayPal donations for a foundation in Nigeria?

Community Answer

No, the U.S. is going through some difficulty with out-of-country transactions due to a large fraud that recently took place. Try Facebook.
Question

If I don't have a bank account, can I still get donations through PayPal?

Community Answer

No.

Warnings

Claiming nonprofit status that is not warranted is fraud and can cause your PayPal account to be closed or frozen. Additionally, individuals attempting to commit fraud may be subject to criminal charges.

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