Connect Blackbaud Integrated Payments for Disbursements

Connect to Blackbaud Integrated Payments so your organization can receive eligible donations directly into a merchant account. This gives your organization more control over how and when funds are disbursed.

When you connect to a Blackbaud Integrated Payments merchant account in Blackbaud Verified Network, funds follow standard charitable disbursement paths and are then deposited into the nonprofit’s connected merchant account.

Note: Chapter organizations cannot connect or select a Blackbaud Integrated Payments merchant account for disbursements in Blackbaud Verified Network. Charitable funds for chapters are disbursed directly to the parent organization.

Before you begin

Make sure:

Only nonprofit administrators can connect a merchant account.

Note: If you administer a chapter organization, this option is not available. Chapter funds are disbursed to the parent organization.

Tip: When connecting your merchant account in Blackbaud Verified Network, you can also set ACH direct deposit as your backup disbursement method for donations or payments not supported by Blackbaud Integrated Payments. Otherwise, these payments are disbursed via paper check.

Connect your merchant account

Follow these steps to connect to your organization's Blackbaud Integrated Payments merchant account in Blackbaud Verified Network. This applies to eligible parent or standalone nonprofit organizations only.

  1. Sign in to the Blackbaud Verified Network at nonprofit.yourcause.com using your Blackbaud ID (BBID) account.

  2. Select Administration, then Blackbaud Connections.

  3. Select the Blackbaud Integrated Payments merchant account from the dropdown.

  4. Select Connect.

What happens after you connect

After your merchant account is connected, eligible donations and grant payments are disbursed to your organization through Blackbaud Integrated Payments instead of alternative paths like ACH direct deposit or check. You can use merchant account features, such as setting a daily disbursement schedule. Processing times can vary based on how each donation is handled by the corporate partner.

Note: Connecting a merchant account does not change how donors give or how corporate partners send donations.

Donation and grant eligibility

Blackbaud Integrated Payments is available for all CSRconnect donation types and GrantsConnect grant payments with several exceptions:

  • Globally processed donations do not use Blackbaud Integrated Payments.

  • Grant payments with special handling instructions do not use Blackbaud Integrated Payments.

These donations and payments use the standard charitable disbursement paths or are disbursed through our global processors.

FAQ

No. There are no fees to connect to a merchant account for this purpose.

No. Chapters do not connect their own bank or merchant account for disbursements in Blackbaud Verified Network.

Blackbaud Verified Network automatically disburses charitable funds to the parent organization using the disbursement method the parent has on file. If the parent organization connects a bank account for ACH direct deport or a Blackbaud Integrated Payments merchant account, the network sends funds directly to that account during disbursement. The parent organization then distributes funds to chapters based on its internal processes.

No, you do not need to set up an alternative disbursement method. Connecting a Blackbaud Integrated Payments merchant account is separate from providing ACH disbursement information. You can set up each option independently.

That said, we recommend you provide ACH disbursement information, so it is used as a fallback if a payment cannot be sent to your merchant account. This helps you receive payments faster and more reliably. If ACH is not set up, your payment is sent by check instead.

For details, see Set Up ACH Direct Deposit.

You can view basic transaction information in All Transactions in Blackbaud Verified Network, including:

  • Payment processor - Blackbaud Integrated Payments appears as the Processor for the transaction.

  • Donation type – View Type to confirm the type of donation the payment is for, such as credit card.

  • Donor information – View Donor to see donor’s name and email.

    Tip: Due to the donor's privacy preferences, name or email address may not be available for all donations. Likewise, some donations may be listed as Anonymous if the donor elected to donate anonymously. For details, see View Donor Details.

  • Transaction ID – Payments processed through Blackbaud Integrated Payments do not appear in the Payments area of Blackbaud Verified Network. Instead, the transaction ID from your merchant account is shown next to the processor in All Transactions. Select it to open the disbursement details in your Blackbaud Integrated Payments account.

If you originally received funds by check, you may receive a check if a payment is in transit when you set Blackbaud Integrated Payments as your disbursement option. Other payments are issued through your Blackbaud Integrated Payments account, including payments made before your organization selected a Blackbaud Integrated Payments account.

Tip: Cleared payments show the disbursement method used, so ACH or check may still appear in Payments and Transactions reports.

Nonprofits must issue IRS-compliant tax receipts for donations received directly into their Blackbaud Integrated Payments account, including employee digital donations.

Note: Nonprofits are not responsible for issuing tax receipts for donations disbursed through the Blackbaud Giving Fund, which includes employee payroll donations, matches, incentives, grants, and other applicable gifts.