How to Add a Donation Option to Your Ghost Blog Posts

Ghost, the popular open-source publishing platform, has just rolled out an exciting new feature that content creators have been eagerly awaiting - native Tips & Donations! This update allows you to easily add a donation option to your blog posts, providing a seamless way for your readers to support your work. In this post, we'll walk you through setting up this feature and automatically adding a Call-to-Action (CTA) to the end of all posts with a simple code snippet.

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, make sure you have:

• Ghost version 5.59.0 or higher
• A Stripe account (this is necessary for processing payments)

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Enabling Stripe Integration

First things first, let's connect your Stripe account:

1. Navigate to Ghost Admin > Settings > Membership
2. Look for the Stripe section and click on "Connect with Stripe"
3. Follow the prompts to connect your existing Stripe account or create a new one

2. Setting Up Tips & Donations

Now that Stripe is connected let's enable and configure the Tips & Donations feature:

1. Go to Ghost Admin > Settings > Growth
2. Scroll down to find the "Tips & Donations" section
3. You'll see options to set a suggested donation amount:
   • Set a default amount (e.g., $4.50 for a "Buy me a coffee" suggestion)
4. Customize the currency if needed (it defaults to your Stripe account's currency)

This setup allows your readers to choose from preset donation amounts or enter their own, providing flexibility in how they support your work.

3. Adding the Donation Option to All Blog Posts

While Ghost provides a native way to add the donation option, you might want more control over its placement and appearance. Here's a custom JavaScript snippet that automatically adds the donation option to the end of all your blog posts:

1. Go to Ghost Admin > Settings > Code injection
2. Scroll down to the "Site Footer" section
3. Add the following code:

4. Customize the message and link in the ctaHtml constant to match your preferences
5. Save your changes

This script does the following:

• Checks if we're on a post page
• Verifies the donation call-to-action hasn't already been added (to avoid duplication)
• Adds a styled callout card with your donation message at the end of each post

By using this method, you ensure that every blog post includes your customized donation option, encouraging readers to support your work.

Showcase

Here's how the donation option looks on my blog:

Closing Thoughts

Ghost's native Tips & Donations feature is great for content creators. It's easy to set up, integrates seamlessly with your blog, and provides a straightforward way for your readers to support your work. By following this guide and tailoring the approach to your unique voice and audience, you'll be well on your way to building a sustainable model for your content creation.

Remember, the key is to create valuable content for your readers. When your audience appreciates what you do, donations will naturally follow.

Further Resources

• Ghost's announcement on the donations feature
• Stripe documentation for handling payments

Have you set up Tips & Donations on your Ghost blog? Share your experiences and tips with me (@zain) on Threads.