Skip to main content

Overview

In a token-transfer migration, your donors’ recurring plans arrive in WeGive with their saved card or bank account already attached. Donors do not need to re-enter payment information, and their recurring gift keeps running on its schedule. This is different from the semi-automated approach (no token transfer), where donors must log in and add a payment method before their gift can process. Do not reuse that article’s sample email for a token-transfer migration — it asks donors to take an action that is not needed here.

WeGive does not announce the migration to donors

The migration itself does not send donors an email, a text message, or a portal invitation. Donors will only hear about the change if your organization tells them, so plan to send your own announcement before or when the migration happens. The first message a donor receives from WeGive is usually the normal Donation Success email after their first successful recurring charge, as long as your organization has that message turned on (a Donation Success triggered message under Settings, Communications, Triggers).

What donors will notice

  • Their gift continues. The amount, schedule, and payment method on the plan carry over. The donor does not see an “add a payment method” prompt, because the plan already has one. Confirm the next scheduled charge date for your donors with your WeGive contact before you announce it.
  • The donor portal is new to them. A donor portal account is set up for each donor automatically during the migration, so donors do not need to register. Donors can sign in with the same email address your organization had on file for them.
  • Their activity log may show payment-method entries. See Why Your Activity Log Shows New Payment-Info Edits After a Platform Migration.
  • Past giving from your old platform does not appear in WeGive unless you also import historical transactions. See What Gets Migrated vs. What Needs a Separate Import.

How a donor signs in for the first time

Donors do not need a password to get in, and there is no password-setup step for them.
  1. Go to your organization’s donor portal link (your organization provides this).
  2. Enter the email address your organization has on file for them.
  3. WeGive sends a short-lived sign-in code. It goes by text message if the donor has a phone number on their profile and your organization has text-message verification on; otherwise it goes by email. The email comes from your organization’s name and logo.
  4. Enter the code to sign in. The code expires after a few minutes; the donor can request a new one on the same screen.
If a donor enters a different email address than the one in your migration file, the portal will not find their account and will offer to create a new profile. Ask them to use the email address you migrated, or contact your WeGive support team. Donors who prefer a password can choose the password option on the sign-in screen and use Forgot password to set one.

What donors can do in the portal

What donors see depends on how your organization has set up the portal, but they can typically:
  • View their recurring plans and update details such as the amount, frequency, payment method, designation, and end date, when the Recurring Plans page is turned on in your portal navigation (see Enabling Recurring Plan Management in the Donor Portal).
  • Give again, and manage their saved payment methods.
  • View and download tax documents, when your organization makes them available (see Tax Documents in WeGive).
  • Update their profile and communication preferences.
Giving history shown in the portal starts from the first charge processed through WeGive unless your organization has imported older transactions.

Sample announcement email

You can adapt this email for donors whose recurring gifts are being transferred. Replace the bracketed parts.
Subject: Your recurring gift is moving to our new giving platform — no action needed Hi [First Name], Thank you for your faithful, recurring support of [Organization Name]. We’re writing to let you know about a change behind the scenes: we’re moving our online giving to a new platform, WeGive, so we can keep improving your giving experience and give you new ways to manage your giving. You don’t need to do anything. Your recurring gift of [amount] [frequency] is being transferred with your saved payment information, and your next gift is scheduled for [next gift date]. After each gift you’ll receive a confirmation email. You’ll also have access to a new donor portal, where you can:
  • See and update your recurring gift (amount, frequency, payment method, and more)
  • Give again at any time
  • Manage your saved payment methods
  • Access your tax documents [if enabled]
  • Update your contact information and communication preferences
To visit the portal for the first time:
  1. Go to [Portal URL]
  2. Enter the email address you’re reading this at: [donor email]
  3. Enter the sign-in code we send you (by text if we have your phone number, otherwise by email)
You don’t need to create a password. If you have any questions about this change, please reach out to us at [Support Email/Phone]. We’re grateful for you! [Organization Name]
Last modified on November 9, 2026