Migrating from Custom Fee Covers to Native Features in Luminate Online and TeamRaiser

Jason Durocher
Jason Durocher Blackbaud Employee
Third Anniversary Kudos 1 Participant Facilitator 1
edited November 5 in Blackbaud Luminate Online® Blog

Before Luminate Online® and TeamRaiser® introduced native support for donor cover, organizations that wanted to provide this option had to build it manually—either by writing custom s-tag scripts, modifying existing templates, or working with Blackbaud partners and developers to create custom prompts on donation forms. 

These custom solutions allowed nonprofits to:  

  • Present donors with the option to offset processing fees 
  • Retain more of each transaction 
  • Give donors more choice and transparency 

But they also came with trade-offs: 

  • Ongoing maintenance to keep forms functional 
  • Manual troubleshooting when issues arise  
  • No standardized donor experience 
  • No support for Complete Cover™ 

What Changes with the Fall 2025 Release 25.6? 

Native donor cover and Complete Cover capabilities will now be available directly within Luminate Online and TeamRaiser donation forms that use Blackbaud Integrated Payments. 

What’s included with the native solution: 

  • No custom code required — setup is quick and streamlined 
  • Automatic switching between donor cover and Complete Cover based on eligibility 
  • Optimized fee cover placement available in your choice of modal or embedded checkout experiences 
  • Standardized, mobile-friendly donor experience 
  • Improved security and system performance 
  • Ongoing support and enhancements from Blackbaud  

If your current setup only offers donor cover, you're missing the added financial benefits of Complete Cover—where Blackbaud pays the processing fees for eligible transactions, even when donors opt out.  

How the Native Solution Compares to Custom Implementations 

 

Feature 

Custom Implementation 

Native Fee Cover  
(Release 25.6+) 

Donor Prompt 

Custom wording and design 

Standardized wording and styling 

Complete Cover Support 

Not available 

Included 

Maintenance 

Ongoing manual updates 

Handled by Blackbaud 

Error Handling 

Varies by implementation 

Fully supported 

Future Enhancements 

Manual 

Included via product updates 

 

Want to see what’s next? Join our live webinar! 

Introducing Donor Cover & Complete Cover: New Ways to Maximize Your Net Revenue 

📅 Thursday, September 25 at 11:00 a.m. ET.  

Learn how the new native fee cover features in Luminate Online and TeamRaiser eliminate the need for custom code, simplify donor experiences, and unlock added savings for your organization. Plus, get your questions answered by our product experts. 

Register Now → 

Why Native Fee Cover Makes Strategic Sense 

Many organizations that originally built custom scripts are now preparing to switch to the new native experience.   

Here's why it’s worth the shift: 

  • Save time and resources 
    Eliminate the staff hours or partner costs tied to ongoing script maintenance. 
  • Unlock the power of Complete Cover 
    Gain access to fee elimination on eligible transactions under $3,000—which isn’t possible with custom code. 
  • Stay aligned with product strategy 
    Native features are optimized for performance and fully supported by Blackbaud’s roadmap and support team. 
  • Offer a consistent donor experience 
    Deliver a mobile-optimized, professionally designed UI across all forms.  

What to Consider Before Making the Switch 

  1. Inventory your custom forms 
    Identify donation forms or TeamRaiser templates currently using s-tags or embedded donor cover logic. 
  2. Ensure you’re ready for the upgrade 
    Make sure all Luminate Online and TeamRaiser donation forms use Blackbaud Integrated Payments—a requirement for enabling donor cover and Complete Cover. 
  3. Review campaign timelines 
    Plan your migration during a window that won’t disrupt active campaigns. Consider testing the update on a smaller campaign first. 
  4. Talk to your partner or developer 
    If you worked with a Blackbaud Partner or developer to build your existing solution, consult with them to understand any cleanup or transition steps. 

Access Training and Get Ready for Launch 

You can access fee cover training resources from Blackbaud University to help onboard your team and start planning for rollout ahead of the Fall 2025 Release 25.6. 

Still have questions about eligibility, refunds, or donor experience? Visit our Fee Cover FAQ page for answers to the most common questions. 

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