Raisely Xero Integration Guide [2026 Updated]

Automating the flow of donation data from your fundraising platform into your accounting software is one of the most effective ways to save time and reduce errors. If you use Raisely for your campaigns and Xero for your bookkeeping, connecting them is a must. This guide will walk you through the most reliable methods for integrating Raisely with Xero, ensuring your financial records are always accurate and up-to-date.

Why Connect Raisely and Xero?

Manually exporting donation reports and keying them into your accounting software is tedious and opens the door to costly mistakes. An integration creates a direct pipeline between your fundraising and financial systems. This connection automates data entry, saving your team dozens of hours each month. More importantly, it provides a real-time, accurate picture of your nonprofit's financial health by ensuring every dollar raised is properly recorded in your general ledger.

This automation enables you to:

• Eliminate Manual Entry: Stop spending time on repetitive data transfer and refocus that energy on your mission.
• Improve Financial Accuracy: Reduce the risk of typos, missed entries, and other human errors that can skew your financial reports.
• Gain Real-Time Insights: See how campaign performance directly impacts your financial position without waiting for month-end reconciliation.
• Streamline Reconciliation: When bank deposits match the donation records automatically created in Xero, reconciling your accounts becomes faster and simpler.

Understanding Your Integration Options

As of 2026, Raisely does not have a native, built-in integration with Xero. This means you’ll need to use another tool to bridge the gap between the two platforms. Fortunately, there are several solid methods to choose from, depending on your organization's budget, technical resources, and transaction volume.

1. Third-Party Automation Platforms

This is the most popular and recommended method for most nonprofits. Tools like Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat), or Workato act as a middle layer that listens for activity in one app (like a new donation in Raisely) and triggers an action in another (like creating an invoice in Xero). Zapier is particularly user-friendly and well-suited for organizations without a dedicated developer.

• Difficulty: Easy to Medium. You don’t need to write any code, but you do need to understand how to map data fields between the two systems.
• Cost: These platforms typically have free plans for low usage, with paid plans starting around $20 per month based on the volume of tasks you need to run.

2. Custom API Integration

For organizations with larger transaction volumes or highly specific workflow needs, a custom integration may be the best fit. This involves using Raisely’s webhooks and Xero's API (Application Programming Interface) to build a direct connection. While this method offers the most flexibility and control, it requires a software developer's expertise to build and maintain.

• Difficulty: High. Requires programming knowledge, particularly with REST APIs and OAuth authentication.
• Cost: Can be significant, involving initial development costs and ongoing maintenance expenses.

3. Manual Export and Import (CSV)

The simplest approach involves manually exporting a CSV file of donation data from Raisely and importing it into Xero. While this requires no extra software, it’s not a true integration. It’s a time-consuming, repetitive process that is prone to errors and provides no real-time data sync. This method should only be considered a temporary solution or for organizations with extremely low donation volume.

• Difficulty: Easy.
• Cost: Free, but carries a high cost in terms of staff time and potential for errors.

Step-by-Step Guide: Connecting Raisely and Xero with Zapier

Since using a third-party connector is the most practical solution for most organizations, let's walk through the full process using Zapier. This automated workflow, or "Zap," will automatically create a new sales invoice in Xero every time a new donation is made in Raisely.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• An active Raisely account with administrator access.
• An active Xero account with Standard or Advisor user permissions.
• A Zapier account (a paid plan is recommended to handle a moderate volume of donations).

Step 1: Create a Webhook Trigger in Raisely

Zapier will need to receive a signal from Raisely every time a donation happens. You'll create this signal using a webhook.

1. Log in to your Zapier account and click "Create Zap".
2. For the trigger, search for and select "Webhooks by Zapier".
3. For the event, choose "Catch Hook" and click "Continue". Zapier will generate a unique webhook URL. Copy this URL to your clipboard.
4. Now, log in to your Raisely dashboard. Navigate to Settings > Integrations > Webhooks.
5. Click "Add New Webhook", paste the URL you copied from Zapier, and select the event you want to trigger the workflow. For this purpose, choose Donation > Succeeded. Save the webhook.
6. Go back to Zapier and click "Test Trigger". Then, head to one of your Raisely donation pages and make a test donation. In a few moments, Zapier should receive the data and confirm the trigger is set up correctly.

Step 2: Add a Find or Create Contact Action in Xero

Before creating an invoice, it's best to ensure the donor exists as a contact in Xero to avoid duplicates.

1. In your Zap, click the "+" to add a new step. Search for and select Xero.
2. Under "Event," choose "Find or Create Contact" and click "Continue". You will be prompted to authenticate your Xero account.
3. In the "Search Value" field, select the donor's email address from the test data pulled from your Raisely webhook. Check the box that says "Create Xero Contact if it doesn't exist yet?"
4. Now, map the fields to create the contact if they don't exist. Link the donor's First Name, Last Name, and Email from the Raisely data to the corresponding fields in Xero.
5. Test this step to confirm Zapier can either find an existing contact or create a new one.

Step 3: Add the Create Invoice Action in Xero

With the contact in place, you can now create the sales invoice for the donation.

1. Click the "+" again to add another step and choose Xero. This time, select "Create Sales Invoice" as the event.
2. In the "Action" setup, you’ll map the data from Raisely to the appropriate invoice fields in Xero.
   • Contact Name: Use the "ID" from the previous "Find or Create Contact" step. This ensures the invoice is linked to the correct person.
   • Date & Due Date: Select the creation date from the Raisely donation data.
   • Item Code/Description: Type in a static value like "Charitable Donation" or pull in the Raisely campaign name to provide more context.
   • Quantity: Set this to 1.
   • Unit Price: Map this to the Amount field from your Raisely donation data. This is the gross donation amount.
   • Account: This is an important accounting step. Select the income account in your Xero Chart of Accounts where you track donation revenue (e.g., "Donations Received," "Fundraising Income").
3. Test this final step. Log into your Xero account to verify that a new invoice was created correctly, tagged to the right contact, and coded to the proper account.

Once all steps are tested and working, name your Zap and turn it on. Your automation is now live!

Advanced Tips and Common Problems

A basic integration is great, but a few refinements can make it even better.

• Handling Processing Fees: The Zap we built records the gross donation amount. To account for processing fees, you have two options. You could create another step in your Zap to create a bank fee expense in Xero. Alternatively, many nonprofits handle fees during the bank reconciliation process in Xero, using batch records for fees rather than creating one for every single donation. Discuss the best method with your accountant.
• Using Xero Tracking Categories: If you use tracking categories in Xero to monitor different programs or funds, you can map the Raisely campaign name to a tracking category on your sales invoice. This gives you powerful, granular reporting within Xero.
• Authentication Errors: If your Zap stops working, the most common reason is that your connection to Xero has expired. This often happens if you change your Xero password. Simply go to the "My Apps" section in Zapier and reconnect your Xero account to fix it.
• Data Format Mismatches: Sometimes, date or number formats from one app don't match the other. Zapier has a built-in tool called "Formatter by Zapier" that you can add as a step to reformat dates, numbers, or text before sending it to Xero.

Final Thoughts

Connecting your Raisely and Xero accounts automates a fundamental bookkeeping function, giving you more reliable data and more time to focus on your mission. Using an automation tool like Zapier places powerful workflow creation within reach, even without a developer on staff, and helps ensure your fundraising efforts are perfectly reflected in your financial records.

As you integrate these systems, you might encounter specific questions about how your donation data impacts tax compliance—such as tracking restricted vs. unrestricted funds or managing sales tax on ticketed events. When those precise tax research questions arise, Feather AI gives you citation-backed answers in seconds. Instead of searching through dense IRS guidance, you can ask plain-language questions and get the clear answers you need to keep your records compliant.