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If you run fundraising on Givebutter and you’ve lost a few evenings squinting at transaction exports, this guide is for you. It covers the Givebutter AI integration<\/strong> with HotBot \u2014 a native connector that lets HotBot’s assistant work with your Givebutter data directly once you’re on a paid plan. No copy-pasting spreadsheets, no feeding a CSV into ChatGPT and hoping it understands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On a paid HotBot plan, you connect Givebutter from inside HotBot, and the assistant can summarize transactions, draft invoices and donor messages, explain your numbers, and help you think through pricing. This guide walks through how each piece works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One clarification first. HotBot is an independent AI chat service. It isn’t an official Givebutter product, and it isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Givebutter. The connector lets HotBot read and work with your Givebutter data when you authorize it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you’ll need before you start:<\/p>\n\n\n\n No API keys to juggle, no code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Estimated time:<\/strong> 15\u201320 minutes for your first workflow\nDifficulty level:<\/strong> Beginner. If you can write a text message, you can do this.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The connector doesn’t exist on the free tier. The free tier is worth using to try HotBot out \u2014 you can chat with 800+ models<\/a> from every major provider \u2014 but connectors specifically require a paid plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Go to the pricing page<\/a> and pick a plan: $7.95\/week<\/strong> for short-term use, or $39.95\/quarter<\/strong> if you’re committing for the season, which works out cheaper past a few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The live connection between the assistant and your Givebutter data is what saves you the copy-paste tax. That’s the feature you’re paying for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you’re subscribed, you connect Givebutter from inside HotBot on your paid plan. There aren’t any fake menu screenshots here because the interface speaks for itself \u2014 open HotBot, find the connectors area, and authorize Givebutter there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you connect, you’re granting HotBot permission to read your Givebutter data so the assistant can work with it in your chats. It’s like linking any app: you approve the connection, and then it’s available in your conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stuck on this step? The pricing page<\/a> shows what’s included with your plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the workflow I reach for most. Instead of exporting a CSV and eyeballing rows, you ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example prompt:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Model tier to use:<\/strong> HotBot Chat. This is a fast, everyday task \u2014 you don’t need deep reasoning to total up donations and spot outliers. HotBot Chat<\/a> handles it quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The “flag anything unusual” line does more work than it looks like it should. It’ll surface a refund you forgot about or a large gift worth a personal thank-you \u2014 the kind of thing that slips past you scrolling a spreadsheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want month-over-month comparisons or a breakdown by campaign, add that to the prompt. AI can categorize and analyze donation data to surface trends you’d otherwise hunt for by hand, according to Guru’s overview of AI use cases for Givebutter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where the AI-for-Givebutter workflow starts saving real hours. The donor data is connected, so put it to work writing the things you’d rather not write yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example prompt for an invoice:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Example prompt for a thank-you:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Model tier to use:<\/strong> HotBot Chat for quick drafts. Move up to HotBot Chat Plus<\/strong> if you want step-by-step thinking \u2014 an invoice with tiered pricing, say, or a message sequence that needs to build logically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One caution: check the numbers before you send. The assistant drafts fast, but you’re the one signing off on what goes to a donor or a sponsor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This workflow changed how I think about fees. Givebutter’s pricing has a few “wait, how does this work?” moments, and an assistant that can walk you through it with your real numbers plugged in earns its keep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some context to hand the assistant: Givebutter charges 0% platform fees when donor tips are enabled<\/strong>, and a flat 3% platform fee<\/strong> when tips are disabled, according to aitoolsbakery’s 2026 fee breakdown<\/a>. Card processing runs 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction<\/strong>, and ACH is 1.9% + $0.30<\/strong>. A $100 card donation nets $96.80 with tips on vs $93.80 with tips off<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example prompt:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Model tier to use:<\/strong> HotBot Chat Pro<\/strong> for this one. Multi-step fee math across scenarios is where deep reasoning pays off, especially when you want the calculation shown clearly. Chat Pro also has a 1M-token context window, so you can feed it a big export and still get coherent analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also stress-test whether Givebutter Plus<\/strong> is worth it. It’s contact-based, starting at $29\/month for under 250 contacts<\/strong>, per Givebutter’s help docs<\/a>. Ask the assistant to model your breakeven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One subscription gets you 800+ models, not just HotBot’s own. So when should you reach past HotBot Chat, Chat Plus, and Chat Pro?<\/p>\n\n\n\n My rule of thumb: start with HotBot’s own tiers because they’re fast and integrated, then experiment with third-party models when a specific task deserves a specialist. You’re already paying for the whole shelf, so use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not ready to subscribe? You can still get value on the free tier \u2014 you just move the data yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Export or copy your Givebutter transaction data (a CSV, or even a screenshot of your dashboard), paste it into a HotBot chat, and prompt the same way you would with the connector. Something like: “Here’s my transaction export \u2014 summarize total raised, average gift, and flag refunds.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n It works. It’s just manual. The connector’s whole point is skipping that paste step and letting the assistant pull live data on demand. The free tier is for trying HotBot without connectors; the paid plan is where the hands-off workflows live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The assistant doesn’t see my Givebutter data.”<\/strong> Make sure you’re on a paid plan and that the connection was authorized. Connectors don’t exist on the free tier \u2014 if you’re not subscribed, that’s the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The numbers look off.”<\/strong> Check the date range in your prompt and confirm whether your campaign had tips enabled or disabled \u2014 that changes the fee math entirely. When in doubt, ask the assistant to show its calculation step by step (Chat Pro is best for this).<\/p>\n\n\n\n “My invoice draft is missing details.”<\/strong> Be more specific. Amounts, names, campaign, payment terms \u2014 the assistant only knows what you give it plus what it can pull from the connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A quick privacy and limits note:<\/strong> when you connect Givebutter, you’re authorizing HotBot to work with that data. Only connect accounts you control, share what you’re comfortable sharing, and review AI-generated invoices and donor messages before they go out. The assistant is a drafting and analysis tool \u2014 you’re the human accountable for what gets sent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you’ve run your first transaction summary, build a repeatable rhythm around it: a weekly summary every Monday, thank-you drafts after every campaign push, and a fee analysis before you launch anything new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From there, dig through the models library<\/a> and find which model writes donor messages in a voice that sounds like your org. That’s the difference between “AI wrote this” and “this sounds like us.”<\/p>\n\n\n\nPrerequisites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Subscribe to a Paid HotBot Plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Connect Givebutter Inside HotBot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Summarize Your Transactions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Summarize my Givebutter transactions from the last 30 days.\nGive me total raised, number of donations, average gift size,\nand flag anything unusual.\n<\/code><\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nStep 4: Draft Invoices and Donor Messages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Draft an invoice for the $500 sponsorship from [Sponsor Name]\ntied to our spring gala campaign. Include a thank-you note\nand payment reference.\n<\/code><\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nWrite 5 personalized thank-you messages for my top 5 donors\nthis month, referencing their gift amounts. Keep them warm,\nunder 100 words each, no corporate jargon.\n<\/code><\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nStep 5: Explain Your Numbers and Plan Pricing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
My last campaign raised $12,000 across 140 card donations with\ntips disabled. Break down my platform fees, processing fees,\nand net proceeds. Then tell me what I'd net if I enabled tips.\n<\/code><\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nStep 6: When a Third-Party Model Is the Better Pick<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Without the Connector: The Free-Tier Workaround<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Common Issues and Troubleshooting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What’s Next<\/h2>\n\n\n\n