Do I need a GitHub Sponsors account?

No. GitHub Sponsors requires approval and takes a revenue cut. FastLinkIt uses GitHub's custom FUNDING.yml mechanism, which works for any public or private repo without any application process. You plug in your own Stripe account and keep the money.

What does the Sponsor button look like?

GitHub renders a heart icon with 'Sponsor' next to your repo's Settings tab. Clicking it opens a dropdown listing the funding URLs from your FUNDING.yml — your FastLinkIt campaign page is one click away for every visitor.

How do I track which donations came from GitHub?

FastLinkIt auto-tags donations made via the GitHub URL with source=github. You can filter by source in /payments/transactions and /payments/earnings to see exactly how much revenue GitHub drove.

Can I use the README badge on multiple repos?

Yes. Paste the Markdown snippet into as many READMEs as you like. The badge is rendered by shields.io and uses your campaign's title, so it stays consistent across all your projects.

No monthly fees, no setup fees. You connect your own Stripe account and pay only Stripe's standard processing fee plus a small FastLinkIt platform commission per donation. No commitment.

Does it work for private repos too?

FUNDING.yml works on public repos only — GitHub only shows the Sponsor button for public repos. For private repos, use the README badge instead, which renders as a standard Markdown link.

For open-source maintainers

Accept donations directly from GitHub

Plug your FastLinkIt fundraising campaign into GitHub's native FUNDING.yml mechanism and your README. Every repo gets a Sponsor button. Every visitor becomes a potential donor. Zero monthly fees, Stripe Connect payouts, and source-tagged analytics.

github.com/your-username/your-repo

your-username / your-repo Sponsor

README.md

# your-repo
A blazing-fast library for…

♥ donate

Create Campaign Free Read the guide

Free to start · Your Stripe, your payouts · Works on any public repo

Set up in two minutes

Create a campaign in FastLinkIt. Copy two snippets. Paste into GitHub. Done — every visitor to your repo now has a one-click path to donate.

Create a campaign

In /payments/campaigns, create a fundraising campaign with a title, target, and optional suggested amounts.

FastLinkIt auto-generates a short code for the campaign — that's your donation URL.

Copy the snippets

Click the icon on any campaign card. A modal gives you two copy-paste snippets:

FUNDING.yml for the Sponsor button
README badge Markdown

Paste into GitHub

Save the snippets as .github/FUNDING.yml and drop the badge into your README.md.

Commit, push. GitHub shows the Sponsor button within seconds.

Native GitHub integration

GitHub's FUNDING.yml is the official way for repos to advertise funding channels — Patreon, Ko-fi, Open Collective, and custom URLs. FastLinkIt uses the custom field, so your campaign becomes a first-class funding destination with no approval process.

No GitHub Sponsors application required
Works on every public repo you own
Sponsor button appears automatically
Supports multiple funding channels side-by-side

# .github/FUNDING.yml
# Show a "Sponsor" button on this repo.
custom: ["https://flnk.it/my-project?src=github"]

# Combine with other channels if you like:
github: [username]
ko_fi: username
patreon: username

README badges that actually get clicked

A small, friendly badge in your README is the single most effective donation prompt on GitHub. More visible than the Sponsor button, works in private repos and forks, and shows up in search-engine previews.

Renders via shields.io — always fresh, no self-hosting
Pink "GitHub Sponsors" style — instantly recognisable
Your campaign title appears in the badge label
Works in GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Codeberg, anywhere Markdown renders

 README.md (preview)
                    

MyAwesomeLibrary

A blazing-fast, zero-dependency library for doing very important things.

[![Donate](https://img.shields.io/badge/donate-MyAwesomeLibrary-ec4899?style=flat-square&logo=github-sponsors&logoColor=white)](https://flnk.it/my-project?src=github)

Know where every donation comes from

Every URL FastLinkIt generates for GitHub includes a ?src=github tag. Donations made through those URLs are automatically tagged, so you can see in real time which channel is actually working.

Filter transactions by source in /payments/transactions
Per-source revenue breakdown in /payments/earnings
Add custom tags for newsletters, Twitter, Product Hunt, anywhere
Stored on PaymentTransaction.Source — exportable via API

Donations by source (last 30 days)

GitHub

£1,240

Blog

£480

Twitter

£180

Newsletter

£100

Why not just use GitHub Sponsors?

GitHub Sponsors is great if you're accepted. FastLinkIt is a better fit if you want to start today, own the relationship with your donors, and keep more of the money.

GitHub Sponsors

Requires an approval process (can take weeks)
GitHub takes a platform cut
Limited donor metadata — you only see what GitHub shares
Country-dependent availability
Tiers and recurring sponsorships built in

FastLinkIt fundraising

Works immediately — no approval needed
Your own Stripe account, your rates, your payouts
Full donor details (name, email, message, optional anonymity)
Works in any country Stripe supports
One-off donations; recurring coming soon

The two are not mutually exclusive — list both in FUNDING.yml and let donors pick.

Start accepting donations in 2 minutes

Create a free FastLinkIt account, set up your first campaign, and paste two snippets into your repo. Donations flow directly to your Stripe account.

Create Free Account Read the setup guide