WI Masons Grant Store — WooCommerce + Stripe ACH

Overview

The Wisconsin Masonic Foundation needed a way for member lodges to purchase grant-eligible items (AEDs, FSTs, jump bags) without the friction of the existing manual check-and-photo process. The solution is a WooCommerce store integrated with the foundation's existing Stripe account, using ACH payments and a two-step capture flow to enforce grant rules before funds are collected.

This replaces Square, which does not support ACH, and eliminates the need for lodges to mail physical checks.

Client: ^[1]
Meeting source: ^[2]

Problem

The foundation's prior payment setup (Square) had two critical gaps:

1. No ACH support. Lodges making matching grant purchases had to send a photo of a physical check, which then required staff to manually deposit it. With one and a half FTE on staff, this was a significant burden.
2. No grant rule enforcement. Purchases needed to be validated against grant limits (e.g., $3,000 max for medical items, $1,000 max for other categories) and lodge eligibility before funds were collected.

The general public must also be prevented from purchasing items sold at foundation grant pricing, which is not available at retail.

Solution Architecture

WooCommerce Store

• Added as a new section of the existing WordPress site
• Initial catalog: fewer than 10 products (AEDs, FSTs, jump bags, and a small number of additional items)
• Product descriptions and images sourced from Adam's existing Stripe payment links
• Store is presented as lodge-only; the grant application form acts as the primary access gate

Stripe Integration

The foundation already had a Stripe account (Adam Rigden) with pre-built payment links for each product. The integration path:

1. Connect the existing Stripe account to WooCommerce via Stripe Connect
2. Enable ACH payments within Stripe (already configured on the Stripe side)
3. Configure the two-step capture flow (see below)

The Stripe Connect setup requires both parties on a call together due to two-factor authentication requirements.

Two-Step Capture Flow

This is the core mechanism for enforcing grant rules without requiring complex automated logic.

This mirrors how a restaurant captures a card at the start of a meal and runs it after the tip is added. The key benefit: no money moves until a human has reviewed the grant, but fulfillment is then automated via webhook.

"It's a two-step purchase process. The first step is to capture. The second step is to complete the transaction." — Mark Hope

Webhook Notifications

On charge completion, a Stripe webhook fires emails to:
- Foundation staff (Adam, Erica, Christina)
- FSS (Rick) — triggers physical fulfillment of the item
- The lodge — confirmation of approval

The webhook endpoint URL needs to be configured in Stripe. This is handled during the Stripe Connect call.

Grant Rules Enforced via Manual Review

The two-step flow exists specifically because these rules cannot be safely automated given the current state of the foundation's data:

• Medical items (AEDs, FSTs): Maximum $3,000 match per lodge per year
• Other items: Maximum $1,000 match per lodge per year
• Lodge annual limits: Staff must verify the lodge hasn't exhausted its grant budget
• Eligibility: Only Wisconsin member lodges may purchase at grant pricing

Automating these checks would require real-time integration with the Bonterra CRM. That integration is on the roadmap (Bonterra Pay → Stripe is planned) but not yet available. Until then, manual review is the correct approach.

What's Out of Scope (for Now)

• Other matching grants (scholarships, food pantry donations, veterans): These still require a photo of the lodge's check because the foundation is matching a one-to-one contribution that must be verified against a third-party organization. ACH is not applicable here.
• Public-facing store access controls: No hard login wall. The grant form itself filters out non-members by requiring lodge-specific information. A determined bad actor could get through, but the capture flow catches them before money moves.
• Full Bonterra CRM integration: Planned for a future phase when Bonterra Pay rolls out its Stripe integration.

Implementation Notes

• Stripe Connect call: Schedule separately with Adam and Mark. Requires Adam's Stripe credentials and 2FA device.
• Product data: Adam to send Stripe payment links (AED, FST, jump bag) to Mark — these contain descriptions, images, and pricing.
• Pricing note: AED price may change after the foundation's board meeting (Tuesday following the call). Confirm before publishing product pages.
• Store target launch: Second week of January 2025.
• Retainer start: January 1, 2025 — $500/month covers ongoing updates, event additions, and support.
• Setup fee: $2,000 one-time for WooCommerce store build and Stripe integration.

Related

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