The Goal: Understand what GrowthZone does automatically when a contribution is recorded — whether it comes in through your online donation form or is entered from the back office — so you can manage contributors and contributions with confidence.
Before You Begin:
- Confirm your fundraising and online donation form are set up so contributions can be received.
- Make sure the staff members who should be alerted are subscribed to the Online Donation Notice.
- Verify that your billing options (credit card processing and/or invoicing) are configured if you plan to accept either.
What Happens When a Contribution Is Recorded
Whether a contribution is entered via your donation form or from the back office, the following will occur:
- A thank-you email is sent to the contributor.
- A notification is sent to your staff members who have subscribed to the Online Donation Notice.
- If the contribution was paid by credit card:
- An invoice and payment record are created and displayed on the contact's Billing tab.
- If they have chosen to set up a recurring donation, it will be configured in the Scheduled Billing section of the Billing Setup tab.
- If you allow invoicing and the contributor requests to be invoiced:
- The invoice will automatically be created. You will need to send the invoice out.
- If the contributor has chosen to make a recurring contribution, a schedule will be set up on the contact's Billing Setup tab.
Common Pitfalls
- No one is notified of online donations: If staff isn't receiving alerts, confirm they're subscribed to the Online Donation Notice — the notification only goes to subscribed staff.
- Forgetting to send invoiced contributions: When a contributor requests to be invoiced, the invoice is created automatically but is not sent to you. Remember to send the invoice out so the contributor is billed.