The Goal: Record a cash/check contribution and its payment for a fundraising campaign simultaneously, so the contributor’s donation and payment are entered in a single step.
Before You Begin:
- You need permission to manage fundraising campaigns and enter contributions.
- Have the contributor’s name and the check details (number, date, and amount) ready. If the contributor does not yet exist in your database, a new non-member contact will be created automatically.
- Confirm that the fundraising campaign you want to add the contribution to already exists.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Go to Revenue, Fundraising section. The Fundraising area will display all of your fundraising campaigns.
- Click the hyperlink for the desired fundraiser.
Click the ellipses and choose Enter Cash Contribution.
- On the Enter Cash Contribution screen, enter the following:
- Name: Enter the name of the contributor. NOTE: If the contributor does not exist in your database as a contact, a new non-member contact will be created.
- Date: The current date is displayed by default and can be changed.
- Check Number: Enter the check number as a reference.
- Message: Enter the message the contributor wishes to display.
- Tribute Contact: Enter the person the contributor is making this contribution in tribute to.
- Recognition Name: The recognition name is the name of the person who will be recognized for the contribution.
- Donation/Pledge Items: Select the appropriate item from the dropdown list.
Price: Enter the amount of the contribution.
- Click Done. After the contribution and payment are entered, an invoice and payment will be displayed on the contact’s Billing tab. A confirmation email is not sent automatically, so you may wish to send it manually.
Common Pitfalls
- Assuming a receipt was sent: A confirmation email is not sent automatically when you enter a cash contribution. If the contributor expects a receipt, send it manually after saving.
- Creating a duplicate contact: Entering a name that doesn’t exactly match an existing contact will create a new non-member contact. Double-check the name to avoid duplicates in your database.