Configuring fundraising options

This article outlines additional fundraising configuration you can perform in the Advanced Accounting Console.

Do the following to define default fundraising options:

  1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Fundraising > Configure fundraising options.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Select one or more of the Gift Entry Options checkboxes:
    • Require Authorization field on credit card transactions – Enable to make the Authorization field a required field on every credit card transaction entered in the Enter and edit gifts window or the Process payments window.
    • Allow free entry of Fund – Enable to freely match distributions and funds at gift entry. This allows you to determine on a case-by-case basis how the gift should be distributed. If you do not enable this option, you must define all valid combinations of funds and distributions. Users can still overwrite the Campaign and Appeal fields even if the Allow free entry of Fund option is not enabled.
    • Allow Rapid Gift Entry – Enable to give users the ability to enter Date Received, Gift Type, Gift Amount, Distribution, Appeal, Campaign, and Fund once on the Enter and edit gifts window and have these fields automatically entered in additional records. When this option is checked, the buttons Enable Rapid Gift Entry and Disable Rapid Gift Entry are available to users.

      • Note: The Single Gift and Single Pledge gift types are the only gift types supported for rapid gift entry. If the gift type is Installment, an error message displays when you click Enable Rapid Gift Entry.

  4. Select one of the Display list of Distributions and Premiums options.
    • List Distributions and Premiums – Enable to display distributions and premiums in the Enter and edit gifts window (from Fundraising, select Enter and edit gifts).
    • List Distributions Only – Enable to display only distributions in the Enter and edit gifts window.
    • List Premiums Only – Enable to display only premiums in the Enter and edit gifts window.
  5. Select one Reminder Print Option.
    • Use First Fund on Reminders – Enable to print the name of the first defined fund in the title of all reminders and reports. If there is only one fund, the name of this fund prints on reminders and reports.
    • Use Default Organization – Enable to print the name of the default organization in the title of all reminders and reports.
  6. (optional) Select one or more of the Payment Options checkboxes:
    • Allow Payment through AR/Cash and Service Central:
      • Enabled -- Allows fundraising payments through both the Service Central Enter and edit payments window and the AR/Cash Enter and edit cash receipts window. This is helpful if you receive payments for multiple products and some of those products are not related to fundraising.
      • Disabled -- Prevents viewing Fundraising invoices on:
        • Service Central Process customer requests window
        • Service Central Enter and edit payments window
        • AR/Cash Enter and edit cash receipts window (go to Finance > Transactions > Cash receipts)

          • Note: If disabled, staff can only make fundraising payments through the Fundraising Process payments window.

    • Allow Separate Payer for Payments – Enable to allow a separate payer for payments made in the Process payments window. If this option is enabled, you can specify a different payer ID for a pledge made by another individual.
    • Payer Label – Enter the label that will be displayed for the separate payer field on the Process payments window. If you leave this field blank, the default label is Payer. Displays only if the Allow Separate Payer for Payments option is enabled.

      • Note: If you checked the Allow Separate Payer for Payments box, fill in the Payer Label field.

  7. (optional) Select one or more of the General checkboxes:
    • Do Not Validate Credit Card field – Disables the credit card format validation feature when entering gifts in the Enter and edit gifts window and when making payments in the Process payments window or the AR/Cash Enter and edit cash receipts window.

      • Note: When setting up the Fundraising module for Credit Card Authorization, we recommend disabling the Do Not Validate Credit Card field option on the Fundraising Set up module window. If the Do Not Validate Credit Card field option is enabled, the credit card number will not be formatted automatically when it is entered on the Fundraising Enter and edit gifts window. If the Deferred Authorization option is enabled on the AR/Credit Card Authorization window, transactions made on the Enter and edit gifts window with unformatted credit card numbers will not display in credit card searches and will not print on the Deferred Credit Card Pre-Authorization report.

    • Create Matching Pledge – Enable to record matching gifts as pledges rather than requests.
    • Credit Memos Reduce Pledge Amount – Enable if you want credit memos to reduce a pledge amount. For example, if you pledge $100 and you write off $25 of the pledge, iMIS will recalculate the pledge as $75 and display $75 in the Fundraising History window if the Credit Memos Reduce Pledge Amount option is enabled. However, if this option is disabled and you pledge $100 and write off $25 of the pledge, iMIS will display the pledge amount as $100 with a $25 credit in the Fundraising History window.
  8. (optional) Select one or more of the Donor Gifts, Pledges and Total Value Includes checkboxes:
    • Soft Credits – Include donation amounts not made by the contact, but made because of the contact.
    • Matching Gifts – Include matching gift amounts provided by someone other than the donor.
    • In Kind – Include the value of non-cash contributions
    • Only Include Paid Portion of Pledge in Total Value – Include the amount actually received from pledges, not the total amount promised.
  9. (optional) Multi-use checkbox:
    • You can create a User Defined field to flag a gift record. Use the multi-use Checkbox label field to label the generic checkbox on the Enter and edit gifts window (go to Home > Fundraising > Enter and edit gifts). This field will appear on the Enter and edit gifts window only if you have entered a label for the Checkbox label field.

      • Note: The state of the multi-use Checkbox label field checkbox (checked or unchecked) is saved in Trans.FR_CHECKBOX table field.

  10. (optional) Enter the Starting Receipt Counter Number. The default for the initial counter number is 1. After you generate receipts, the counter increases the number incrementally by 1 for each printed receipt. You can manually change the counter value to a higher number, but not to a lower number. Automatically generated receipt numbers are not duplicated.
  11. Select one of the Registration Number and Address Print Options:
    • Use First Fund on Receipt – Enable to print the name of the first fund the donor contributed to when donating to multiple funds on the receipt header.
    • Use Default Organization – Enable to print the name and address of the default fundraising organization on all receipt headers. When this option is enabled, receipts aggregate by donor ID, even if the payments are to funds with different registration numbers.a
  12. (optional) Enter Gift Activity Options. These fields are used to denote a user-specified activity that can be created when a gift or pledge is entered or edited:
    • Activity Prompt – Enter the prompt for the activity checkbox on the Enter and edit gifts window.
    • Activity Type – Enter the activity type for the activity that is created when the activity checkbox is enabled on the Overview tab on the Enter and edit gifts window, or select the lookup icon and select the activity type from the drop-down list.
    • Activity Assigned To – Enter the iMIS user who will be assigned the activity, or select the lookup icon and select the iMIS user from the drop-down list.
    • Activity Followup – Enter the time (in days) between the gift or pledge entry and the follow-up action.a
  13. (optional) Enter Promise to Give Over Time options.
    • Grace Period – Enter the number of days beyond the end date that requests with a status other than Active continue to display in the Manage requests window. The default grace period is 1 day.
    • Max. Reminders Before Inactive – Enter the number of reminders before the request status is changed to Inactive. The default value is 3.
    • Number of Days Before Next Reminder – Enter the minimum number of days between the printing of reminder notices for a request. The default value is 30 days.
  14. (optional) Premiums as Products:
    • Allow Premiums as Products – When checked, products can be used as premiums. You can set up stock, non-stock, and kit products so that they can be used as premiums for gifts and pledges with the added benefit of inventory control.

      • Note: You must have the Full Order Entry module, and all products that are to be used as premiums must be set up for use as premiums on the Orders Manage products window.

    • Premium Order Type – Designates the order type for products used as premiums.
  15. (optional) Soft credit:
    • Select the Use Amount field for data entry option if you want iMIS to automatically calculate the amount as a percentage of the entire donation.
  16. Click Save.

Sender codes enable you to assign a signature line to requests, acknowledgements, and other correspondence that iMIS generates.

For example, different letters can be signed by the head of your organization, a committee chairperson, or a customer support representative.

You must define one sender code for each different signature line that you wish to include in correspondence. When a new gift is entered, the sender code can be assigned by clicking Acknowledge on the Enter and edit gifts window.

Do the following to create sender codes:

  1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Fundraising > Sender codes.
  2. Click New.
  3. Enter the Sender Code.
  4. Enter the Sender Description, which specifies the exact name and title to be used for the sender code. You can include a carriage return in the Sender Description.
  5. Click Save.

Interest codes indicate specific areas that an organization or fund supports (for example, education, health, or literacy). These codes can be assigned to your organization, to funds, and to company matching plans. Specifying interest codes is optional, but if an interest code is specified in a company matching plan, matching donations can only be made to funds that have that same code.

For example, if the ED interest code is specified for the matching plan, but the GEN fund only has the CHILD code, you cannot enter a matching donation to the GEN fund.

Do the following to define interest codes:

  1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Fundraising > Interest codes.
  2. Click New.
  3. Enter the Interest Code.
  4. Enter a brief Interest Description for the interest code.
  5. Click Save.

Memorial/tribute codes identify the type of memorial gift or pledge (for example, In Memory of, In Tribute to, and In Honor of).

Memorial/tribute codes help you track memorial and tribute donations and help to generate correspondence related to these donations. Memorial/tribute codes designate how a donation is dedicated. For example, the code MEMOR could stand for In memory of, the code HONOR could stand for In honor of. When a memorial/tribute donation is made, the iMIS user who records the donation chooses from pre-defined memorial/tribute codes.

Do the following to create memorial/tribute codes:

  1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Fundraising > Memorial/tribute codes.
  2. Click New.
  3. Enter the Memorial/Tribute Code.
  4. Enter the Description of the memorial or tribute. This description is printed or included on the letters sent to the Notify ID and to the donor.
  5. Click Save.

Before you enter gifts and pledges, you must define the distributions that are to be credited with the contributions. Distributions allow you to predefine combinations of funds, campaigns, and appeals. When a gift is received, it is usually distributed among a fund, a campaign, and an appeal. A distribution does not have to include a campaign or an appeal, but it must include a fund. If you use a general ledger system, the distribution also determines the general ledger income account to be credited.

Do the following to define a distribution:

  1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Fundraising > Set up tables > Distributions.
  2. Click New.
  3. Enter a unique alphanumeric Code (five characters maximum) for the distribution.
  4. (optional) Enter the Title of the distribution.
  5. (optional) Enter the description of the distribution in the Desc. field.
  6. (optional) Enter the Appeal associated with the distribution, or click the lookup icon and select an appeal.
  7. (optional) Enter the Campaign associated with the distribution, or click the lookup icon and select a campaign.
  8. Enter the Fund to be identified with the distribution, or click the lookup icon and select a fund.
  9. (optional) Enter the general ledger Income Account to be credited with contributions recorded with the distribution, or click the lookup icon and select an account.
  10. Click Save.
  11. To see the fund on the Staff site, restart iMIS.

Many fundraising organizations establish donor clubs to recognize various levels of giving by donors. For example, for contributions of $10,000 or more, the organization may designate a donor as a “friend,” and for $20,000 or more, a donor may be designated as a “benefactor.” Not all organizations use donor clubs, but if your organization does, iMIS makes it easy to record and track donations and donor clubs.

iMIS automatically determines whether a donor club is attained with each gift entry. If you define a donor club at $20 for a single gift, and a contributor donates $20 or more, the contributor automatically attains the donor club.

When generating a Donor Club Detail report, the highest donor club achieved by an individual within the same criteria as defined in the Donor clubs window supersedes any lower donor club (if Superseded was entered in one of the user-defined fields on the Set up activity types window (Settings > Membership > Activity types) when setting up the DONORCLUB activity type).

However, such a donor club does not supersede a donor club that was achieved under different parameters. For example, an individual makes a $1,000 cash contribution, which qualifies the donor for the Diamond Donor Club. The Diamond Donor Club requires a cash-only contribution of at least $1,000. The donor also qualifies for the Silver and Gold Donor Clubs, which require cash-only contributions of $100 or $500, respectively. The Diamond Donor Club supersedes the Silver and Gold, and only the Diamond Donor Club prints on the Donor Club Detail report. However, the contributor also qualifies for the Patron Donor Club, which requires a $500 gift, but does not require cash-only contributions. Both the Diamond and Patron Donor Clubs print on the Donor Club Detail report.

Do the following to define donor clubs:

  1. In the Advanced Accounting Console, go to Settings > Fundraising > Set up tables > Donor clubs.
  2. Click New.
  3. Enter a unique alphanumeric Code (five characters maximum) for the donor club.
  4. (optional) Enter the Title of the donor club. This title will print on thank you letters to donor club members.
  5. (optional) Enter a short description of the donor club in the Desc. field.
  6. Enter the amount needed to qualify for this particular donor club in the Amount to Qualify field.
  7. (optional) Enable the Cash Only option for the donor club to be achieved only with cash gifts and not pledges or in-kind gifts.
  8. Select a receipt period option for the gift or pledge in the Amount Can Be field.
  9. (optional) In the Only Consider Contributions to area, enter the appropriate code or combination of codes if the donor club can only be achieved with a contribution to a specific appeal, campaign, or fund.
  10. Click Save.