Contents - Index

Customizing Donor Types and Donor Characteristics

To change the donor types and characteristics:

1. Click the Church or Organization icon.

2. Donor types are initially set up with some sample types. Click on the << or >> buttons to view the attributes of each donor type.

3. Indicate how often numbered envelopes are used by a donor type.  This ensures that when you enter donors you provide an envelope number only when needed.  If your organization does not used numbered envelopes then choose Never uses envelopes for all donor types.

4. Indicate whether a donor type is an individual, a business/organization, another charity or a client who pays for services or products provided by your organization.  Donor numbers are assigned to each new donor based on the surname of an individual/client or the name of a company or organization.  If a donor type is another charity then they do not get any charitable donation tax receipts.  When you print tax receipts, such donors only get one copy of a statement, even if you have indicated to print two copies for each tax receipt.  Clients get only a receipt for services or products purchased.  When you enter a client, they should not get "Yearly receipts", but "1 per donation".

5. Pick an abbreviation for each donor type, which will be used when showing a list of donors. The abbreviation can be an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a digit or any of these symbols: * ? + @ # $ % ^

6. After changing the name (and clicking on the << or >> buttons) you will be asked to confirm that you do want to change it.

7. To add a new type, click the Add button.  Then give the name.  The last box will usually say Characteristic so change it to individual, business, etc.  Then you can choose whether the donor type uses envelopes.  (The total number of donor types plus characteristics is a maximum of 70.)

8. To delete a donor type, blank out the name and abbreviation then click on the << or >> buttons.  You will be asked to confirm that you do want to delete it.  If some donors are already of that type you will be asked what they should be changed to.

9. When you have only one donor type, new donors are automatically assigned that type.

10. In the list of donor types you can also have a set of "characteristics".  A donor could have several characteristics.  To add a donor characteristic, click the Add button.  Characteristic is already selected in the last combo box so give the name of the characteristic.  Updating or deleting a donor characteristic, is done the same way as a donor type.  (The total number of donor types plus characteristics is a maximum of 70.)

11. For each characteristic you can have it automatically selected when certain events happen.  This can then be used to print a letter for that donor.  These are the events that you can pick:
a) the donor is added
b) the donor starts using numbered envelopes
c) the member expiry date changes (used by charities only)
d) the donor starts using pre-authorized deposits (P.A.D.)
e) the donor makes their first donation
f) the donor type changes. (eg: the donor becomes a member)
g) a label/envelope is printed
h) the donor is exported
i) the donor is imported

12. Sometimes you want a characteristic to be automatically selected when some other characteristic is selected.  e.g. there are volunteer positions that are a possible high risk to children and so require a background check.  So you would have a characteristic called High Risk that you want to become selected whenever a volunteer wants to help with a high risk position such as Sunday School or Youth Helper. The way you make one characteristic select another is by putting a 1 or 2 char code in parentheses or square brackets.  When a characteristic with a code in parentheses is selected it causes the one with the matching code in square brackets to be turned on.  In the above example, you would add the codes like this:
 High Risk [HR]
 Sunday School (HR)
 Youth Helper (HR)
When any of the (HR) characteristics are selected, the [HR] one is selected.  If none of the (HR) ones are selected then [HR] one becomes unselected.

13. For a church that has multiple locations, you may want to use a characteristic to indicate which location a person attends.  When a characteristic starts with an astersisk (*) it means it is a location name. e.g. *Leaside, *Toronto, *Glendale.  To set everyone to the same location, click on Donors and choose Add/Edit Donors.  Set one donor to the location by going to the Characteristics box and putting a checkmark on it.  The heading will then become blue and underlined, like this: Characteristics. Click on it and you will be asked if all donors should have that characteristic.  When you restore from a backup that was made at another location, any new donors can be set to automatically select the characteristic for that location.  e.g. if you have a characteristic called *StJohn and you restore from a backup saying that the name of the other location is StJohn then any new donors will have a checkmark on *StJohn.

14. Click Save or press the Enter key.


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