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Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about DonorLog. Can't find what you're looking for? Contact your system administrator or report an issue.

Getting Started​

How do I log in to DonorLog?​

Navigate to your organization's DonorLog URL and enter the username and password provided by your administrator. If this is your first login, you'll be prompted to change your password.

What should I do first in DonorLog?​

Start by:

  1. Creating your first donor profile
  2. Setting up a campaign
  3. Recording a donation
  4. Generating a tax receipt

See our Getting Started Guide for detailed instructions.

Can I import my existing donor data?​

Yes! Contact your system administrator about bulk importing donors. You'll need your data in a CSV or Excel format with columns for name, email, phone, and address.

Is there a mobile app?​

DonorLog is a web-based application that works on any device with a web browser. It's fully responsive and works great on tablets and smartphones.

Donor Management​

How do I avoid creating duplicate donors?​

DonorLog automatically checks for duplicates based on name and email. Always search for an existing donor before creating a new one. Use the search function to find donors by name, email, or phone number.

Can I merge duplicate donor records?​

Contact your system administrator for help merging duplicate records. It's better to prevent duplicates by searching before creating new donors.

What information is required to create a donor?​

Required fields are:

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Phone Number
  • Address
  • City
  • Province
  • Postal Code

Email is optional but highly recommended for sending tax receipts electronically.

Can I add organizations as donors?​

Yes! Use the organization name as the "First Name" and "Organization" as the "Last Name", or leave the last name field with a descriptor like "Foundation".

How do I update a donor's email address?​

Go to the Donors page, find the donor, click their name, click "Edit", update the email address, and save. Updated information will be used for all future communications.

Can donors have multiple email addresses?​

Currently, DonorLog stores one primary email address per donor. Use the primary email address the donor prefers for receiving tax receipts.

Donations​

What payment types can I record?​

DonorLog supports:

  • Cash
  • Cheque
  • Credit Card
  • E-Transfer
  • Other custom payment types

See our Payment Types Guide for details.

Can I edit a donation after creating it?​

Yes! Find the donation, click edit, make your changes, and save. Note that if a tax receipt has been generated, you may need to regenerate it.

How do I delete a donation?​

Only administrators can delete donations. If you need to remove a donation, contact your administrator. Consider editing instead of deleting to maintain accurate records.

Can I record donations from multiple years?​

Yes! You can record donations with any date. Use the date the donation was actually received, not the date you're entering it into the system.

What's the difference between Payment Type and Source?​

  • Payment Type: How the donor paid (Cash, Cheque, Credit Card, E-Transfer)
  • Source: Where the payment was processed (Manual, Square, PayPal, etc.)

For example: A credit card donation through Square would have Payment Type: Credit Card and Source: Square.

Can I attach proof of payment?​

Yes! When creating or editing a donation, you can upload proof of payment. Supported formats are PDF, JPEG, PNG, and JPG (max 10MB).

How do I process donations from fundraising events?​

Use the Bulk Donations feature to record multiple donations at once. This is perfect for event collections or batch processing.

Tax Receipts​

Are DonorLog tax receipts CRA-compliant?​

Yes! All tax receipts generated by DonorLog meet Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requirements for official donation receipts.

Can I customize the receipt template?​

Contact your system administrator about customizing receipt templates. They can add your organization's logo and signature.

How do I regenerate a tax receipt?​

Go to the donor's profile, find the receipt in question, and click "Regenerate". The new receipt will have the same receipt number but updated information.

Can I email receipts directly to donors?​

Yes! When generating a receipt for a donor with an email address, you can choose to email it immediately. You can also bulk email receipts to multiple donors.

What if a donor's address was wrong on their receipt?​

Update the donor's address, then regenerate the receipt. The new receipt will have the correct address and the same receipt number.

Can I generate receipts for multiple years?​

Yes! When generating a receipt, you can select the tax year. You can generate receipts for any year that has donations.

Do I need to generate receipts immediately after recording a donation?​

No. You can generate receipts at any time. Many organizations generate receipts in bulk at year-end for tax season.

How do I send receipts to donors without email?​

Generate the receipt as a PDF and download it. You can then print and mail it to the donor.

Campaigns​

What's the purpose of campaigns?​

Campaigns help you organize fundraising efforts, set goals, track progress, and generate reports for specific initiatives.

Can a donation be linked to multiple campaigns?​

No, each donation can only be linked to one campaign. If you need to track donations across multiple initiatives, consider creating more specific campaign categories.

How do I close a completed campaign?​

Edit the campaign and set its status to "Completed". Completed campaigns won't appear in active campaign dropdowns but can still be viewed in reports.

Can I move a donation from one campaign to another?​

Yes! Edit the donation and change the campaign selection. This is useful if a donation was recorded to the wrong campaign.

What happens if I delete a campaign?​

Only administrators can delete campaigns. Deleting a campaign doesn't delete the associated donations, but they will lose their campaign association.

Pledges​

What's the difference between a pledge and a donation?​

A pledge is a commitment to donate in the future, while a donation is money already received. Pledges help you track recurring commitments and planned giving.

How do I mark a pledge payment as received?​

When you record a donation, you can link it to a pledge. The system will automatically update the pledge payment status.

Can pledges be for one-time or recurring donations?​

Both! DonorLog supports:

  • One-time pledges (single payment)
  • Recurring monthly pledges
  • Recurring annual pledges
  • Custom payment schedules

What happens if a donor misses a pledge payment?​

The pledge status will show as overdue. You can send reminder emails or contact the donor directly about the missed payment.

Can I cancel a pledge?​

Yes. Edit the pledge and change its status to "Cancelled". This preserves the record while marking it as no longer active.

Email Communications​

How do I send an email to a donor?​

Go to the donor's profile and click "Send Email". You can use templates or write a custom message.

Can I email multiple donors at once?​

Yes! From the Donors page, select multiple donors (or use filters), then choose "Send Bulk Email".

What if a donor unsubscribes?​

Donors who unsubscribe won't receive bulk emails, but they will still receive tax receipts and donation confirmations (which are transactional, not marketing emails).

Can I track email opens and clicks?​

Yes! Check the Email Logs to see delivery status, open rates, and click rates for emails sent through DonorLog.

What email templates are available?​

DonorLog includes templates for:

  • Tax receipt emails
  • Donation confirmations
  • Pledge reminders
  • General updates
  • Custom templates (created by your administrator)

Technical & System​

What browsers work with DonorLog?​

DonorLog works best with modern browsers:

  • Google Chrome (recommended)
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Safari
  • Microsoft Edge

Is my data secure?​

Yes! DonorLog uses industry-standard encryption for data storage and transmission. All files are stored securely and encrypted.

Can I export my data?​

Yes! You can export:

  • Donor lists (CSV/Excel)
  • Donation records (CSV/Excel)
  • Campaign reports (CSV/Excel)
  • Email logs

What file formats can I upload for proof of payment?​

Supported formats:

  • PDF documents
  • Images: JPEG, PNG, JPG
  • Maximum file size: 10MB per file

How do I report a bug or request a feature?​

Open an issue on GitHub or contact your system administrator.

Can I use DonorLog offline?​

No, DonorLog requires an internet connection. It's a web-based application that needs to connect to your organization's server.

Account & Billing​

How many users can access DonorLog?​

This depends on your organization's plan. Contact your system administrator about user limits.

Can I have different permission levels for users?​

Yes! DonorLog supports role-based permissions:

  • Admin: Full system access
  • Manager: Can manage donors, donations, and campaigns
  • Volunteer: Limited access for data entry

How do I change my password?​

Click on your profile in the top right, select "Settings", then "Change Password".

What if I forget my password?​

Click "Forgot Password" on the login page and follow the instructions to reset your password via email.

How long is my data retained?​

Your organization's data is retained according to your subscription terms. Contact your administrator for specific retention policies.

Troubleshooting​

Why can't I log in?​

Common reasons:

  • Incorrect username or password
  • Account hasn't been activated yet
  • Session expired (try clearing your browser cache)
  • Internet connection issues

Contact your administrator if problems persist.

Why isn't my donation showing up?​

Check:

  • Did you click "Save" or "Submit"?
  • Are you filtering the view? Clear filters to see all donations
  • Are you looking at the right campaign or date range?

Why can't I send emails?​

Possible reasons:

  • Donor doesn't have an email address
  • Donor has unsubscribed
  • You don't have permission to send emails
  • Email service is temporarily unavailable

The system is running slowly. What should I do?​

Try:

  • Refreshing the page
  • Clearing your browser cache
  • Closing other browser tabs
  • Checking your internet connection
  • Using a different browser

If issues persist, contact your system administrator.

Why can't I see certain features?​

You may not have permission to access certain features. User roles determine what you can see and do in DonorLog. Contact your administrator to request additional permissions.

Still Have Questions?​

Can't find what you need? Start with our Getting Started Guide or search the documentation using the search bar above.