Skip to main content

Creating Donations

Recording donations is a core function of DonorLog. This guide will walk you through the process of creating donation records.

Donation Tracking

Overview​

A donation record tracks:

  • Who made the donation (donor)
  • Which campaign it's for
  • How much was donated
  • When it was received
  • How it was paid (payment type)
  • Where it came from (source)
  • Proof of payment (optional)
Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

  • Created the donor profile (or be ready to create one)
  • Set up at least one campaign
  • The donation amount and date
  • Payment method information

Required Information​

To create a donation, you need:

  • Donor - Select from existing donors or create a new one
  • Campaign - Choose which campaign this donation supports
  • Amount - The donation amount in dollars
  • Date - The date the donation was received
  • Payment Type - How the donation was paid (Cash, Cheque, Credit Card, E-Transfer)
  • Source - Where the donation came from (Manual, Square, PayPal, etc.)

Step-by-Step: Creating a Donation​

Step 1: Navigate to Donations​

  1. Click on "Donations" in the main navigation menu
  2. You'll see a list of all donations

Step 2: Open the Create Donation Form​

  1. Click the "Add Donation" button (usually at the top right)
  2. A form will open for entering donation details

Step 3: Select a Donor​

  1. Click in the "Donor" field
  2. Start typing the donor's name
  3. Select the donor from the dropdown list
  4. Or click "Create New Donor" if the donor doesn't exist yet

Step 4: Select a Campaign​

  1. Click in the "Campaign" field
  2. Select the campaign this donation is for
  3. If you don't have a campaign yet, you'll need to create one first

Step 5: Enter Donation Details​

Fill in the donation information:

Amount: 100.00
Date: 2024-01-15
Payment Type: Credit Card
Source: Manual

Step 6: Add Optional Information​

Notes (optional):

  • Add any relevant notes about the donation
  • Example: "Monthly recurring donation" or "In memory of..."

Proof of Payment (optional):

  • Click "Choose File" to upload a receipt, invoice, or screenshot
  • Supported formats: PDF, JPEG, PNG, JPG
  • Maximum file size: 10MB

Link to Pledge (optional):

  • If this donation is part of a pledge, select the pledge
  • The system will automatically update the pledge payment status

Step 7: Save the Donation​

  1. Review all the information
  2. Click the "Create Donation" button
  3. You'll see a success message
  4. The donation will appear in your donations list

Payment Types​

DonorLog supports several payment types:

Cash​

  • Physical cash donations
  • No proof of payment typically available
  • Record immediately when received

Cheque​

  • Check or cheque donations
  • Upload a photo or scan of the cheque as proof
  • Wait for cheque to clear before considering fully processed

Credit Card​

  • Credit or debit card payments
  • May come from online payment processors
  • Upload transaction receipt as proof

E-Transfer​

  • Electronic bank transfers
  • Interac e-Transfer or similar
  • Upload confirmation email or screenshot as proof

📖 Learn more: Payment Types

Sources​

The source field indicates where the donation came from:

  • Manual - Entered manually into the system
  • Square - Received through Square payment processing
  • PayPal - Received through PayPal
  • TapTap - Received through TapTap payment system
  • Bank - Direct bank transfer or deposit
  • E-Transfer - Electronic transfer
  • Plaid - Received through Plaid integration

Bulk Donations​

If you need to record multiple donations at once, use the bulk donation feature:

  1. Go to "Donations" → "Bulk Donations"
  2. Add multiple donation rows
  3. Fill in the information for each
  4. Validate all entries
  5. Submit all at once

This is especially useful for:

  • Recording donations from events
  • Importing donations from spreadsheets
  • Processing multiple donations at once

📖 Learn more: Bulk Donations

Uploading Proof of Payment​

Proof of payment helps maintain accurate records and is useful for:

  • Audit purposes
  • Dispute resolution
  • Record keeping

Supported File Types​

  • PDF documents
  • Image files (JPEG, PNG, JPG)

File Size Limits​

  • Maximum size: 10MB per file

Best Practices​

  • Upload clear, readable images
  • Include transaction IDs or reference numbers
  • Keep files organized by date or donor

📖 Learn more: Uploading Proofs

Linking to Pledges​

If a donation is part of a pledge:

  1. Select the pledge from the dropdown
  2. The system will automatically:
    • Update the pledge's payment status
    • Track progress toward the pledge amount
    • Calculate remaining balance

This helps you track which donations fulfill which pledges.

Viewing Donations​

After creating a donation, you can:

  • View it in the donations list
  • See it on the donor's profile page
  • Find it in campaign reports
  • Include it in exports

📖 Learn more: Viewing Donations

Editing Donations​

To edit a donation:

  1. Find the donation in the list
  2. Click the edit icon
  3. Make your changes
  4. Click "Save Changes"

Note: Be careful when editing donation amounts or dates, as this may affect tax receipts and reports.

Common Questions​

Q: Can I record a donation without a campaign?
A: No, every donation must be associated with a campaign. Create a general campaign if needed.

Q: What if I don't know the exact date?
A: Use your best estimate. You can always edit it later if you find the exact date.

Q: Do I need to upload proof of payment?
A: No, it's optional. However, it's recommended for audit purposes and record keeping.

Q: Can I delete a donation?
A: Yes, but be careful. Deleting a donation will remove it from all reports and may affect tax receipts.

Q: What happens if I link a donation to a pledge?
A: The system automatically updates the pledge's payment status and tracks progress.

What's Next?​

After creating a donation, you can:

Ready to record a donation? Go to the Donations page and click "Add Donation"!