One of the improved features when moving from FundRaiser Basic to Spark is increased coding and options for your gifts. In FundRaiser Basic, along with the amount and date given, there is a checkbox to send a thank you letter, as well as a field for the notes. The “source” code acts as a way to document what drove the gift, for example an appeal letter or an event.
In FundRaiser Spark, gifts begin with a mode code. In other words, what form has the gift taken? Was it received in cash, or from a check or credit card charge? Perhaps the gift was an in-kind donation of goods and services, rather than a direct monetary contribution of funds.
The motivation code replaces the source code in Spark. However, we add a couple of additional codes. The first is the fund code, which indicates which bank account the money goes into. It helps to differentiate between gifts which might go into a general fund or bank account and those that might be for a building or a scholarship fund.
The purpose code indicates if the money has a specific purpose, or if it falls into a restricted or unrestricted category. The purpose code may also mean that the funds are for general use, rather than something specific like an after school or book fund.
With these additional codes your organization can begin running more in-depth reports, planning events and campaigns, and getting even more information on your donors. All of which, will hopefully lead to greater fundraising.
To learn more about how FundRaiser Spark can help you expand your donor base register for a tour or if you are already a FundRaiser user, contact FundRaiser Technical Support at Support@FundRaiserSoftware.com or 800-543-4131.
I believe that when we join together to do good in our own ways that there’s no limit to what we can achieve, which makes my work at FundRaiser that much more special because I love helping so many organizations reach their goals.