Configure Donation Notifications to Donor
Quick Start
📧 Setting up donor acknowledgments? Configure donation notification fields to enable automated donor recognition and receipt generation.
- Open donation opportunity → 2. Go to Donation Information → 3. Configure donor fields → 4. Set acknowledgment status → 5. Verify setup
What you'll accomplish: Configure donation acknowledgment fields and settings to enable automated donor recognition, receipt generation, and professional communication with donors in about 10 minutes.
🚀 Quickstart
- Navigate to donation opportunity record
- Open Donation Information tab
- Configure donor information fields
- Set acknowledgment status appropriately
- Verify all required fields are populated
⚠️ Before You Start
📋 Prerequisites Checklist
- You have appropriate administrative permissions
- Access to Donation Acknowledgments app
- Donation opportunities exist in the system
- Understanding of your organization's acknowledgment policies
- Email templates are configured (if using automated sending)
💡 Understanding Donation Acknowledgment Configuration
What Donation Notifications Enable:
- Automated donor recognition for tax-deductible contributions
- Professional receipt generation with proper formatting
- Compliance tracking for charitable contribution requirements
- Donor stewardship through timely acknowledgment
Key Configuration Areas:
- Donor information fields for accurate recipient data
- Acknowledgment status tracking for workflow management
- Email template integration for professional communications
- Preview functionality for quality control before sending
Acknowledgment Workflow:
- Donation received and opportunity created
- Donor information configured with proper fields
- Acknowledgment status set to "To Be Acknowledged"
- Email generated using configured templates
- Receipt sent to donor with appropriate details
📘 Detailed Instructions
Step 1: Access Donation Opportunity
- Navigate to the Donation Acknowledgments app from App Launcher
- Find the donation opportunity you want to configure
- Open the opportunity record
- Verify this is a donation-type opportunity
App Access Required
If you don't see the Donation Acknowledgments app, contact your System Administrator about access permissions and app visibility.
Step 2: Open Donation Information Tab
- Locate the Donation Information tab on the opportunity
- Click the tab to access donation-specific fields
- Wait for donation information section to load
- Review current field configuration
Step 3: Configure Donor Information Fields
📧 Required Donor Information Fields
| Field | Required | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donor Name | ✅ | Recipient name for acknowledgment | "John Smith" |
| Donor Email | ✅ | Email address for receipt delivery | "john.smith@email.com" |
| Acknowledgment Status | ✅ | Workflow tracking | "To Be Acknowledged" |
| Donor Acknowledgment Status - Preview | ❌ | Preview email testing | "To Be Acknowledged" |
| Amount | ✅ | Donation amount (from opportunity) | $500.00 |
| General Accounting Unit | ✅ | Fund/purpose designation | "General Fund" |
Field Dependencies:
- Donor Name + Donor Email → Enable acknowledgment sending
- Acknowledgment Status → Controls workflow automation
- Preview Status → Enables preview email functionality
- Amount + GAU → Required for receipt generation
Configure Required Fields:
- Click "Donor Information" section to expand
- Enter donor name exactly as it should appear on receipt
- Add donor email address for receipt delivery
- Set acknowledgment status to "To Be Acknowledged"
- Optionally set preview status for testing
Step 4: Verify Supporting Information
Check Opportunity Details:
- Go to "Opportunity Details" tab
- Verify donation amount is correctly entered
- Confirm General Accounting Unit is assigned
- Check opportunity type is set to "Donation"
Additional Verification:
- Close date reflects when donation was received
- Stage shows appropriate donation stage
- Record type matches donation opportunities
- Campaign assignment if applicable
Step 5: Set Acknowledgment Status
📊 Acknowledgment Status Options
Common Status Values:
- "To Be Acknowledged" - Ready for acknowledgment processing
- "Acknowledged" - Receipt has been sent to donor
- "Do Not Acknowledge" - Donor requested no acknowledgment
- "Manual Acknowledgment Required" - Needs special handling
Preview Status Usage:
- "To Be Acknowledged" - Enables preview email sending
- Blank - No preview functionality
- Use for testing email templates and formatting
Status Workflow:
- Initial: "To Be Acknowledged"
- Processing: System generates acknowledgment
- Completion: Status updates to "Acknowledged"
- Exception: Manual status for special cases
- Set "Acknowledgment Status" to "To Be Acknowledged"
- Optionally set "Donor Acknowledgment Status - Preview" for testing
- Save the opportunity record
- Verify status changes are preserved
✅ How to Know It Worked
Success Indicators:
- ✅ All required donor information fields are populated
- ✅ Acknowledgment status is set appropriately
- ✅ Opportunity saves without validation errors
- ✅ Donor information appears correctly formatted
Testing the Configuration:
- Send preview email if preview status is configured
- Verify email template uses correct donor information
- Check receipt formatting shows proper amount and GAU
- Test acknowledgment workflow through completion
🆘 Troubleshooting
❌ Donation Information Tab Missing
Problem: Cannot find Donation Information tab on opportunity
Contact your System Administrator to verify:
- ✅ Field-level security allows access to donation fields
- ✅ Page layout includes Donation Information tab
- ✅ Record type has correct page layout assignment
- ✅ App configuration shows donation-related tabs
❌ Cannot Access Donation Acknowledgments App
Problem: Donation Acknowledgments app not available
Contact your System Administrator to verify:
- ✅ User profile has access to the app
- ✅ Permission sets include donation acknowledgment permissions
- ✅ App visibility is configured for your profile
- ✅ Custom app is properly configured
❌ Required Fields Not Saving
Problem: Donor information fields won't save or validate
Solutions:
- ✅ Check field requirements - ensure all mandatory fields completed
- ✅ Verify email format - donor email must be valid format
- ✅ Review field length - donor name within character limits
- ✅ Check validation rules - may prevent certain field combinations
❌ Acknowledgment Status Issues
Problem: Cannot set or change acknowledgment status
Solutions:
- ✅ Check picklist values - verify status options are available
- ✅ Review permissions - ensure you can edit acknowledgment fields
- ✅ Check workflow rules - may automatically set certain statuses
- ✅ Verify field access - acknowledgment fields may be restricted
💡 Best Practices
Donor Notification Best Practices
- 📝 Accurate Information - Double-check donor names and email addresses
- ⏰ Timely Processing - Set acknowledgment status promptly after donation
- 🧪 Test Templates - Use preview functionality to verify email appearance
- 📊 Consistent Workflow - Follow standard process for all donations
- 💼 Professional Communication - Ensure all acknowledgments reflect organization standards
- 🔍 Regular Monitoring - Review acknowledgment status regularly
Data Quality Standards:
- Donor name formatting - Use consistent capitalization and spacing
- Email validation - Verify email addresses are deliverable
- Amount accuracy - Ensure donation amounts match actual gifts
- GAU assignment - Properly categorize donations for accounting
Workflow Efficiency:
- Batch processing - Configure multiple donations at once when possible
- Template consistency - Use standardized email templates
- Status tracking - Monitor acknowledgment workflow completion
- Exception handling - Have procedures for special acknowledgment cases
Compliance Considerations:
- Tax receipt requirements - Include all legally required information
- Donor privacy - Respect donor preferences for acknowledgment
- Record retention - Maintain acknowledgment records for audit purposes
- Timing requirements - Follow IRS guidelines for receipt timing