Merging the event's Receipt Amount into a thank you letter

Rob Price

We currently split our gifts to a few of our events so that a portion goest to our annual fund. This amount is also the same as the "receipt amount" on the Registration Fees tab on the individual's registration record. The other portion goes into a restricted expense account usually called the Fair Market Value account (FMV).  Right now when we merge lettes we pull over both split amounts to show the donor how much is tax deductible. But it's not a smooth process.

We want the "receipt amount" from the event registration to merge into the letter but I don't see that as an avalilable field.  On the gift record I see there is a receipt amount, but that does not seem to be tied to the event registration. If there is a way to tie those together I can easily pull that amount into the letter. D

Does anyone have any tips on how to do this? Or, how do you identify the gift amount and the tax deductible amount on your letters? This seems like it should be pretty easy but I've not figured it out.

Brenda Heyer

Hi Rob,

When I generate receipts for our events, I populate the "benefit" tab in the gift entry area. The Benefit Amount is a field you can bring out on the receipt and also, you can populate another field explaining what the benefit is for e.g. 1 table to Gala 2017.  My receipt shows the full gift amount, the benefit, the benefit amount and then the eligible receipt amount.  Is this what you were looking for?

Rob Price

Brenda Heyer:

Hi Rob,

When I generate receipts for our events, I populate the "benefit" tab in the gift entry area. The Benefit Amount is a field you can bring out on the receipt and also, you can populate another field explaining what the benefit is for e.g. 1 table to Gala 2017.  My receipt shows the full gift amount, the benefit, the benefit amount and then the eligible receipt amount.  Is this what you were looking for?

Thanks Brenda,

Well, the information you're adding to your receipt is what I'm trying to do. But I'm not sure I follow what you're doing. Are you populating the "benefit" tab when you're batching or do you have to go into each gift to do it? Ideally I'd do this in batch. I'd like to pull the "Receipt Amount" from the event registration in the letter.

Brenda Heyer

Hi Rob,

I just typed out a lenghthy response and I got an error message when I posted.  What is your email and I can send you the info?

Faith Murray

What we do is print the acknowledgement letter off the gift record. The Receipt Amount on the Gift record can be entered manually in Batch, and then merged into the "Donor Acknowledgement" letter.

Rob Price

Brenda Heyer:

Hi Rob,

I just typed out a lenghthy response and I got an error message when I posted.  What is your email and I can send you the info?

Thanks, I just sent you a private message.

Rob Price

Faith Murray:

What we do is print the acknowledgement letter off the gift record. The Receipt Amount on the Gift record can be entered manually in Batch, and then merged into the "Donor Acknowledgement" letter.

I am thinking that may be what I need to do. I just worry about data entry erros when doing that. If I could pull the receipt amount from the event record then I know it's accurate becuase all that info is plugged into the event when its created.

Cathleen Mai

Rob Price:

Faith Murray:

What we do is print the acknowledgement letter off the gift record. The Receipt Amount on the Gift record can be entered manually in Batch, and then merged into the "Donor Acknowledgement" letter.

I am thinking that may be what I need to do. I just worry about data entry erros when doing that. If I could pull the receipt amount from the event record then I know it's accurate becuase all that info is plugged into the event when its created.

 

When you link your gift to the Event while entering the batch, RE will pull the receipt amount from the Registration tab of Event module into the gift record and from there you can merge it into the letter. It's the symbol in batch on the top next to the one where you "apply to pledge".

Rob Price

Cathleen Mai:

Rob Price:

Faith Murray:

What we do is print the acknowledgement letter off the gift record. The Receipt Amount on the Gift record can be entered manually in Batch, and then merged into the "Donor Acknowledgement" letter.

I am thinking that may be what I need to do. I just worry about data entry erros when doing that. If I could pull the receipt amount from the event record then I know it's accurate becuase all that info is plugged into the event when its created.

 

When you link your gift to the Event while entering the batch, RE will pull the receipt amount from the Registration tab of Event module into the gift record and from there you can merge it into the letter. It's the symbol in batch on the top next to the one where you "apply to pledge".

 

Thanks Cathleen,

When I manually enter the gift in the batch the receipt amount populates as the full gift amount. Even after I link the gift to the registration, the amount stays the same. I tried linking the gift first, then entering the amount and that did not help. But, we have NetCommunity, and when people register on line it puts the receipt amount in correctly.  I'm not sure if I'm missing a step or what. But what you are describing is what I thought was supposed to happen.

Cathleen Mai

Rob Price:

Cathleen Mai:

Rob Price:

Faith Murray:

What we do is print the acknowledgement letter off the gift record. The Receipt Amount on the Gift record can be entered manually in Batch, and then merged into the "Donor Acknowledgement" letter.

I am thinking that may be what I need to do. I just worry about data entry erros when doing that. If I could pull the receipt amount from the event record then I know it's accurate becuase all that info is plugged into the event when its created.

 

When you link your gift to the Event while entering the batch, RE will pull the receipt amount from the Registration tab of Event module into the gift record and from there you can merge it into the letter. It's the symbol in batch on the top next to the one where you "apply to pledge".

 

Thanks Cathleen,

When I manually enter the gift in the batch the receipt amount populates as the full gift amount. Even after I link the gift to the registration, the amount stays the same. I tried linking the gift first, then entering the amount and that did not help. But, we have NetCommunity, and when people register on line it puts the receipt amount in correctly.  I'm not sure if I'm missing a step or what. But what you are describing is what I thought was supposed to happen.

Does the benefit amount show up on the Registration fee tab of the participant in the Event?

If yes, try the following:


Make sure Receipt Amount is present in the batch setup

1. In the batch set up arrange the fields so the first three batch columns are constituent, gift amount. receipt amount. All three need to be visible and not hidden

2. in the data entry

-find the constituent

-tab to gift amount

-enter the gift amount

-tab to receipt amount (which should default to the entered gift amount)

-go to gift menu-link-Event-and link to exisitng registration


Hope this helps.

 

Rob Price

Cathleen Mai:

Rob Price:

Cathleen Mai:

Rob Price:

Faith Murray:

What we do is print the acknowledgement letter off the gift record. The Receipt Amount on the Gift record can be entered manually in Batch, and then merged into the "Donor Acknowledgement" letter.

I am thinking that may be what I need to do. I just worry about data entry erros when doing that. If I could pull the receipt amount from the event record then I know it's accurate becuase all that info is plugged into the event when its created.

 

When you link your gift to the Event while entering the batch, RE will pull the receipt amount from the Registration tab of Event module into the gift record and from there you can merge it into the letter. It's the symbol in batch on the top next to the one where you "apply to pledge".

 

Thanks Cathleen,

When I manually enter the gift in the batch the receipt amount populates as the full gift amount. Even after I link the gift to the registration, the amount stays the same. I tried linking the gift first, then entering the amount and that did not help. But, we have NetCommunity, and when people register on line it puts the receipt amount in correctly.  I'm not sure if I'm missing a step or what. But what you are describing is what I thought was supposed to happen.

Does the benefit amount show up on the Registration fee tab of the participant in the Event?

If yes, try the following:


Make sure Receipt Amount is present in the batch setup

1. In the batch set up arrange the fields so the first three batch columns are constituent, gift amount. receipt amount. All three need to be visible and not hidden

2. in the data entry

-find the constituent

-tab to gift amount

-enter the gift amount

-tab to receipt amount (which should default to the entered gift amount)

-go to gift menu-link-Event-and link to exisitng registration


Hope this helps.

 

 

I'm pretty sure that's what I've been doing. 

I just got done chatting with support and they said what I'm trying to do is not possible on RE. I'm pretty sure that's not correct since you are doing it, and it happens with Netcommunity gifts. I'm going to keep trying. Thanks for your help!

Gracie Schild

DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!!!


I have had a Case open for 2 1/2 years about this. There is a glitch in RE that keeps the Benefits from being applied correctly to gifts (can't speak to Events because we don't have that module). We enter the $65/seat benefit for each attendee at our annual scholarship gala, and sometimes it sticks, and sometimes it doesn't. If we add it manually after the gift has been entered in batch it usually sticks, but not always - we've actaully had to delete gifts and reenter them manually. And when entering benefits while in batch, we've had cases where some benefits reduce the receipt amount and some don't IN THE SAME BATCH. I had to provie it on a recorded session before the developers at BB would believe it, even though Ian (mentioned below) saw it happen on a shared screen session. Here's the email thread from last year when I though I had stumbled on the answer (sorry, you'll have to read it backwards). Please note that in the first (last in the list) email - the one from Dianne at BB - other organizations are reporting the same problem. Keep bugging them about it!!! It's gala season again and we have to check every ticket and table before sending out the ack letters - added work in our busiest season.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6/21/16 from me to BB


Drat – not so much Eureka as I thought.

 
Adding the receipt amount to the batch fixed all the gifts that had “applied” Benefits – the problem children in the case – BUT it set all others to $0 so we had to take it out again.  I think this is leading in a good direction, though, so  please forward this to the necessary Product Developers.  We’ll keep you updated on any fixes we find.

 
Thanks!

 
Gracie Schild
Advancement Services Manager
Office of Institutional Advancement
INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Gracie Schild
Sent: June 9, 2016 3:21 PM
To: 'Diane Ellis' <Diane.Ellis@blackbaud.com>; Ian Schmidt (Ian.Schmidt@blackbaud.com) <Ian.Schmidt@blackbaud.com>
Subject: RE: Blackbaud Case 12605314

 
EUREKA – I hope…

 
I was hunting around for (and not finding) the best way to apply benefits to pledges and/or their payments, when I saw KB article 74974 about entering benefits.  At the VERY end was the following statement:

 
Note: If you do not include Receipt Amount as a Field in the Batch, the Receipt Amount may default to the Gift Amount when the Gifts are committed.

 
I just added Receipt Amount to our regular batch master, and created a bogus batch – all of the Benefits “stuck”.  I know that isn’t proof positive, so Angela and I will be keeping an eye on this.  It doesn’t explain why sometimes the benefit would “stick” on some gifts but not others in the same batch. But please put this in the hopper for the developers.

 
Thanks!

 
Gracie Schild
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Diane Ellis [mailto:Diane.Ellis@blackbaud.com]
Sent: April 19, 2016 6:52 AM
To: Gracie Schild <GSCHILD@iaia.edu>
Subject: Blackbaud Case 12605314

 
        

Hi Gracie,
This is Diane Ellis with Blackbaud Product Support, following up on Case 12605314.  Ian is out of the office today, so I am answering your question.
Unforturnately, the issue with the benefits is not yet resolved.  I checked on the status with our Product Developers and it is still in the process of being investigated.  I wish I could give you a definite time frame for when a solution will be determined, but this will depend on the complexity of the problem and the complexity in determining a solution.  I did notice that several other Organizations have had the same issue.  Their cases are also linked to this bug.  Hopefully, our Product Developers will determine the issue soon.
I apologize for the delay in finding a solution for you Gracie.  Thank you for your patience while they investigate further.

 
Diane Ellis
Senior Customer Support Analyst
The Raiser's Edge

 

Brinda Goswami

Gracie Schild:

DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!!!


I have had a Case open for 2 1/2 years about this. There is a glitch in RE that keeps the Benefits from being applied correctly to gifts (can't speak to Events because we don't have that module). We enter the $65/seat benefit for each attendee at our annual scholarship gala, and sometimes it sticks, and sometimes it doesn't. If we add it manually after the gift has been entered in batch it usually sticks, but not always - we've actaully had to delete gifts and reenter them manually. And when entering benefits while in batch, we've had cases where some benefits reduce the receipt amount and some don't IN THE SAME BATCH. I had to provie it on a recorded session before the developers at BB would believe it, even though Ian (mentioned below) saw it happen on a shared screen session. Here's the email thread from last year when I though I had stumbled on the answer (sorry, you'll have to read it backwards). Please note that in the first (last in the list) email - the one from Dianne at BB - other organizations are reporting the same problem. Keep bugging them about it!!! It's gala season again and we have to check every ticket and table before sending out the ack letters - added work in our busiest season.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6/21/16 from me to BB


Drat – not so much Eureka as I thought.

 
Adding the receipt amount to the batch fixed all the gifts that had “applied” Benefits – the problem children in the case – BUT it set all others to $0 so we had to take it out again.  I think this is leading in a good direction, though, so  please forward this to the necessary Product Developers.  We’ll keep you updated on any fixes we find.

 
Thanks!

 
Gracie Schild
Advancement Services Manager
Office of Institutional Advancement
INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Gracie Schild
Sent: June 9, 2016 3:21 PM
To: 'Diane Ellis' <Diane.Ellis@blackbaud.com>; Ian Schmidt (Ian.Schmidt@blackbaud.com) <Ian.Schmidt@blackbaud.com>
Subject: RE: Blackbaud Case 12605314

 
EUREKA – I hope…

 
I was hunting around for (and not finding) the best way to apply benefits to pledges and/or their payments, when I saw KB article 74974 about entering benefits.  At the VERY end was the following statement:

 
Note: If you do not include Receipt Amount as a Field in the Batch, the Receipt Amount may default to the Gift Amount when the Gifts are committed.

 
I just added Receipt Amount to our regular batch master, and created a bogus batch – all of the Benefits “stuck”.  I know that isn’t proof positive, so Angela and I will be keeping an eye on this.  It doesn’t explain why sometimes the benefit would “stick” on some gifts but not others in the same batch. But please put this in the hopper for the developers.

 
Thanks!

 
Gracie Schild
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Diane Ellis [mailto:Diane.Ellis@blackbaud.com]
Sent: April 19, 2016 6:52 AM
To: Gracie Schild <GSCHILD@iaia.edu>
Subject: Blackbaud Case 12605314

 
        

Hi Gracie,
This is Diane Ellis with Blackbaud Product Support, following up on Case 12605314.  Ian is out of the office today, so I am answering your question.
Unforturnately, the issue with the benefits is not yet resolved.  I checked on the status with our Product Developers and it is still in the process of being investigated.  I wish I could give you a definite time frame for when a solution will be determined, but this will depend on the complexity of the problem and the complexity in determining a solution.  I did notice that several other Organizations have had the same issue.  Their cases are also linked to this bug.  Hopefully, our Product Developers will determine the issue soon.
I apologize for the delay in finding a solution for you Gracie.  Thank you for your patience while they investigate further.

 
Diane Ellis
Senior Customer Support Analyst
The Raiser's Edge

 

Same issue is with memberships when you need to apply a benefit to a member who pays in monthly installments.


 

Cathleen Mai

I remember that we hade the same issue, but since I started using the described "secret Raiser's Edge recipe" - setting up the batch in exact that order, not hiding the receipt amount, it usually sticks. So I assumed BB fixed the problem.





Gracie Schild:

DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!!!


I have had a Case open for 2 1/2 years about this. There is a glitch in RE that keeps the Benefits from being applied correctly to gifts (can't speak to Events because we don't have that module). We enter the $65/seat benefit for each attendee at our annual scholarship gala, and sometimes it sticks, and sometimes it doesn't. If we add it manually after the gift has been entered in batch it usually sticks, but not always - we've actaully had to delete gifts and reenter them manually. And when entering benefits while in batch, we've had cases where some benefits reduce the receipt amount and some don't IN THE SAME BATCH. I had to provie it on a recorded session before the developers at BB would believe it, even though Ian (mentioned below) saw it happen on a shared screen session. Here's the email thread from last year when I though I had stumbled on the answer (sorry, you'll have to read it backwards). Please note that in the first (last in the list) email - the one from Dianne at BB - other organizations are reporting the same problem. Keep bugging them about it!!! It's gala season again and we have to check every ticket and table before sending out the ack letters - added work in our busiest season.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6/21/16 from me to BB


Drat – not so much Eureka as I thought.

 
Adding the receipt amount to the batch fixed all the gifts that had “applied” Benefits – the problem children in the case – BUT it set all others to $0 so we had to take it out again.  I think this is leading in a good direction, though, so  please forward this to the necessary Product Developers.  We’ll keep you updated on any fixes we find.

 
Thanks!

 
Gracie Schild
Advancement Services Manager
Office of Institutional Advancement
INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Gracie Schild
Sent: June 9, 2016 3:21 PM
To: 'Diane Ellis' <Diane.Ellis@blackbaud.com>; Ian Schmidt (Ian.Schmidt@blackbaud.com) <Ian.Schmidt@blackbaud.com>
Subject: RE: Blackbaud Case 12605314

 
EUREKA – I hope…

 
I was hunting around for (and not finding) the best way to apply benefits to pledges and/or their payments, when I saw KB article 74974 about entering benefits.  At the VERY end was the following statement:

 
Note: If you do not include Receipt Amount as a Field in the Batch, the Receipt Amount may default to the Gift Amount when the Gifts are committed.

 
I just added Receipt Amount to our regular batch master, and created a bogus batch – all of the Benefits “stuck”.  I know that isn’t proof positive, so Angela and I will be keeping an eye on this.  It doesn’t explain why sometimes the benefit would “stick” on some gifts but not others in the same batch. But please put this in the hopper for the developers.

 
Thanks!

 
Gracie Schild
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Diane Ellis [mailto:Diane.Ellis@blackbaud.com]
Sent: April 19, 2016 6:52 AM
To: Gracie Schild <GSCHILD@iaia.edu>
Subject: Blackbaud Case 12605314

 
        

Hi Gracie,
This is Diane Ellis with Blackbaud Product Support, following up on Case 12605314.  Ian is out of the office today, so I am answering your question.
Unforturnately, the issue with the benefits is not yet resolved.  I checked on the status with our Product Developers and it is still in the process of being investigated.  I wish I could give you a definite time frame for when a solution will be determined, but this will depend on the complexity of the problem and the complexity in determining a solution.  I did notice that several other Organizations have had the same issue.  Their cases are also linked to this bug.  Hopefully, our Product Developers will determine the issue soon.
I apologize for the delay in finding a solution for you Gracie.  Thank you for your patience while they investigate further.

 
Diane Ellis
Senior Customer Support Analyst
The Raiser's Edge

 

 

Gracie Schild

Hmmm - if setting up the batch in a special order is the "secret recipie", they sure kept it a secret from me. I've had other situations where the appropriate voodoo to fix formatting issues was to move the problem letter to the top of the list in a conditional merge in Mail. Really, folks? My tidy, organized mind really doesn't go for that kind of a solution. I have my batch set up to suit the needs of our situation and it seems a little silly to have to twist our batch entry because this glitch isn't high enough on BB's priority list. 


By the way, the last contact related to the case is my email from June of '16 - I haven't heard a peep since.


Gracie (today, with emphasis on the Grrrrrrrr)

Margaret Whitaker

I’m
following the events thread with interest and it has prompted a
question connected to event sponsorship commitments.  How do
you all track those sponsorship commitments and at the same time
prevent them from being included in the pledge reports that are
shared with Finance each month. 

 

Thanks!

 

Margaret
S. Whitaker

Database
Program Manager

Prospect
Research & Donor Management

Novant
Health

1900 Randolph Rd., Suite 920

Charlotte,
NC 28233-3549

704.384.5335-office

704.582.1229-mobile

704.316.8219-efax

www.novanthealth.org

 

Making
Healthcare Remarkable

 

---

----------------------------------------- This message and any
included attachments are from NOVANT HEALTH INC. and are intended
only for the addressee(s). The information contained herein may
include trade secrets or privileged or otherwise confidential
information. Unauthorized review, forwarding, printing, copying,
distributing, or using such information is strictly prohibited and
may be unlawful. If you received this message in error, or have
reason to believe you are not authorized to receive it, please
promptly delete this message and notify the sender by email. If you
believe that any information contained in this message is
disparaging or harassing or if you find it objectionable please
contact Novant Health, Inc. at 1-800-350-0094 or forward the email
to reports@novanthealth.org. Thank you.