Processing Gifts from Student Calling

Lesley Larson

I'd love to get feedback on how other colleges and educational institutions who use student callers record pledges. Do you process every gift as a pledge first? For example, if someone pays via credit card on the phone with a student, do you record it in Raiser's Edge as a pledge first, then "pay" it off? If you are currently doing this, what is the benefit as opposed to just entering it as a cash gift?

Dariel Dixon 2

Lesley Larson:

I'd love to get feedback on how other colleges and educational institutions who use student callers record pledges. Do you process every gift as a pledge first? For example, if someone pays via credit card on the phone with a student, do you record it in Raiser's Edge as a pledge first, then "pay" it off? If you are currently doing this, what is the benefit as opposed to just entering it as a cash gift?

When I worked in higher-ed, we always processed the credit card gifts as straight gifts.  We coded everything through the appeal for the calling program, so we could still measure pledges versus outright gifts.  

James Kew

We process credit card gifts as outright gifts rather than as pledges with immediate payments.  During phonathon, my office receives separate gift and pledge files each day to import into Raiser’s Edge.