Query with gift type vs. query without gift type

Options
Jaime Hutnick
Jaime Hutnick ✭
Sixth Anniversary First Reply
in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT®: General Discussion
I am looking to query for total gifts and pledges and pledges for the year. I was always taught to also select gift type. Normally, I would ask for pledge, cash, stock sold, etc (basically everything except pay cash). In the  I see my predecessor would not select a gift type. What are potential differences in the results of the query? For example, something I am worried about is, if a donor made a $100 pledge and a $100 payment, I do not want their total dollar to show as $200. Alternatively, if a donor has made a commitment of $100, but no payment yet, I want them to show as $100.


I have been away from RE for a number of years so I am getting my skills up to date. Thanks in advance for any help - I hope I've given enough information to articulate my problem!
Tagged:

Comments

  • Keri Barnhart
    Keri Barnhart ✭
    Seventh Anniversary Facilitator 2 Photogenic
    Do you need to do any other reporting based on Pledge (Original Amount) vs. Pledge (Balance) vs. Pledge Payments?


    If so, your predecessor may have included the Pledge Balance in the output and set up a function in Excel/Crystal that calculates all that. Also, depending on your needs, it might be useful to use the Constituent Giving History Report based on the query (which means it doesn't matter what the gift type is), then convert the report data. I do both the Pledge Balance output and the Report-to-CSV depending on what my end goal is.
  • Jaime Hutnick
    Jaime Hutnick ✭
    Sixth Anniversary First Reply

    Keri Barnhart:

    Do you need to do any other reporting based on Pledge (Original Amount) vs. Pledge (Balance) vs. Pledge Payments?


    If so, your predecessor may have included the Pledge Balance in the output and set up a function in Excel/Crystal that calculates all that. Also, depending on your needs, it might be useful to use the Constituent Giving History Report based on the query (which means it doesn't matter what the gift type is), then convert the report data. I do both the Pledge Balance output and the Report-to-CSV depending on what my end goal is.

    At this point in the year, I'm not concerned about balances, just total commitments and cash - at the end of the fiscal year I'm sure I will be singing a different tune. I'm just worried that if I do not specify a gift type, I will not get accurate totals.


     

  • Melissa S Graves
    Melissa S Graves ✭
    Ninth Anniversary Facilitator 3 Photogenic
    If you are in a constituent query and talking about summary information fields there is a link (words in blue letters) that explain what gift types are included by default (when you do not add them to your criteria) - this KB article also talks about it. https://kb.blackbaud.com/articles/Article/44479. Your predecessor may have been using the defaults.
  • Jaime Hutnick
    Jaime Hutnick ✭
    Sixth Anniversary First Reply

    Melissa Graves:

    If you are in a constituent query and talking about summary information fields there is a link (words in blue letters) that explain what gift types are included by default (when you do not add them to your criteria) - this KB article also talks about it. https://kb.blackbaud.com/articles/Article/44479. Your predecessor may have been using the defaults.

    This is very helpful - Thank you so much! 

  • Melissa S Graves
    Melissa S Graves ✭
    Ninth Anniversary Facilitator 3 Photogenic

    Jaime Hutnick:

    Keri Barnhart:

    Do you need to do any other reporting based on Pledge (Original Amount) vs. Pledge (Balance) vs. Pledge Payments?


    If so, your predecessor may have included the Pledge Balance in the output and set up a function in Excel/Crystal that calculates all that. Also, depending on your needs, it might be useful to use the Constituent Giving History Report based on the query (which means it doesn't matter what the gift type is), then convert the report data. I do both the Pledge Balance output and the Report-to-CSV depending on what my end goal is.

    At this point in the year, I'm not concerned about balances, just total commitments and cash - at the end of the fiscal year I'm sure I will be singing a different tune. I'm just worried that if I do not specify a gift type, I will not get accurate totals.


     

     

    Using pledge balance and payment is actually a better, more accurate total of committments and cash than just pledges and cash. Let's say someone pledges $1,000 and they make $600 in payments and the next $200 is written off but they still have a balance of $200. Pledge balance ($200) + payments ($600) gets you a more accurate total ($800) than just pledge total ($1,000) or payment total ($600). 

Categories