To track donor contribution history, you'll need to set up Giving Categories (Funds).
You can create an unlimited number of funds, and the order you place them in mirrors the order displayed when you input donations.
Best Practice: Where possible, keep fund names generic to simplify contribution input and management.
For example, for annual events, avoid adding the year to a fund name. Instead, use the event name, such as "VBS," rather than "VBS 2025".
Then, leverage date filters on Giving Reports or annual Giving Statements to track donations by year.
Add and Order Giving Categories
- In the header, click on the Gear Icon, then click Settings.
- Next, click on the Giving Tab
- Click Giving Options & Categories
The Giving Categories screen will appear (below).
To add a fund, simply type the name in the Add a Category field and click Save.
Note: If you're just getting started, only the General fund will appear. This can be deleted or changed.
To re-order your Giving Categories, simply drag and drop a category using the double arrow icon to the left of the Category Name (below).
Note: The order you choose is mirrored on the Input Giving screen. In other words, your fund will appear in the same order when entering contributions.
Best Practice: For fast contribution entry, place the most commonly used funds at the top of your list.
Update an Existing Fund (Giving Category)
To update a Giving Category, click on the gear icon to the right of the category name.
The Edit Category Screen will appear (below).
Giving Category Field Definitions:
Category Name: Modify the fund name.
Active Checkbox: Uncheck this box if the fund is no longer used. It will appear under the Inactive Categories heading on the Giving Categories Screen for historical purposes.
Tax Deductible: Select if a fund is qualified to be tax-deductible.
- Note: Should you need, you can display both tax-deductible and non-deductible contributions on a Giving Statement.
Delete a Giving Category
If contributions are associated with a Giving Category, the Delete Button will be inactive, and you will not be able to delete the fund.
Before you can delete a fund, all previous contributions associated with that fund must be assigned to a new fund.
Note: Currently, Giving Categories assigned to individual donations cannot be reassigned to a different fund en masse. Therefore, changing them is a one-by-one process.
Recommendation: If a Giving Category is outdated and no longer used, we recommend editing the fund and unchecking the Active Checkbox.
Doing so moves the fund to the Inactive Categories section (below) and prevents it from appearing as you enter new contributions.
FAQs
Q: When we add a Giving Category in People (ChMS), does it appear as a Fund in our integrated Online Giving Software?
A: No. The Giving Categories in People are completely separate from the funds set up in our integrated Giving software.
This allows you to categorize donations more granularly for accounting purposes within your People software.
Important: For funds to dynamically import (sync) from Giving to People, you'll need to map (match) your Giving & People funds.
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