Donations by Purpose

Overview

The Donations by Purpose page organizes contributions based on how donors designated their gifts. This aggregated view shows total giving for each purpose/project, helping you track fundraising goals, monitor designated vs. unrestricted giving, and report on campaign success.

Accessing Donations by Purpose

Navigate to Donations in the main menu
Click on Donations by Purpose
View donations grouped by their purpose designation

What You'll See

Purpose Summary Table

The table displays aggregated data for each purpose:

Purpose: Designation or project name
Total Amount: Cumulative donations for this purpose
Count: Number of donations designated to this purpose
Average Amount: Average donation size for this purpose
Last Donation Date: Most recent contribution to this purpose
Top Donor: Partner who gave the most to this purpose
Top Donor Amount: Amount from top donor

Understanding Purposes

Donations can be designated for various purposes:

Unrestricted/General Fund

No specific designation
Can be used where most needed
Operational flexibility
Ministry discretion

Restricted/Designated

Specific project or purpose
Must honor donor intent
Examples:
- Building fund
- Scholarship fund
- Missions support
- Special projects
- Emergency relief
- Ministry programs (youth, children's, etc.)

Key Features

Search and Filter

Find specific purposes:

Search: Purpose name or keywords
Filter by Total Amount: Min/max range
Filter by Count: Purposes with X+ donations
Filter by Date Range: Contributions within period
Sort by Amount: Highest to lowest funding
Sort by Count: Most to least donations
Sort Alphabetically: By purpose name

Purpose Analytics

For each purpose, view:

Total amount raised
Number of contributors
Average gift size
Most recent donation
Top donor and their contribution
Giving trend over time

Common Tasks

Tracking Campaign Progress

For fundraising campaigns:

Find the campaign purpose in the list
Review total amount raised
Compare to campaign goal (if tracked separately)
Check number of donors who contributed
Monitor top donors for special recognition
Track when last donation received

Viewing Individual Donations for a Purpose

Note the purpose name
Navigate to All Donations
Filter by Purpose field
Review all donations designated to that purpose
See donor names and amounts

Analyzing Purpose Performance

Compare different purposes:

Sort by total amount
Identify which purposes attract most support
Note purposes with low funding
Review donor count per purpose
Assess average gift size
Inform future fundraising strategy

Reporting to Stakeholders

When reporting on restricted funds:

Filter by specific purpose or date range
Export the purpose summary
Show how designated funds were received
Demonstrate donor intent is honored
Provide transparency on fund usage

Purpose Categories Examples

Building/Capital Projects

New building construction
Facility renovations
Property acquisition
Equipment purchases

Scholarships & Education

Student financial aid
Tuition assistance
Educational programs
Training initiatives

Missions & Outreach

Missionary support
Evangelism projects
Community outreach
Church planting

Ministry Programs

Youth ministry
Children's ministry
Women's ministry
Men's ministry

Special Campaigns

Annual fund
Year-end appeal
Crisis response
Matching gift campaigns

Emergency/Crisis

Disaster relief
COVID-19 response
Humanitarian aid
Emergency assistance

Best Practices

Clear Purpose Names

Use specific, descriptive names
Avoid ambiguous designations
Maintain consistent naming
Consolidate similar purposes

Honor Donor Intent

Track designated giving carefully
Use funds as donors specified
Don't redirect without permission
Maintain accountability

Regular Reporting

Report on purpose progress
Show impact of designated gifts
Celebrate milestones
Demonstrate faithful stewardship

Purpose Lifecycle

Create purposes for campaigns
Track throughout campaign
Close when goal reached
Archive completed purposes
Redirect similar future gifts appropriately

Donor Communication

Purpose-Specific Updates

Send targeted updates to donors:

Identify purpose (e.g., "Building Fund")
Navigate to All Donations, filter by purpose
Export list of donors for that purpose
Send update on:
- Progress toward goal
- How funds are being used
- Impact achieved
- Thank them for specific support

Campaign Success Stories

After reaching a goal:

Review purpose summary
Note total raised and donor count
Thank top donors personally
Send success update to all contributors
Share how funds will be/were used
Celebrate achievement together

Financial Accountability

Restricted Fund Tracking

For designated purposes:

Track separately from unrestricted funds
Report usage to donors
Maintain proper accounting
Audit trail for compliance
Honor all restrictions

Purpose Reconciliation

Regularly verify:

Donations designated correctly
Purpose totals match accounting
Restricted funds used appropriately
Donor intent documented
Proper receipting for tax purposes

Analyzing Giving Trends

Popular Purposes

Identify which purposes resonate:

Sort by donation count
See which attract most donors
Note purposes with broad support
Use insights for future campaigns

High-Value Purposes

Find purposes attracting major gifts:

Sort by total amount
Review top donor contributions
Identify purposes with large gifts
Engage major donors personally

Underperforming Purposes

Identify purposes needing attention:

Sort by amount (lowest first)
Review purposes with low support
Assess if purpose is compelling
Consider re-framing or promotion
Evaluate if purpose still relevant

Exporting and Reporting

Download purpose data:

Apply desired filters
Click Export button
Choose format (Excel, CSV, PDF)
Use for:
- Board reports
- Donor updates
- Budget planning
- Annual reports
- Audit documentation