Hello everyone, and particularly TNEW users,
Our Development Department is revamping their presence on our website, including wanting to make online donations a more accessible process.
Are any TNEW organizations set up with a monthly giving option? Is it even possible at this time? With our previous provider there was the option of a one time payment, or paying a dollar amount and then committing to that same amount over a 12 month period. Their credit card would be processed for the first month, and a CSI would be generated for Dev Dept to then set up a pledge for the next 11 months.
Any insight that you have would be great!
Thanks,
Duane
We're not doing this (we're not even live with TNEW yet), so I can't speak to any pitfalls, but I have been pondering this issue recently in case we decide to do it. It certainly wouldn't be automatic but in theory could be clear enough for both the patron and person entering the pledge.
If we attempt it, I think it would probably be set up with extra boatloads of text communicating to the patron that the actual amount they enter in the "real" amount box is what they want to be charged monthly, and then maybe setting up a text field below asking them to enter the total amount they want to be charged, possibly even with an example. "If you would like to donate a total of $1200 charged over 12 months enter $100 in the box above and $1200 in the box below". Or something like that.
If you were going to definitely lock them in to "do X for 12 months" it would probably be easier, since you'd just have to make it clear, still, that what they enter is the monthly amount and that by selecting whatever contrib type they did they're committing to 11 more charges of that same amount.
I'm approaching this from a "money->on account" perspective, just realized perhaps you are not. Still if it were a specific contrib type, they'd be easy enough to identify.
Or you could probably even just set up a checkbox that says "Please charge my card this amount monthly for 12 months".
Hi Duane,
You could manage this with the detailed contributions available on the Contributions page of TNEW sites. You can add a a checkbox that you use for customers to opt in to recurring payments. So they would enter the first month’s payment then check a box labeled something like “Make this a recurring gift.” Then a CSI is generated indicating whether or not the box is checked (and any notes they enter if you choose to offer that option). Your Development department would then need to manually enter the pledge for the remaining 11 months. For details on setting up the Contributions page see these topics in the new TN Express Web User Guide:
Detailed Contributions
Contribution Types
Contribution Control Slots
Kevin Sheehan
Senior Documentation & Learning Resources Specialist
Tessitura Network
+1 888 643 5778 x 329
ksheehan@tessituranetwork.com
I'd like to offer an additional suggestion to this for a bit cleaner tracking. If you have the first payment, which comes in online, go to an On Account payment method, your development folk can then enter a pledge for the full value and at the same time take the funds from the On Account method to aply as the first payment on this pledge. This will keep all transactions related to this pledge in one contribution, rather than having the first installment show as a gift and the following 11 as a pledge.
Hello everyone,
Thank you for the suggestions here so far. I will take them all back to our team.
Kevin – I really like the idea of the checkbox/CSI approach here.
Nick – Sorry I should have clarified processing here. I agree and would intend for the first payment to be part of a 12 month pledge set up, processed immediately as a payment on the pledge. Our online contributions already do go to an On Account payment method so our staff is familiar with this part.
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Amanda,
Thanks as well for your suggestions, particularly around making sure the text is very clear around the initial payment and monthly commitment after that.
Cheers,