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Gift Configurations 2.0

Updated

Overview 

Gift Configurations 2.0 serve as an enhancement to the original Gift Configuration functionality to provide greater transparency as to which gifts are contributing to the various components of reporting in GiveCampus Volunteer Management so that you can easily make adjustments and reconcile numbers. 

Gift configurations also allow you -- at a granular level -- to separately configure the various reporting elements of GC VM, from admin-level aggregate reporting tiles to the various graphs and charts on the constituent record. You will now be able to leverage advanced conditions such as allocation, soft gifts, and anonymous giving to determine these reporting elements as well!

This article will help answer questions such as:

  • How do I only count or display certain gift types, dates or allocations?
  • How do I ensure I don't double count spouse gift totals but credit both donors?
  • Which gift data source(s) should I rely on for reporting and sharing with volunteers?
  • How are anonymous gifts and pledges counted?
  • When should I restrict counting by fiscal year, and when should I include all historical gifts?

How It Works 

To navigate to Gift Configurations, click on Settings from the left navigation bar (under the “Administration” section). Then, click on the Gift Configuration section. 

With the Gift Configuration section expanded you’ll see links for the following subsections: Constituent Record, Administrator Dashboard, Volunteer Dashboard, and Automated Gift Notifications.

 

Click into one of the subsections and you’ll see all the reporting elements (numbers or graphs) that can be configured. 

For example, within the Volunteer Dashboard you can configure Total Donor Count, Total Dollars Pledged, and Total Dollars Raised.

 

From here, you’ll see either Modify Configuration or Configure, depending on if a reporting element already been set up or not. 

Selecting a Gift Source

Once you’ve clicked into a specific element, you’ll first be able to pick which Gift Source should be used when determining how this reporting element is calculated. The full range of options are as follows, however the options you see in the dropdown list will be based on what data you send into the VMS and which gift source can be used in a specific reporting element:

  • Detailed Gifts - From a Gift File where gifts are listed transaction-by transaction
  • Gift Summaries - From a Gift Summary File where gifts are aggregated and sent across as a single summary per gift type per constituent per year
  • Last Gift Details - From a Constituent File where Last Gift Details are sent using the Last_Gift_Amount, Last_Gift_Date and Last_Gift_Designation columns.

For more details on which gift sources can be used within each reporting element, check out the FAQ's below.

FAQ — New allocation / fund codes don't appear in the Allocation condition dropdown after upload

Q: I uploaded new allocation codes via SFTP, but they don’t appear in the Allocation filter when opening a Gift Configuration reporting element. Why?

A: Allocation options are pulled from gift data ingested by GiveCampus. This means an allocation must first appear on a gift record before it becomes selectable.

  • Configuring the allocation condition: In the VMS admin, click Settings from the left navigation, expand the Gift Configuration section, select a subsection (such as Constituent Record, Administrator Dashboard, Volunteer Dashboard, or Automated Gift Notifications), and click Modify Configuration or Configure for the reporting element.

  • Why new funds may not appear immediately: A fund or code added in your CRM or finance system will only appear when it is referenced in an ingested gift record from your Detailed Gifts or Gift Summaries file.

  • After uploading a gift file with new allocation codes:

    1. Allow the SFTP importer cycle to run. Files are checked up to once per hour; ingestion time may vary with file size and system load.
    2. Ensure at least one gift record includes the new allocation (a test transaction can suffice).

  • Post-configuration steps: When saving a Gift Configuration change, background processing is triggered. You’ll see a confirmation message: "The configuration has been updated! It may take a few minutes for your changes to take effect across the entire VMS." Wait 2–3 minutes, then refresh your browser or log out and back in to view the updated options.

  • Quick checklist:

    1. Upload a gift file that includes at least one gift with the new allocation.
    2. Wait for the import to complete and reload the page.
    3. Navigate to Settings > Gift Configuration, choose the appropriate subsection, and check the allocation condition dropdown.
    4. If you update the configuration, save your changes and wait for the background processing to complete.

  • When to investigate further: If 24 hours have passed since a successful import that included a gift with the new allocation and it still does not appear, verify that the allocation value exists in your file. You may re-upload a small test gift to prompt ingestion.

 

Anonymous Giving

Within each reporting element, you will see an option under Anonymous Giving to include Anonymous gift data within this element.

Troubleshooting gift configuration update timing

If your recent gift configuration changes do not appear immediately in the Volunteer Management system, it means the changes are still processing in the background. This update process ensures that your data is accurately refreshed for all constituents and volunteers.

Why updates take time:

  1. Changes are processed in the background to update all related data.
  2. The system refreshes information for constituents and volunteers to ensure consistency.

What to expect:

  • After saving your changes, you'll see a confirmation message indicating that the configuration has been updated and that it may take a few minutes for the changes to appear across the VMS.
  • Most updates complete within a few minutes, but old data may still appear until processing is finished.

Recommended actions:

  • Wait 2–3 minutes before checking your reports.
  • Refresh your browser to load the updated data.
  • If the changes still aren’t visible after 10 minutes, try logging out and back in.

When to be concerned: If the updates have not taken effect after 24 hours, further investigation might be needed.

Troubleshooting: Volunteer dashboard shows 0 donors even though gifts appear on constituent records

If you see zero donors on dashboard tiles while constituent records indicate gifts, a configuration mismatch is likely.

Fiscal year boundary timing and zero donor counts

Near a fiscal year boundary, gifts appearing on constituent records might not immediately contribute to Volunteer Dashboard totals. The dashboard donor tiles rely on specific gift configuration buckets: volunteer_my_assignments_total_donors and volunteer_class_year_total_donors.

Possible causes for a mismatch:

  • Gift Source differences: The Volunteer Dashboard uses the Gift Source you configure. For example, if constituent records are populated via Detailed Gifts but the dashboard buckets are set to Gift Summaries or Last Gift Details, donor counts may not match.

Steps to resolve the issue:

  1. Confirm dashboard buckets:

    • Verify that the Volunteer Dashboard is using volunteer_my_assignments_total_donors and volunteer_class_year_total_donors.

  2. Verify the Gift Source configuration:

    • Navigate to Settings > Gift Configuration and open the Volunteer Dashboard subsection.
    • Check the Gift Source for each dashboard reporting element. Options include Detailed Gifts, Gift Summaries, and Last Gift Details.
    • Ensure both buckets are set to the same Gift Source and that the chosen option includes the expected gift data.

  3. Re-save the configuration:

    • Open the configuration for the Volunteer Dashboard reporting element, click Modify Configuration (or Configure), and then click Save. This action re-triggers the background processing jobs that refresh dashboard data.

  4. Allow time for background processing:

    • After saving, a confirmation message appears indicating, "The configuration has been updated! It may take a few minutes for your changes to take effect across the entire VMS."
    • Wait 2–3 minutes, refresh your dashboard, and log out and back in if necessary.

If counts still differ after these steps:

  • Review the gift source files loaded into VMS to ensure they include the expected gift data.
  • If using Gift Summaries, confirm that the gifts are being aggregated correctly.
  • As a diagnostic step, set both volunteer buckets to Detailed Gifts temporarily, re-save, and check if the counts align. Once confirmed, you can revert to your intended source.
Follow this checklist to identify and fix the issue:

  1. Verify navigation and reporting elements

    • Go to Settings from the left navigation bar under the Administration section.
    • Click Gift Configuration and open the Volunteer Dashboard subsection.
    • Locate the reporting elements labeled My Assignments Tiles: Total Donor Count and Custom/Class Year Reporting: Total Donor Count.

  2. Confirm the controlling gift buckets

    • These tiles use the volunteer_my_assignments_total_donors and volunteer_class_year_total_donors buckets.

  3. Check the Gift Source selection

    • For each reporting element, open its configuration and review the Gift Source value. The options are:
      • Detailed Gifts – transaction-by-transaction from a Gift File
      • Gift Summaries – aggregated data from a Gift Summary File
      • Last Gift Details – data from the Constituent File using Last_Gift_Amount, Last_Gift_Date, and Last_Gift_Designation

  4. Identify common mismatches

    • If your configuration uses Gift Summaries while your system relies on per-transaction data (such as for splits, soft gifts, or anonymous flags), donor counts may be off.
    • Ensure that the Gift Source for both buckets is the same. Inconsistencies here can cause differences between individual volunteer tiles and class-year totals.

  5. Follow a step-by-step workflow to fix the problem

    • Open Settings > Gift Configuration > Volunteer Dashboard.
    • Click Modify Configuration (or Configure) for My Assignments Tiles: Total Donor Count and note the current Gift Source.
    • Open the configuration for Custom/Class Year Reporting: Total Donor Count and compare its Gift Source with the My Assignments setting and the data sent in your files.
    • If the sources differ, update the configuration to match the correct Gift Source (Detailed Gifts vs. Gift Summaries vs. Last Gift Details) and save the change.
    • Wait for background processing and then refresh the dashboard.

  6. Understand background processing and timing

    • After saving a change, the system runs background jobs to update the data. A flash message will confirm that changes may take a few minutes to reflect.
    • Typically, updates appear within a few minutes—try refreshing the browser after 2–3 minutes. If the dashboard still shows old values, log out and back in.

  7. Additional checks if counts remain off

    • Verify that your import files include the necessary fields for the chosen Gift Source (e.g., detailed rows for Detailed Gifts, summary rows for Gift Summaries, or Last_Gift_* columns for Last Gift Details).
    • If using advanced conditions (allocation, soft gifts, anonymous flags), ensure these are correctly applied in the configuration.
    • Reopen and re-save the same configuration to retrigger the background job, then allow a few minutes for processing.

  8. Review and compare donor counts

    • Confirm that both individual and class-year donor counts use the same Gift Source and that the volunteer_class_year_total_donors bucket is configured consistently.

  9. Expected outcome

    • Once the Gift Source and buckets are aligned with your incoming data, background jobs will update the counts, and the dashboard will match the donor counts shown in constituent records.

FAQ — Which gift source should I use for the "Has Given" flag and the donor‑count tiles?

Q: A volunteer sees a gift on a constituent record but the assignment still shows as a non‑donor. Which gift source should I pick so the "Has Given" indicator and the My Assignments donor tiles reflect individual transactions?

A: The Has Given flag and the My Assignments Tiles: Total Donor Count tile are configured in separate Gift Configuration subsections and may need to be updated independently:

  • The Has Given flag (the "HAS GIVEN" indicator beside an assignment's name on the My Assignments page) is set under the Constituent Record subsection.
  • The My Assignments Tiles: Total Donor Count tile is set under the Volunteer Dashboard subsection.

For accurate, transaction‑by‑transaction behavior, set both reporting elements to Detailed Gifts (from your Detailed Gifts file). If either element is set to Last Gift Details (from your constituent file) or Gift Summaries (aggregated data), individual transactions may not be reflected.

Step‑by‑step — change the gift source used by the Has Given flag

  1. In the VMS admin, click Settings from the left navigation bar (under Administration), then select Gift Configuration and open the Constituent Record subsection.
  2. Locate the reporting element 'Has Given' Flag.
  3. Click Modify Configuration (or Configure) and set Gift Source to Detailed Gifts.
  4. Click Save Configuration.

Step‑by‑step — change the gift source used by the My Assignments donor tile

  1. In the VMS admin, click Settings from the left navigation bar (under Administration), then select Gift Configuration and open the Volunteer Dashboard subsection.
  2. Locate the reporting element My Assignments Tiles: Total Donor Count.
  3. Click Modify Configuration (or Configure) and set Gift Source to Detailed Gifts.
  4. Click Save Configuration.

After saving, the confirmation message "The configuration has been updated! It may take a few minutes for your changes to take effect across the entire VMS." will appear. Allow 2–3 minutes, then refresh your dashboard and assignment views for the updates to reflect.

Q: Only one of our gift files contains the new transaction data — can I mix sources?

A: You can choose different gift sources for different reporting elements, but mixing sources may lead to mismatches. For consistent assignment-level indicators and donor counts, use Detailed Gifts for both the 'Has Given' Flag and the relevant Volunteer Dashboard tiles.

FAQ — Why don't newly uploaded allocations or funds appear immediately in Gift Configuration filters?

Q: I uploaded a Detailed Gifts file that includes a new allocation/fund, but it isn't showing as a selectable condition. Why not, and when will it appear?

A: New allocation and fund values appear as selectable options only after the file import is fully processed. After you upload or refresh data, wait until the import finishes before these values become available in the configuration dropdowns.

What to expect and recommended steps:

  1. Upload your file and allow the import to complete. Processing time depends on file size and system load.
  2. Once the import finishes, reload Settings > Gift Configuration and open the relevant subsection. The new allocations/funds will appear in the condition dropdowns.

If the new fund still isn't visible after a full import cycle:

  • Verify that the allocation/fund name in your file exactly matches the expected value (check spelling, spacing, and capitalization).

Quick checklist when a newly added fund or allocation is missing

  1. Confirm the new fund exists in your gift file with the correct spelling and capitalization.
  2. Wait for the import to finish processing.
  3. Refresh the Gift Configuration page after processing completes.

Tip: When you change a Gift Source or save a configuration, look for the success message: "The configuration has been updated! It may take a few minutes for your changes to take effect across the entire VMS." During this background processing, new values become available in filters and conditions.

Keep this checklist handy for future troubleshooting when volunteer dashboard donor counts do not match the constituent records.

If your GC VM configuration includes an Anonymous Giving flag  (e.g. you send in an Anonymous_Gift column with T/F entries in a Gift File or Gift Summary File to indicate whether a gift should be anonymous), you can leverage this option. 

By default, anonymous gifts will not contribute towards any of your reporting elements. However, when you check off the box for “Anonymous gift data should appear in this section of GC VM”, anonymous gifts will be counted. 

Soft Gifts

GC VM has a Soft Gifts feature with which you can ensure that gifts do not double up and inflate the Dollars Raised and Dollars Pledged counts in the Volunteer Dashboard, while also ensuring that individual donors are getting credit for a soft gift in GC VM. 

This option is only available for schools who send in a Gift File and use Detailed Gifts as the “Gift Source” for the configuration of the reporting element. 

If there are multiple gifts with the same gift transaction ID sent through the Gift File, and the configuration of a reporting element results in those same gifts being counted towards this one reporting element, then if the Soft Gifts option is enabled, the gift amount will only be counted once. 

For example, if John and Susie -- both Class of 2000 -- are a married couple and make a gift of $100 with gift transaction ID 123, t

Troubleshooting Gift Type Display Issues

When Custom Gift Types Don't Appear in Constituent Records

If you've created custom gift type configurations (such as "OTOD" for One Timer on Demand) but they're not displaying properly in constituent records:

Step 1: Verify Gift Configuration Scope

  • Check that the gift type is included in all relevant gift configurations
  • "Has Given" flags and individual constituent records may use different configurations
  • Ensure the custom gift type is added to both "Constituent Record" and "Giving History Summary" sections

Step 2: Check Gift Type Assignment

  • Verify gifts are properly tagged with the custom gift type in your data files
  • Confirm the gift type field matches exactly (case-sensitive)
  • Review that the date range in your gift configuration includes when the gifts were made

Step 3: Configuration Processing

  • Gift configurations may take time to process after updates
  • Large gift datasets require additional processing time
  • Contact support if configurations don't update after 24 hours
he data would be sent as follows: 

Constituent_ID, Gift_TransactionID, Gift_Amount, Gift_Allocation, Gift_Date

JohnABC, 123, $100, Annual Fund, 11/01/19

SusieEFG, 123, $100, Annual Fund, 11/01/19

In the “Volunteer Dashboard” > “Class Year Reporting: Total Dollars Raised” section of gift configurations, if Soft Gifts functionality is disabled, the gift would count twice, adding $200 to the total. However, if it is enabled, multiple gifts with the same transaction ID feeding this section will only get counted once in the dollar total, resulting in $100 counting in the Total Dollars Raised report.

Meanwhile, because this configuration only applies to Total Dollars Raised, both donors would still be added to the class’s Total Donor Count. Both John and Susie would be marked as "Has Given" and could have the $100 gift amount count towards their individual dollars given. Ultimately, the individuals both receive credit for the gift, but dollar amounts will not duplicate!

Note: At this time, Soft Gifts functionality is only available within the “Volunteer Dashboard” sections for the following:

  • “Class Year Reporting: Total Dollars Raised”
  • “Class Year Reporting: Total Dollars Pledged”
  • “My Assignments Tiles: Total Dollars Raised”
  • “My Assignments Tiles: Total Dollars Pledged”

This is to ensure reporting numbers are accurate for your volunteers first and foremost. In time, we may extend soft gift functionality to the Administrator Dashboard, as well!

Creating Conditions: What Gift Data To Include/Exclude?

The heart of improved Gift Configurations is answering the question “what gift data should be included in this configuration?” Each reporting element is configured using a combination of conditions to help you determine exactly which gifts should contribute towards that element. You’ll need to define at least one condition. 

To start, click the Add Condition button. The values will vary based on the data you send in, but the basic layout is as follows: 

  • Pick a type of gift data you want to specify 
  • Pick an operation (e.g. a gift must have all of the following, or must not have any, etc)
  • Then, select the values. 

You can use groups of conditions (via Add Group) to define a scenario. Within a group, you determine whether “All conditions must be met” (all of the following) or “At least one condition must be met” (any of the following) to be included in the reporting element. 

For example, when configuring how a reporting element should be calculated, you might click Add Group, and then pick “For this condition, look at the following gift data....[Gift Type]”, and then select “The gift must have one of the following types…[Cash]”. Once you click “Save Condition”, this creates a condition where “The Gift Type must be “Cash". You might then add another condition to the same group, or add a new group with its own set of conditions. Please see an example below:

 

After you’ve configured a reporting element how you’d like, click Save Configuration. 

FAQS 

What does each reporting element configuration impact?

Constituent Record 

  • 'Has Pledged' Flag - the “HAS PLEDGED” that’s visible beside an assignment’s name on the “My Assignments” page and is used for the filters
  • 'Has Given' Flag - the “HAS GIVEN” that’s visible beside an assignment’s name on the “My Assignments” page and is used for the filters
  • Total Dollars Given - the “Total paid this FY” on an assignment’s snapshot on the “My Assignments”  page
  • Total Dollars Pledged - the “Total commitment this FY” on an assignment’s snapshot on the “My Assignments” page, as well as what is used for Dollars Pledged when an assignment’s pledge balance is being calculated by GiveCampus for the “Pledge Balance” configuration
  • Annual Giving Bar Chart - the Annual Giving History chart on an assignment’s snapshot on the “My Assignments”  page
  • Annual Giving Participation (Checkboxes) - the Annual Participation chart on an assignment’s snapshot on the “My Assignments”  page
  • Giving History Summary - the Giving History Summary table on an assignment’s snapshot on the “My Assignments”  page
  • Pledge Balance - the Pledge Balance datapoint on a constituent’s partial and/or full record (under the Giving History section). 

Constituent Snapshot (from volunteer’s “My Assignments” page)

Volunteer Dashboard

  • Class Year Reporting: Total Donor Count - as a volunteer, the Total Donors tile under “Class of YYYY Stats” on the “My Assignments” page. If the volunteer has role permissions to “View Reporting on Volunteers”, this configuration is also used to count  Total Donors in the Class Stats table and # Given in the individual volunteer reporting
  • Class Year Reporting: Total Dollars Pledged - as a volunteer, the Total Pledged tile under “Class of YYYY Stats” on the “My Assignments” page. If the volunteer has role permissions to “View Reporting on Volunteers”, this configuration is also used to count  Assigned $ Pledged in the Class Stats table and $ Pledged in the individual volunteer reporting
  • Class Year Reporting: Total Dollars Raised - as a volunteer, the Total Raised tile under “Class of YYYY Stats” on the “My Assignments” page. If the volunteer has role permissions to “View Reporting on Volunteers”, this configuration is also used to count  Total Dollars and Assigned $ Received in the Class Stats table and $ Received in the individual volunteer reporting
  • My Assignments Tiles: Total Donor Count - as a volunteer, the Donors tile under “Your Assignments” on the “My Assignments” page.
  • My Assignments Tiles: Total Dollars Pledged - as a volunteer, the $ Pledged tile under “Your Assignments” on the “My Assignments” page
  • My Assignments Tiles: Total Dollars Raised - as a volunteer, the $ Raised tile under “Your Assignments” on the “My Assignments” page

Volunteer’s “My Assignments” Page

 

“Reporting” Page if Volunteer has Role Permission to “View Reporting on Volunteers”

Administrator Dashboard

  • Total Dollars Pledged - as a school admin, any $ Pledged column in Reporting (within the ‘Stats for All Roles’ table, ‘Class Years’ table and drilldown reporting on individual volunteers), as well as what is used for Dollars Pledged when pledge balance is being calculated by GiveCampus for the “Total Pledge Balance” configuration
  • Total Dollars Raised - as a school admin, the Total $ tile and any Total $ column in Reporting (within the ‘Stats for All Roles’ table, ‘Class Years’ table and drilldown reporting on individual volunteers)
  • Total Donor Count - as a school admin, the Total Donors tile and any Total Donors column in Reporting (within the ‘Stats for All Roles’ table, ‘Class Years’ table and drilldown reporting on individual volunteers)
  • Total Pledge Balance - as a school admin, the Total Pledge Balance column in Reporting (within the ‘Stats for All Roles’ table, ‘Class Years’ table and drilldown reporting on individual volunteers)

Note: The Annual Giving Bar Chart, Annual Giving Participation (Checkboxes), and Pledge Balance tiles require a Detailed Gift or Gift Summary file. These elements are not configurable with Last Gift Detail in the Constituent file.

Automated Gift Notifications

  • Automated Gift Notifications (Volunteers) - which gift data should volunteers receive a notification about when one of their assignments makes a gift? ‘Website Notifications’ appear in the ‘Notifications’ page in the VMS for volunteers, while ‘Email Notifications’ are sent to the volunteer as an email. It is best practice to enable both Website and Email Notifications for your volunteers.
  • Automated Gift Notifications (Volunteer Managers)  - which gift data should ‘Handlers’ receive a notification about when an assignment of one of the volunteers the ‘Handler’ manages makes a gift? ‘Website Notifications’ appear under the ‘Notifications’ page in GC VM, while ‘Email Notifications’ send the volunteer manager an email.

 

How is the "Date Range" condition used?

The majority of reporting elements in GC VM are designed to be specific to the current fiscal year (e.g. You likely only want a constituent to be marked with the ‘Has Given’ Flag if they’ve made a gift in this FY). However, there are often multiple years of giving data sent into GC VM. So, for most reporting elements, you will want to use the “Date Range” condition to specify that only gifts made during the current fiscal year should contribute to the reporting element. 

When using the Gift File, the "Date Range" condition will give you the option of using either "Gift Date" OR "Gift Year". 

  • "Gift Date" will use the explicit payment date that you have provided in the Gift File under the 'Gift_Date' column, and then determine if that date falls within the current FY. For example, if the Gift_Date is 10/20/18 and you are using the "Gift Date" condition, the gift will be considered a FY19 gift.
  • "Gift Year" will use the value you've provided in the 'Gift_Year' column. For example if the Gift_Year sent through a row is "2020" and you are using the "Gift Year" condition, the gift would be considered a part of FY20 for gift configurations.

Whichever field you choose will be used to determine which fiscal year any transaction falls into, so we recommend choosing the field that is most consistent or accurate in your Gift File creation. 

 

A "Date Range" condition is required for all gift configurations within the "Volunteer Dashboard", "Administrator Dashboard", and "Automated Gift Notifications." 

Within the "Constituent Record" section, the "Date Range" condition is not required; however, you should include the “Date Range” condition of “This gift must have been made during the current fiscal year” within all reporting elements, except for those that rely on historical data from previous fiscal years. The only reporting elements where this condition should not be used are the following:

  • Constituent Record: Annual Giving Bar Chart
  • Constituent Record: Annual Giving Participation (Checkboxes)
  • Constituent Record: Giving History Summary

By default, if using the Gift File, the "Gift_Date" column will be used to determine which FY a gift falls into (e.g. a gift with Gift_Date "11/10/18" would fall into FY19).

Pledge Balance Method: Explicitly Providing Pledge Balance vs Calculating Pledge Balance

For Pledge Balances in GC VM, you have the option of explicitly providing the pledge balance, or having GiveCampus calculate the pledge balance. 

If explicitly providing the pledge balance, you will select the conditions for which gift data should be aggregated to count as the pledge balance dollar amount. For example, you may send in a Gift Type of “Pledge Balance” through the Gift File or Gift Summary File, and can use the Gift Type condition so that all “Pledge Balance” gifts are aggregated to be the Pledge Balance.

If GiveCampus is calculating the Pledge Balance, you will create conditions to determine which gift data should qualify as a payment towards a pledge. GiveCampus will use a configuration for Dollars Pledged within any given reporting section as the total dollars pledged, and then subtract the gifts that qualify as a pledge payment from the total dollars pledged to calculate Pledge Balance (Dollars Pledged - Pledge Payments = Pledge Balance)

Can I see which specific gifts are feeding into my reporting numbers?

School Admins will see a small letter "i" icon on some of the Stat Summary tiles under 'Reporting'. Clicking on this "i" icon will bring you to a page that explains the criteria that's being used to calculate the tile (per your Gift Configuration), and lists the gifts that match this criteria and are therefore contributing to the tile. 

Specifically:

  • Assigned Donors and Total Donors link to the "Administrator Dashboard > Total Donor Count" configuration
  • Assigned Dollars and Total Dollars link to the "Administrator Dashboard > Total Dollars Raised" configuration

This an enhancement that comes with Gift Configurations 2.0 and is currently only available for the reporting elements specified above on the 'Reporting' page for GC VM School Admins.

 

 

Which Gift Source can be used for each reporting element?

'Detailed Gifts' and 'Gift Summaries' can be used for any reporting elements.

'Last Gift Details' can be used for a limited number of reporting elements. However, we do not recommend using it for elements which require dollar amounts to be aggregated or differentiation in the 'gift type' due to the limited gift data available via 'Last Gift Details' in a Constituent File. For an optimal GC VM experience with maximum flexibility, 'Detailed Gifts' and/or 'Gift Summaries' are recommended. 

'Last Gift Details' can be used for the following reporting elements: 

Constituent Record:

  • 'Has Pledged' Flag (not recommended, unless differentiation between 'gift' and 'pledge' is not required)
  • 'Has Given' Flag
  • Total Dollars Given (not recommended)
  • Total Dollars Pledged (not recommended)

Administrator Dashboard:

  • Total Dollars Pledged (not recommended)
  • Total Dollars Raised (not recommended)
  • Total Donor Count

Volunteer Dashboard

  • Class Year Reporting: Total Donor Count
  • Class Year Reporting: Total Dollars Pledged (not recommended)
  • Class Year Reporting: Total Dollars Raised (not recommended)
  • My Assignments Tiles: Total Donor Count
  • My Assignments Tiles: Total Dollars Pledged (not recommended)
  • My Assignments Tiles: Total Dollars Raised (not recommended)

Still Have Questions?

Check out these two GC Video pages that contain a video walk through and some tips and tricks for creating a Gift Configuration and Modifying a Gift Configuration. Send us a note at vms@givecampus.com and our team will be happy to help!

Troubleshooting Dashboard Tile Issues

When Volunteer Dashboard Shows 0 Donors But Assignments Show "Has Given"

If volunteers see constituents marked as "HAS GIVEN" in their assignment list, but their dashboard donor tile shows 0 donors, this indicates a configuration mismatch between two separate gift configurations.

Understanding the Two Different Gift Configurations

"HAS GIVEN" Row Labels
  • Powered by: Constituent Record > Has Given gift configuration
  • Controls: The "HAS GIVEN" indicator on individual constituent rows
  • Updates: When CRM data syncs, this value is cached per-constituent
Dashboard Donor Tile Count
  • Powered by: Volunteer Dashboard > Total Donor Count gift configuration
  • Controls: The donor count number displayed on volunteer dashboard tiles
  • Updates: Must be configured separately from row-level indicators

How to Fix Dashboard Tile Count Issues

1. Navigate to Admin > Volunteer Management > Settings > Gift Configuration

2. Click into the "Volunteer Dashboard" section

3. Look at the "Total Donor Count" configuration:

- If it shows "Configure" (not set up): Click to configure from scratch

- If it shows "Modify Configuration" (already set up): Click to review settings

4. Ensure the configuration matches your "Has Given" settings:

- Same gift source (Detailed Gifts vs. Gift Summaries)

- Same date/fiscal year filters

- Same criteria for what counts as a "donor"

Common Configuration Mismatches

  • Different gift amount thresholds between configurations
  • Different gift types included (Annual Fund vs. all gifts)
  • Dashboard configuration not set up at all

FAQ: Dashboard vs. Assignment List Discrepancies

Q: Why do my assignment rows show "HAS GIVEN" but my dashboard shows 0 donors?

A: These are powered by two separate gift configurations that can get out of sync. Check your Volunteer Dashboard > Total Donor Count configuration.

Q: How often do dashboard tiles update?

A: Dashboard tiles update when your data files are processed, but only if the gift configuration is properly set up.

Q: Should my dashboard configuration match my "Has Given" configuration?

A: Yes, in most cases you want these to use the same criteria so volunteers see consistent information.

Common Variations of This Question

  • Why does my volunteer dashboard show 0 donors when assignments show "has given"?
  • Volunteer dashboard not showing correct donor count
  • Dashboard tiles not matching assignment list
  • Has given indicator works but dashboard shows zero
  • Donor count discrepancy between dashboard and assignments

Troubleshooting Volunteer Dashboard Reporting Issues

When Donor Tiles Show Different Numbers Than Constituent Records

If your volunteer dashboard tiles display different donor counts than the "Has Given" indicators on individual constituent records, this indicates separate gift configurations may be out of sync.

Understanding the Issue:
  • "Has Given" row labels are driven by the Constituent Record > Has Given gift configuration
  • Dashboard donor tiles are driven by the Volunteer Dashboard > Total Donor Count configuration
  • These are separate configurations that must be aligned for consistent reporting
Troubleshooting Steps:

1. Check Gift Configuration Alignment

- Navigate to Admin > Volunteer Management > Settings > Gift Configuration

- Click into the Volunteer Dashboard section

- Verify the Total Donor Count configuration matches your "Has Given" settings

2. Verify Gift Source Consistency

- Ensure both configurations use the same gift source (Detailed Gifts vs. Gift Summaries)

- Check that date ranges and fiscal year filters match

- Confirm any conditions or filters are identical

3. Configuration Updates

- If the Total Donor Count shows "Configure" rather than "Modify Configuration," it needs initial setup

- Set it to match the same data source and conditions as your Constituent Record configuration

- Allow processing time after making changes - updates may not be immediate

Common Configuration Misalignment Causes

  • Different gift sources: One configuration using Detailed Gifts, another using Gift Summaries
  • Date range differences: Mismatched fiscal year or date filters
  • Missing configuration: Dashboard tile never configured after initial setup
  • Outdated settings: Configuration not updated after data structure changes

Common variations of this question

  • Dashboard donor count shows zero but constituents show has given
  • Volunteer dashboard tiles not matching constituent records
  • Gift configuration misalignment troubleshooting
  • Dashboard reporting inconsistencies
  • Has given flag working but donor tile shows zero
  • Volunteer reporting data discrepancies

What to Do When Configurations Seem Not to Have Updated

After updating your gift configuration settings, background processes refresh your data. Different sections trigger their own updates to ensure consistency across the platform.

If a gift still appears after you modify the configuration, verify that it meets the new criteria. In many cases, the gift qualifies under the updated parameters rather than being an unprocessed entry.

Look for the confirmation message: "The configuration has been updated! It may take a few minutes for your changes to take effect across the entire VMS." This message confirms that your changes have been accepted and are being applied. If the data still seems off after a reasonable wait, re-check the criteria settings in the relevant section (administrator dashboard, volunteer dashboard, or constituent record).

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