Configuring Gift Notification Content for Admins

GiveCampus provides a standard email notification to admins for one-time and recurring gifts, but these emails can be configured to include relevant information to improve awareness of donations and to make gift processing more efficient.

To modify the content included within these emails:

• Go to Online Giving > Administrators > Notifications
• Select the Email Templates tab

You will have the ability to modify the following email templates:

• Gift Notification - Campaign
  • this notification is sent to admins when a one-time donation is made to a campaign or giving form
• Gift Notification - General
  • this notification is sent to admins when a one-time donation is made on the campaign backup form
• Recurring Gift
  • this notification is sent to admins when a new recurring gift is received

Click the name of any of these templates to bring up the template editor page.

Email Subject

You can customize the subject line of the email to include various data points ("merge tokens") that can help you quickly identify the email when it hits your inbox.

Email Body

The body of the email is also configurable. You can include data points that are important for your gift processing, such as a breakdown of designations with amounts, or the payment type that the donor used to make their gift.

A list of available merge tokens for the email body can be found in the (x) icon of the email builder. This list will vary depending on the email template you are editing.

Preview & Save

A preview of your email is found at the bottom of the page. To refresh the preview with the latest changes, click the Preview button at the top of the page.

Save your changes and they will apply immediately to the notifications of all subsequent gifts.

Limitations

The $CUSTOM_FIELDS_SECTION$ merge token will only include custom fields from the pre-payment form. Custom fields on the post-payment form are not included.

Donor notes in admin notifications

Donor notes are recorded in donation reports and individual gift records but aren’t automatically included in admin email notifications. 

where to find donor notes

• Donation reports: Donor notes appear in the notes column of your donation reports.
• Gift records: Open individual gift records to view donor notes.

best practices

• Review reports: Make it a part of your daily workflow to check the donor notes column in donation reports if this information is crucial for processing or stewardship.
• Use pre‑payment custom fields: If you require critical details in notifications, consider capturing this information as a pre‑payment custom field and include it in your template with the $CUSTOM_FIELDS_SECTION$ merge token.
• Template reminders: You might add a reminder in your notification template to check donor notes in reports or gift records when necessary.

email templates affected

This configuration applies to the following notification templates:

FAQ — Why does a gift notification email only show the gift amount (or other minimal info)?

Q: An administrator receives a gift notification that contains only the gift amount. What determines how much detail appears in the email?

A: The details in an admin gift notification email come entirely from the template set up in Online Giving > Administrators > Notifications on the Email Templates tab. If the template hasn’t been customized with additional merge tokens, only the default information appears. To show more detail, edit the template and add the needed tokens.

Q: How do I show more detail in those notification emails?

A: Edit the active template and add the merge tokens you need:

• Go to Online Giving > Administrators > Notifications and select the Email Templates tab.
• Click the template you want to change (for example, Gift Notification - Campaign or Gift Notification - General).
• In the template editor, click the (x) icon to view available merge tokens. Insert tokens for donor name, gift amount, designation, payment type, or custom-field data (use $CUSTOM_FIELDS_SECTION$ for pre-payment custom fields).
• Click Save to apply your changes immediately for all subsequent notifications.

Q: Which template controls gifts made to campaigns versus backup form gifts?

A: Use Gift Notification - Campaign for gifts made to campaigns and giving forms, and Gift Notification - General for gifts processed through the campaign backup form. Edit the appropriate template to adjust the content accordingly.

Q: Are there any limitations to be aware of?

• The $CUSTOM_FIELDS_SECTION$ token only includes pre-payment custom fields. Custom fields on the post-payment form are not included.
• If expected information is missing after editing, verify that the merge token you need is available in the (x) token list for the template.
• Changes apply to all recipients of that notification type immediately after you click Save.

• Gift Notification – Campaign
• Gift Notification – General
• Recurring Gift