Modifying Existing Designations: What Can and Cannot Be Changed

What You Can Edit on Existing Designations

Once a designation has been created, administrators can modify several fields directly in the designations table:

• Name — Click on the designation name to edit it inline
• Description — Click on the description field to add or modify details
• Backend Identifier — Update the fund code or ID used for CRM integration
• Hide/Show Status — Toggle whether the designation appears on giving forms

What Cannot Be Changed

Write-in Status — You cannot convert a regular designation into a write-in designation (or vice versa) after it's been created. The write-in setting is permanent once the designation is saved.

In the designations management table, you'll see the write-in status displayed as read-only text — either "true" or "false" — with no option to edit it.

Converting a Regular Designation to Write-in

If you need to make an existing designation into a write-in designation:

1. Go to Content and Settings → Designations
2. Delete the existing designation (historical gifts will retain their designation)
3. Create a new designation with the same name
4. Check the "Make this a write-in designation" box
5. Re-add the designation to any forms or campaigns where it was previously used

When Creating New Designations

Carefully consider whether a designation should be write-in when you first create it. The write-in checkbox appears in the "Add New Designation" form and cannot be changed later.

Impact on Gift History

When you delete and recreate a designation:

• Previous gifts retain their original designation name in reporting
• The new write-in designation will only apply to future gifts
• Historical data remains unaffected