Getting Started 101: Introduction

Learn how to use DonorSnap starting from the very basics. This training is designed for brand new customers, new employees at an organization that already uses DonorSnap, and anyone who needs a refresher. It focuses on the donor cycle every organization shares: tracking people and the payments they make.

In this webinar we cover:

• Finding your way around the navigation menu and the dashboard
• Why your screens and menus may look different from the trainer’s (customization and user security levels)
• Looking up an existing contact and adding a new one in Community > Contacts
• The database tabs: Contact Information, Donations, Volunteer Hours, Pledges, Interactions, Notes and Ticklers
• Entering a donation, including payment method, donation type, appeal, campaign, accounting code and batch code
• Adding dashboard apps such as Recent Donations and Acknowledgements Pending
• Running a Donations Received report and choosing Excel, PDF or viewer output
• Where to find the help site, the quick start guide, the glossary and the setup checklist

New to DonorSnap? Start with the Set Up Checklist.

Quick recap

The trainer introduced DonorSnap, a program for managing donations and events, and explained its various functionalities including customizable features and integration with other platforms. She also demonstrated an overview of how to use the DonorSnap database, add new contacts, manage donations, and some simple reporting like donor retention rates. Lastly, she covered an introduction to building forms, generating reports, managing communication, and handling online payments.

Summary

Donor Management System Features Explained
The trainer explained the functionalities of their donor management system. She highlighted that the system primarily tracks donors and their payments, with features to record other types of information like interactions and volunteer hours. The trainer also differentiated between interactions, which are short and concise records, and notes, which are longer, more detailed records. She emphasized that while not everyone may use all the features, they are available for use as needed.

Adding and Editing Contacts
The trainer demonstrated how to add a new contact. She highlighted the system’s capability to check for potential duplicates, customize acknowledgment and salutation fields for mail merge, and automatically populate city and state based on the zip code entered. The trainer also explained that the origination date is automatically set when a new contact is saved but can be manually edited if necessary. She further detailed the process of using the DonorSnap database, including how to search for contacts using various criteria and add new contacts if they don’t exist.

DonorSnap Fundraising Software Overview
The trainer explained the functionalities of DonorSnap as a fundraising software. She demonstrated how to add new donations, build custom fields, and integrate with QuickBooks for accounting purposes. She also showed how to create and manage thank you letters, and how to track donations and donor retention rates. The trainer emphasized the flexibility of the software, allowing users to customize their dashboard and add or remove features as needed.

DonorSnap System Overview & Features
The trainer provided an overview of the DonorSnap system, highlighting its various features such as building forms for the website, generating reports, managing communication, and handling online payments. She briefly explained pushing data from DonorSnap to other platforms like Constant Contact and QuickBooks. The trainer also emphasized that DonorSnap is a cloud-based website that is compatible with various devices and browsers, and users can access help resources and support through the platform. She encouraged everyone to explore the system and ask questions if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn’t my DonorSnap dashboard look like the one in the training? Because every user builds their own dashboard. A new dashboard starts without the apps shown in the training. Click Add App on the far right of the dashboard to add boxes such as Recent Donations and Acknowledgements Pending, choose a color for each, and drag them into place.

Why can’t I see the Maintenance menu in DonorSnap? Your user account was likely created with a lower security level than administrator. Each user’s access is set when their login is created, which controls menus such as Maintenance and the options under Processing. Ask the administrator at your organization to change your access.

What should I record on the Donations tab? Any payment a contact makes, not just tax-deductible gifts. Memberships, event tickets, sponsorships and tuition can all be recorded there, with the donation type field describing what each payment is. Your organization decides which payments to track, ideally with input from its board and tax advisor.

What is the difference between an appeal and a campaign in DonorSnap? The appeal is how you asked for the money, and the campaign is what the money is for. An appeal is the event or mailing that prompted the gift, such as a fall appeal. A campaign is the project it supports, such as a capital campaign or a specific program.

What is the difference between a campaign and an accounting code? A campaign is used only inside DonorSnap, while the accounting code maps to QuickBooks. Accounting codes correspond with your general ledger accounts so DonorSnap can send payments to the correct place in QuickBooks, which saves entering them twice.

What does the batch code do on a donation? The batch code decides which acknowledgement letter the donor will receive. It matters when you send different thank you letters for different payment types, such as memberships, donations and sponsorships. If every donor gets the same letter, the batch code is less important.

How does DonorSnap prevent duplicate contacts? DonorSnap runs a duplicate check on the last name and company name as you type a new contact. You should still look the person up first, since they may be listed under a spouse’s name or entered earlier with a typo. The search bar, which searches every field, is useful for this check.

What is the difference between interactions, notes and ticklers? Interactions are short records of each contact, notes are longer free-form text, and ticklers are follow-up reminders. Use an interaction for a quick entry such as a mailing sent or a conversation, notes for detailed write-ups or pasted emails, and ticklers to schedule a follow-up that appears on your dashboard when due.

When does the Acknowledgements Pending count go back to zero? When you print or email the waiting thank you letters. Each donation you save with a batch code adds to the queue, which stays on the dashboard until the letters are sent. Many organizations enter payments throughout the week and send acknowledgements in one batch.

Can I print a list of recent donations from the dashboard? No. Dashboard apps are for viewing only. To print, go to Reports, then Donation Activity > Donations Received, set your date range and filters, and export to Excel, download a PDF or open the viewer.

Why does my report viewer only show a few fields? The viewer is limited to the width of a printed page. Portrait orientation shows date, name, amount and two fields you select, while landscape shows three selected fields. For every field including addresses, export the report to Excel instead.

Can I create my own dashboard apps? Only in the DonorSnap Analytics tool where you can create custom dashboards and reports using an AI. On the main dashboard, the apps listed under Add App are the only ones available, though you can customize each one’s title, color, number of entries shown and filters, such as a box showing only membership payments.

Related Pages:

Set Up Checklist 
Getting Started 102: Setup
Getting Started 103: Features
Getting Started 104: Acknowledgement Letters
Getting Started 105: Searching
Getting Started 106: Reports
Getting Started 107: Forms
Getting Started 108: Mass Entry
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