Set up stable categories
Open Settings → Finance and create the income types the organisation actually reports, such as offering, tithe or designated donation. Avoid near-duplicate names because they split totals across reports.
Record giving
Use Finance → Transactions to record the receipt.
- 1Choose the correct organisation and branch.
- 2Select Add transaction and choose an income/giving type.
- 3Enter the date, amount and currency.
- 4Add a donor reference only when authorised and appropriate.
- 5Review the details before saving.
Finance write access is required. Branch scope restricts where the transaction can be recorded.
Anonymous and identified giving
Use an anonymous record when the donor is not known or should not be associated with the transaction. Do not guess a donor. Identified giving should use the existing authorised member or donor reference rather than free-text duplicates.
Manage pledges separately
A pledge records an intention; a received transaction records money actually received. Create the pledge with its period and target, then record each receipt through the finance workflow so outstanding and fulfilled amounts remain accurate.
Correct mistakes transparently
Use the supported correction, reversal or audit explanation. Do not edit a historical amount merely to force a report total. The original entry and the reason for correction should remain understandable.
Protect donor privacy
Giving information is sensitive. Limit access to authorised finance roles, avoid unnecessary exports and never use giving history to grant unrelated status or privileges.
Review giving reports
Open Reports, choose the giving or finance report, then confirm date, branch, category, status and currency. An empty report most often means the selected scope or period does not contain posted transactions.