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A donation comes in

A gift of money arrives: record who gave it and its purpose, and thank the giver — no tax receipt.

In the books, the Wizard walks this task beside you and ticks each step from the books as it lands.

Say who gave the gift

Record the giver’s name as it stands — a person, a business, a foundation. The name rides on the record: it is who the society thanks and what the year-end picture of money given is built from. A gift can be recorded before its giver is known.

This step then stays open until the name stands on it.

(Done on the Receive money page.)

Say what the gift is for

A giver can tie a gift to a purpose: new chairs, the children’s programme. A gift with a purpose is recorded in its own fund, picked on this screen. The money is never mixed with the general pot, and later spending is read against the purpose.

A gift with no strings goes to the general fund. Tick this step by hand for that gift.

(Done on the Receive money page.)

Record the gift

A donation is recorded at once, in full, as money the society has received. It is not a sale: nothing was sold, and no sales tax rides on it. It stands apart from grants — a grant is promised first and often owed, while a gift is simply given.

Once it stands here, the bank balance and the fund it belongs to both carry it.

(Done on the Receive money page.)

Thank the giver

Write the thank-you: a letter or an email that names the gift and says what it will do. One rule rides on it, and the law note fitted to this screen states it in full.

Unless the society is a registered charity, the thank-you is not a tax receipt. Only a registered charity can issue a receipt a giver can claim on a tax return. Never call the thank-you a receipt, and never put a receipt number on it.

(Done on the by hand page.)