How to Record Donations

Recording donations accurately is essential for both tracking your progress and meeting compliance requirements. This guide covers how to log donations in Pulsar.

The donation form captures all the details you need for tracking and compliance

What you'll need

• Admin, Manager, or Treasurer role

• Donation details (amount, donor info, date)

• Payment method information

Recording a Donation

Open Donations

Go to Fundraising → Donations and click Add Donation.

Enter Amount

Enter the donation amount. For multiple donations from the same donor, create separate entries.

Select or Create Donor

Search for an existing contact or create a new one:

• Search by name, email, or phone

• If not found, click Create New Contact

Enter Donor Information

For compliance, collect:

• Full name - As it appears on payment

• Address - Complete mailing address

• Occupation - Required for donations over threshold

• Employer - Required for donations over threshold

Collect required donor information for compliance reporting

Set Donation Details

• Date - When the donation was made

• Payment Method - Check, card, cash, in-kind

• Type - Individual, organization, PAC

• Notes - Any additional information

Save

Click Save Donation to record it.

Compliance Requirements

Donations over certain thresholds require complete donor information. Missing data may cause compliance issues.

Donation Types

Monetary Donations

Cash, check, credit card, or online payments.

In-Kind Donations

Goods or services donated to the campaign:

• Office space

• Printing services

• Food for events

Record the fair market value as the donation amount.

Refunds

If you need to return a donation, record it as a negative amount with a note explaining why.

Thank Donors Promptly

Send thank-you messages within 48 hours. Pulsar can automate this with email workflows.