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Fundraising Terms

Before using iMIS Fund Raising, you first should understand fundraising terms as they are used here:

In This Section

Appeal

Asset

Campaign

Distribution

Donation

Donor Clubs

Fair Market Value

Fund

Gift

In-Kind Donation

List As

Matching Gift

Matching Plan

Memorial

Notification

Notify ID

Pledge

Premium

Soft Credit

Solicitor

Split Gift

Tribute

See Also

Fund Raising Overview

iMIS Fund Raising System Capabilities

About iMIS Fund Raising

How Fund Raising integrates with other modules

iMIS Fund Raising Task List

Appeal

A short-term activity with a specific objective that is a specific instance of a request, such as a mailing or telemarketing event. Appeals are not required in iMIS Fund Raising.

Asset

A non-cash contribution that has monetary value, such as real estate, stocks, or an annuity. An asset differs from an in-kind contribution in that its longevity is generally greater than a year. An asset is treated the same as an in-kind contribution in iMIS.

Campaign

An orchestrated fundraising effort that lasts for a defined period of time, or a series of appeals. Although frequently used by fundraising organizations, campaigns are not required in iMIS Fund Raising.

Distribution

A preset combination of a fund, campaign, and appeal (not necessarily all three) that determines how the gift or pledge is recorded. The distribution determines the income account that will be credited. Distributions are required in iMIS Fund Raising.

Donation

A donation is a contribution - either a gift or a pledge.

Donor Clubs

A means of recognizing various levels of giving by contributors. For example, an organization may designate a donor as a "friend" in recognition of contributions of $500 or more, or as a "benefactor" for donations of $1,000 or more.

Fair Market Value

The price of a good or service on the open market. Important in fund raising because those who donate goods usually cannot take a tax deduction for more than the fair market value of the donated item; those who receive a good or service in return for a donation can usually only deduct the amount by which the value of the donation exceeds the fair market value of the good or service received.

Fund

A legal entity within the organization with its own sets of books. It is a required component of iMIS Fund Raising.

Gift

A payment of cash, cash equivalents, assets, or in-kind donations that has already been received.

In-Kind Donation

An in-kind donation is a type of non-cash contribution with market value, such as professional services, equipment, or supplies. It differs from an asset contribution because it can be expected to be used up within a year.

List As

An alternative way to list a contributor when the contributor does not want to be acknowledged by name. For example, the contributor may want their gift or pledge listed as "in the name of," or "the family of," or "anonymous."

Matching Gift

A gift created when a donor's employer has agreed to make a matching contribution (usually a percentage of the employee's gift) when the donor makes a gift. iMIS treats the matching gift as a request or a pledge until the money is received from the company.

Matching Plan

A plan set up by a company to match gifts donated by its employees to nonprofit organizations. In iMIS, the matching plan is set up as a percentage of gifts/pledges within a certain monetary range (for example, 25 percent of employee gifts ranging from $20 to $100).

Memorial

A gift or pledge made in memory of someone.

Notification

The acknowledgement sent to the Notify IDs (family, business associates, and friends) when a gift or pledge is made "in memory of" or "in tribute to" their family member, business associate, or friend.

Notify ID

A family member, business associate, or friend of an individual who is being memorialized or honored. Notify IDs will be notified when a gift or pledge is made in memory of or as a tribute to the honoree.

Pledge

A contribution to be made sometime in the future that has not yet been received. A pledge can be a one-time contribution or can be made in installments over time.

Premium

An incentive gift that a donor may receive for a gift or pledge, such as a coffee mug or T-shirt, in recognition of the contribution. A premium is a distribution with an assigned market value.

Soft Credit

A term used to describe a behind-the-scenes individual who helped obtain the gift or pledge, but who is not listed as the donor. Contrast soft credit with the contributor or "hard credit," the individual who receives the actual credit for the gift or pledge.

Solicitor

An individual other than the donor responsible for obtaining a specific pledge or gift.

Split Gift

A gift or pledge that is distributed among more than one fund or that is split within a fund.

Tribute

A gift or pledge made to recognize an individual's service to an organization, cause, or some other entity.


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