Knowledge Base Article

How to Record Tribute and Memorial Donations

A tribute gift is one given in honor or memory of someone. Argenta records it on the donation itself, and where you enter the gift decides which fields you get.

On a donation you enter

Go to Fundraising > Donations and open the donation, or create it.
On Donation Details, turn on the Is Tribute switch.
For a memorial gift, also turn on In Memory Of. Leave it off for a gift in someone's honor.
Put the honoree in Tribute Name.
Use Tribute Note for the donor's message or instructions. It holds up to 500 characters.
Save.

The tribute fields on a donation: Is Tribute switched on, In Memory Of, Tribute Name and Tribute Note

On an in-kind donation

An in-kind gift asks Given in Honor of (Y or N) and In Honor of (Person's Name). There is no tribute note on this one.

On your public donation form

The form can carry a Tribute section, switched on with Tribute Section in the form designer. It asks the donor whether the gift is in honor or memory of another person, then has them choose In honor of or In memory of, and takes the name and an optional note. Leave the section off and donors are not asked at all.

Who the receipt names, and this varies

A gift given through your donation form: the emailed receipt names the honoree, as In honor of or In memory of, whichever the donor chose. Sending the receipt again from the donation with Send Donor A Receipt leaves the tribute off.
An in-kind gift: the emailed receipt names the honoree, as Given In Honor/Memory Of.
A gift you typed in yourself: the printable receipt carries no tribute at all, so the tribute stays internal.

The Tribute Note is never on a donor receipt, wherever the gift came from.

Who gets the tax receipt

The donor who made the gift, never the person being honored. A tribute records who the gift celebrates; it does not change whose gift it is.

Telling a family about a gift

Argenta does not notify an honoree or their family, and no receipt goes to them. That letter is one you write and send yourself. Ask the donor first whether they want the family told, and keep the amount out of what you send.