How to Make Donation Receipts
Make Receipts works like a
mail merge, using a template that generates tax receipts.
Before making receipts ensure that you have a tax receipt and thank you email template ready to use. If you do
not have a tax receipt template, there are standard tax receipt templates available on the Sumac website that you can customize.
Did you know? Societ offers a receipt template service. Let us create your templates for you!We also offer a webinar on making receipts. Visit this link to access the Sumac Donations series and register for free training.
Search For Donation Records to be Receipted
In most cases, you start making receipts by searching for all unreceipted donations. In the
Search Type drop-down menu, choose Receipt Status, select Unreceipted, then
click Search. Sumac shows all the donations that have not been receipted and are neither canceled nor marked as non-receiptable.
Important Note: If you are making annual receipts it is important that you search using two key criteria: - Donation Date (set the date range for the calendar year you are receipting) AND
- Receipt Status (look for Unreceipted donations).
This will find all the donations received in the calendar year you defined that have not yet been receipted.
Adding an extra filter for Communication Preference will allow you to refine this list of unreceipted donations to only print receipts. It is recommended to process your print receipts first, then process your email receipts.
Make Receipts
Expand the Mailing & Receipts section on the left panel and select Make Receipts.
Choose to process All or Selected records.
The Make Receipts window is divided into four main sections.
1. Donation Receipt Summary
Unreceipted donations are displayed, categorized into two groups: one for donors who prefer annual receipts and another for those who do not. Additionally, donations are also categorized based on whether they were part of a pledge. This setup allows you to generate receipts for one or both categories as needed by simply checking the box next to each group.
2. How do you want to specify a template
Select the tax receipt template to be used to generate the tax receipts.
If you have saved your tax receipt templates in your database as a set, select “Use a set of templates” and choose the template set from the dropdown.
For more information about Template Sets, click this link.
If you are not using template sets, select “Choose the same template for every record.” After that, click the Choose button. If the template is saved to your database, select "Templates" and choose a template from the dropdown menu. If the template is stored on your server or computer, select “Choose a file,” click the Choose button, and navigate to the file location.
Multiple Files:
If you are using an .rtf or .docx file for your receipt template, you can choose to merge all the receipts into a single output file, or into multiple files (a separate document for each receipt). Putting all the receipts in one file makes printing them much easier. But if you intend to email the receipts, then you need to put them in separate files.
If you are using an .rtf or .docx file for your receipt template, you can choose to merge all the receipts into a single output file, or into multiple files (a separate document for each receipt). Putting all the receipts in one file makes printing them much easier. But if you intend to email the receipts, then you need to put them in separate files.
Note: If you are using a PDF template, then you do not need to make a selection here. Sumac always merges PDF receipts into separate output files so that these receipts can be emailed to each donor.
PDF Encryption:
If you are using a PDF template, you should encrypt your receipts. This encryption option produces a receipt document that satisfies some countries’ government regulations that require electronic receipts to be unchangeable.
Note: if you are using an .rtf or .docx file for your receipt template, you do not need to use the PDF Encryption options.
3. Donation Receipt Destination
Specify where Sumac should put the receipts that it creates.
To save the generated receipts on your server or computer, click the Choose button and select the appropriate file folder path. You may have already set up a folder on your computer or office server where you will save tax receipts. In that case, find that folder and save the receipts there.
To save the generated receipts to your database, select the "Store receipt file(s) in cloud" option.
4. Final Options
i) Open the Donation Receipt/s after merging to a final document - If you generated receipts for printing, you can have Sumac automatically open the saved file to see all your receipts ready to be printed and mailed.
ii) Record a communication log for each contact issued a donation receipt.
iii) Mark each donation receipted as Acknowledged - If your organization uses the Acknowledged check box in donation records to mark that acknowledgement has been sent to the donor, you can check this option. If you are not using the Acknowledged check box, leave it unchecked.
Click the OK button to generate. Sumac confirms
that the receipt numbers will now be generated and saved to the database.
And
Sumac confirms that the receipt numbers were assigned to the donations and
successfully saved to the database.
You will be prompted to save a communication record for each of the donors if this option was selected.
Email Receipts
To process your email receipts, follow the steps above. When selecting your template, choose the PDF template to ensure the resulting receipts are uneditable and encrypted. You will NOT be presented with the option to create a single output file. This allows the individual files to be emailed. It is recommended to keep PDF receipts for emailing in a separate folder.
The final step is to email the generated receipts.
1. Generated Receipts Saved to Server or Computer
If the generated receipts were saved to your server or computer, expand the Mailing & Receipts section on the left panel and select Email Receipts. Sumac will prompt you to select the folder where you saved the PDF receipts.
2. Generated Receipts Saved to Database
If the generated receipts were saved to your database, expand the Mailing & Receipts section on the left panel and select Manage Receipts in Cloud.
Use the filters at the top of the window to find the list of receipts to be emailed.
Select the records and click the Send Email button.
Sumac analyzes the receipt documents in the selected location and builds a list of donors and associated email addresses. It displays the receipts, the corresponding donor, and the email address that Sumac will use to send the receipts to.
Click the Start Bulk Email button.
Sumac confirms it will email receipts. Select All or Selected to continue.
The email configuration window appears.
Select the appropriate offices record to send the email from. Add the subject line for the email. The tax receipts are sent as attachments, which Sumac takes care of for you. However, you do need to choose a template for the body of the email. Under the Message Body section, click the Choose button and select a template from the dropdown or select "Choose a file" if the email template is saved on your server or computer.
Click Send, and Sumac gives you the option of adding a communication record.
You will be prompted to save a Status Report for the bulk email. It is important to take note of where this file is stored, as you will need to access it later to review whether all emails were sent successfully once the process is complete.
Sumac will tell you how long it will take to send the receipts, and in the bottom right corner, it displays a progress window.
Do not close the progress window and do not log out of Sumac. This will cause the emails to stop sending immediately.