Pledges

Select the Contributions Tab in the System Preferences window and click on Terms. Here you can specify the title for this area of the program. You may call it Pledges, Faith Commitments, etc. CDM+ will display your title throughout the Contributions program. In this manual, the word Pledges will be used to describe the functions of this area of the program.

The Pledge Records window allows you to enter a specific pledge for a giving unit record. Pledges can be entered in the system prior to them going into effect. For example, most annual pledges are collected in the Fall for the coming year.

Adding Pledges

Select Pledge Records from the Contributions menu.

Click on the Modify button at the top right of the window to open the Pledge Setup window. You will see a list of the Giving Funds that you have already created. You may choose to view only the Giving Funds in a particular Giving Fund Set by selecting it from the Show Set drop list at the bottom of the window.

The Pledge Description will auto-fill (you may change it), enter the Start and End Dates, and (optional) Goal Amount for those Giving Funds to which people will be pledging.

If necessary, you may add a Giving Fund from this window. Click on the Add Fund button at the bottom of the window. Type in a name for the fund and click OK. The new fund will appear in the Giving Fund column of the Pledge Setup window. Enter the pledge information for this fund also.

If you add a Giving Fund through the Pledge Setup window, be sure to later select Contributions Setup, click on Giving Funds and complete the information for the new Giving Fund.

When you are finished setting up pledged funds, click the Save button to return to the Pledges window.

Click on the ‘Currently displaying pledges for:’ drop-down list at the top of the window to view previously set up pledged funds. Pledges are entered one Giving Fund at a time; select one of the funds to begin entering pledges.

Data entry options are controlled by the contributions entry default preferences. Select Contributions on the CDM+ User Preferences window. Choose either Giver’s Code or Giver’s Name for the Default Entry Field. The cursor will appear in the chosen field when you add new pledges or enter contributions.

Click on the Add or Multi-Add button at the bottom of the window. Enter the Giver’s Code or Giver’s Name and tab to the Total amount. Enter in the total amount of the pledge. In the initial amt field enter an amount only if the giver is planning on giving an initial amount before the periodic pledges begin.

For example, if a three-year total pledge is for $4,000 and the giver is planning to give $500 initially and then the remainder over the next 36 months, enter $4,000 in the Total box and $400 in the initial amt field. CDM+ will calculate the Period Amount on the remaining $3,600 when you select a frequency. Since dividing the remaining balance by the frequency results in an unequal amount, you see a breakdown line showing the amount and a line showing the final amount to accommodate the rounding difference.

Click on the down arrow to select from the drop list how often a person is going to give to this particular giving fund. Or, alternatively, you may type in the Frequency abbreviation: W=Weekly, B=Bimonthly, Q=Quarterly, S=Semi-Annually, A=Annually, O=One Time, and N=Never. CDM+ uses this information to calculate the YTD pledge amounts on reports.

CDM+ enters the Start Date and End Date that was specified in the Pledge Setup window for this Giving Fund. You may edit it for a particular Giving Unit’s pledge if necessary.

When entering Monthly, Semi-annually and Annual pledges, the user can specify if the year-to-date calculation should occur at the beginning of the period or at the end. Then, when running pledge comparison reports or giving statements the YTD figure will only occur if the start or ending date is in the date range of the report.

If pledges need to be entered by a periodic amount, leave the total amount 0.00 and enter the frequency and periodic amount. CDM+ will calculate the total amount of the pledge.

Additional pledge breakdowns can be entered to accurately reflect the anticipated giving. If someone needs to change his or her pledge before the end of the pledge period, change the ending date on the last line and then add a new pledge breakdown that shows the anticipated change. CDM+ will start the new line with the day following the ending date of the line above it. For example if someone pledges $100 a month and then indicates that for six months they will not be able to meet his or her initial pledge, an entry can be made for that six months with a zero amount and an additional line which shows when the pledge will resume and the amount and duration of the remaining pledge commitment.

The date the pledge was received will default to today’s date; you may change it. Pledge reports can be printed from either date received, date entered, or date started.

The Projected checkbox is used to indicate an estimate for those who do not provide an actual pledge but faithfully support the church. Pledge reports will separate the actual pledges from those projected. This helps in identifying the upcoming support of the church in the new year. Only actual pledges are included on Giving Statements.

If you wish to enter pledges to another Giving Fund, select it from the drop list at the top of the window and repeat the process of entering pledges.

To remove a breakdown line, but not the pledge entry, click on the red X. Click on Delete to remove the selected pledge entry. Clicking on Cancel will revert the entry to the last saved state.

The Pledge Detail tab shows the year-to-date calculations that CDM+ will use in reporting.

The Contributions tab shows each gift given to the pledged fund and a summary of pledge-to-giving totals.

Clicking on the View Contributions button will open the corresponding Contribution Records. There you may view the details of a contribution.