Pledges allow donors to commit to future donations, helping organizations plan finances and fundraising goals effectively. Art Center Canvas provides tools to record, track, and manage pledges efficiently. --- ## **Creating a Pledge** There are two ways to enter a pledge in Art Center Canvas, depending on how the pledge payments are structured. Both methods start with placing a donation item in the cart: 1. Navigate to the donor's **Account** page. 2. Click the **Donate** button. 3. Click **Donation and Pledge Details** 4. Upon selecting, a **Pledge Details** section will appear. 5. Change the **Donation Type** to **Pledge**. 6. Follow the next steps... ### Creating a Pledge with Flexible Payments By default, the **Pledge Details** section is set up for pledges with irregular or unplanned payments. This type of pledge may have a specific due date but does not require a structured payment schedule. It is commonly used for pledges where donors commit to donating a certain amount by a deadline without predefined installment dates. - The system automatically sets the **pledge due date** to one year from the initial pledge, but you can modify it manually. - Complete the checkout process. If no partial payment is made at checkout, no amount will be due immediately. - After a successful checkout, the pledge will be recorded in the donor's **Giving History**. - As long as there is an outstanding balance, a **Pay** button will be available. ### Making a Payment on a Flexible Pledge 1. Click the **Pay** button to initiate a payment. 2. The payment will be added to the shopping cart and default to the balance owed. 3. Adjust the payment amount if needed. 4. Click anywhere on the screen to add it to the register tape. 5. Complete the checkout process. 6. After processing, the updated balance will be reflected in the **Giving History**. Each time you wish to make a payment, repeat this process from the **Giving History** page. ### Creating a Pledge with Scheduled Payments For pledges with structured payments, follow these steps: 1. Add a **Donation Item** to the cart. 2. Change the **Donation Type** to **Pledge**. 3. Enter the total donation amount (e.g., $1,000). 4. Select the **Create Regular Payment Schedule** radio button. ### Configuring the Payment Schedule - Enter the **number of future payments** (e.g., 9 payments over 10 months, including an initial payment of $100). - The system will automatically divide the balance ($900) by the number of payments (9), setting the monthly payment at $100. - Optionally, select **Create Auto-Pay** if your organization is set up for automatic recurring payments (this requires integration with a credit card processor). - Click **Update Terms**. - Proceed to checkout to process the first payment and create the scheduled payments. ### Managing Scheduled Pledges Once processed, scheduled pledges appear differently in the **Giving History**: - The total pledge amount and balance are displayed. - The **Pay** button is replaced with a list of scheduled payments, each with its own **Pay** button. - Click on **Pay** next to a scheduled payment to process it. Once paid, that specific installment is marked as paid. ### Auto-Pay Considerations - If an automatic payment was created, the **Pay** button will not be visible. - Instead, the word **Scheduled** will appear, indicating that the payment will be processed automatically. --- ## **Tracking and Managing Pledges** Once a pledge is created, you can monitor its status and update payments. ### **Viewing a Donor’s Pledge History** 1. Open the donor’s account. 2. Navigate to the **Giving** tab. 3. Click **See Detail** to view pledge history. Each pledge entry includes: - **Pledge Date** – When the pledge was made. - **Pledge Amount** – Total committed donation. - **Amount Paid** – Donations made toward the pledge. - **Balance Due** – Remaining unpaid amount. - **Next Due Date** – The upcoming payment date (if scheduled). ### **Recording a Pledge Payment** 1. Select the **pledge** from the donor’s history. 2. Click **Record Payment**. 3. Enter the **payment amount** and **method** (credit card, check, cash). 4. Click **Save** to apply the payment. --- ## **Adjusting or Canceling a Pledge** If a donor wants to modify or cancel a pledge: 1. **Edit a Pledge** - Locate the pledge in the donor’s **Giving History**. - Click **Edit** to adjust the pledge amount or schedule. - Save changes. 2. **Cancel a Pledge** - Select the pledge and click **Cancel Pledge**. - Confirm cancellation (this action cannot be undone). - Any payments already made will remain as donations. --- ## **Transferring a Pledge** If a pledge was recorded under the wrong donor or an anonymous account, it can be moved: 1. Locate the incorrect pledge. 2. Click **Move**. 3. Select the **new donor account**. 4. Confirm the transfer. The pledge will now appear under the correct donor’s history. --- ## **Key Considerations** - **Automated Reminders:** Canvas can send scheduled reminders for upcoming pledge payments. - **Reporting:** Pledge balances and payment history can be accessed through the **Pledge Reports** in the **Finance** section. - **Recurring Payments:** If a donor has set up **recurring payments**, ensure they are linked correctly to the pledge record.