Gift Card Contributions

[Joetta Trimble]

Our church is going on a mission trip to help repair a church damaged by a hurricane. The congregation has been contributing toward the expenses of the trip, and were told that they could opt to purchase and donate Home Depot Gift Cards in whatever amount they wished, which would then be used to purchase building materials. Thus far, we have received over $1500 in gift cards.

I would like to run these through the normal contributions channel, updating our non-budget Mission Trip Fund in accounting when we post contributions. Then, when they return with the receipts from the gift card purchases, I will debit the Mission Trip Fund in the amount of the receipts, which will enable us to track the gift card spending and verify that it was spent for the mission trip.

Is there a way to identify these as gift card donations through the contributions module so they show up on their giving statements as such? I know there's the option of check, cash, online, and credit card donations; sure wish there were an option called "other"! We are not set up to receive credit card donations, and I wondered about using that option. Also, I've been thinking of entering them with a non-Sunday date, which would set them apart from all the other contributions, then I could note on the statements that they were gift card donations.

The only other option I've considered is writing individual letters of acknowledgement to those who donated the gift cards, then entering the total amount in the Mission Trip Fund in accounting and skipping the contributions module completely.

Does anyone have any advice for me?

Thanks!

PS: Love the new Forum layout!

[Zorak]

Is there a way to identify these as gift card donations through the contributions module so they show up on their giving statements as such? I know there's the option of check, cash, online, and credit card donations; sure wish there were an option called "other"!

Just go to Contributions > Maintain Custom Codes. Contribution Type is customizable!

[Joetta Trimble]

I''ve used PC+ since 1989, back in the old days, DOS version, but never knew that! Awesome! That makes my life easier. Thank you so much!

[NeilZ]

I''ve used PC+ since 1989, back in the old days, DOS version, but never knew that! Awesome! That makes my life easier. Thank you so much!

That's been added in version 10.4 in the past year or two.

[Kristi]

Thanks to both of you:

Joetta, giving gift cards is a great idea for mission trips. I'm going to suggest it to our group.
Zorak, I just set up "Gift Cards" in contributions.
Kristi