Contact Reports

As a fundraiser, when you complete a step or an interaction with a major giving prospect, you can file a contact report to keep track of your interactions. You can also file contact reports for unplanned activity with a prospect.

When you file a contact report associated with a step, you can update the step’s details and enter any reactions or expected outcomes from the step. Using this information, you can determine if the next scheduled step is adequate or if you should customize the interaction to meet the prospect’s needs or interests. When you file a contact report for unplanned activity, a step is automatically created and marked as complete. You can then modify an other existing steps in the prospect plan if needed.

For example, you file a contact report for a phone call you made to determine the prospect’s level of interest in contributing a major gift. In the Comment field, you note that during your conversation you learned the prospect enjoys reading about local history. As you complete the contact report, you notice the next step in the major giving plan is to schedule a lunch meeting with the prospect. However, since you now know the prospect is interested in history, and your organization’s campus is historically significant, you change the interaction to a guided tour of your facilities and grounds.

You can file contact reports from the Fundraiser page or from a prospect plan.

  1. From the Pending Activity tab of the Fundraiser page or from the Details tab of the prospect plan, select a step and select File a contact report. The File a contact report screen appears.

    2. Note: A step must have a status of “pending” and an associated contact method in order for you to file the contact report.

  2. In the Objective field, enter the purpose of the interaction.

  3. In the Owner field, select the fundraiser who completed the step.

  4. In the Actual date field, enter the date the interaction between the fundraiser and the prospect occurred.

  5. In the Stage field, select at which stage in the plan process the interaction occurred.

  6. In the Contact Method field, select the type of interaction that occurred with the prospect.

  7. In the Category and Subcategory fields, you can further define the type of contact method used.

  8. In the Additional solicitors grid, enter each fundraiser who participated in the interaction.

  9. In the Additional participants grid, enter each participant involved in the interaction.

  10. In the Comment field, enter details about the interaction.

  11. In the Next plan step for this prospect fields, you can update the information for the next step based on the information you gathered from this interaction.

  12. Select Edit next step information to enable the fields in this section.

  13. If the plan does not include steps with a pending status, the next planned step appears in the Next step fields. You can update the step’s information and change the status from planned to pending.

  14. Select Save. The Contact Report page appears.

  1. From the Pending Activity tab of the Fundraiser page or from the Details tab of the prospect plan, select a step and select File an unplanned contact report. The File a contact report screen appears.

    2. Note: If you file the report from the Fundraiser page, you must first select the prospect and the plan for the contact report.

  2. In the Objective field, enter the purpose of the interaction.

  3. In the Owner field, select the fundraiser who completed the step.

  4. In the Actual date field, enter the date the interaction between the fundraiser and the prospect occurred.

  5. In the Stage field, select at which stage in the plan process the interaction occurred.

  6. In the Contact Method field, select the type of interaction that occurred with the prospect.

  7. In the Category and Subcategory fields, you can further define the type of contact method used.

  8. In the Additional solicitors grid, enter each fundraiser who participated in the interaction.

  9. In the Additional participants grid, enter each participant involved in the interaction.

  10. In the Comment field, enter details about the interaction.

  11. If a next step in the prospect plan exists, you can view it and select Edit next step information to update it based on the information you gathered from this interaction.

  12. Select Save. The Contact Report page appears.

Screen Item

Description

Prospect and Prospect plan

If you file the report from the Fundraiser page, you must first select the prospect and the plan for the contact report.

Objective

Enter the purpose for this step if different from the original objective.

Owner

Enter the step owner if different from the original owner.

Actual date

Enter the date the fundraiser completed this step.

Stage

Enter the stage at which the step occurred, such as identification or negotiation.

Contact method

Enter the method used to contact the prospect, such as a phone call or a meeting.

Category

Select a category to further define the contact method.

Subcategory

Select a subcategory to further define the contact method.

Additional solicitors

Enter each solicitor who participated in the interaction.

Participants

Enter each participant included in the interaction.

Comment

Enter details about the interaction.

Next plan step for this prospect

If there is a next step in the plan, you can update the step’s objective, change the owner of the step, indicate whether the step is planned, pending, or completed, and enter the expected completion date. By default, this section displays the next pending step in the plan. However, if the plan does not include steps with a pending status, information for the next planned step appears.