Designations for Membership and Donation Forms

Designations ensure every transaction has a clear financial purpose. When a supporter gives, the designation directs that payment to a specific fund, program, or area of financial need. Donation forms require at least one designation so gifts go to the correct area. Membership forms only requires a designation when it's configured to accept an additional gift.

Note: In Raiser's Edge NXT, designations are known as funds. For more information, see Funds.

How Designations Work on Forms

When a donation form has one designation, the gift automatically goes toward that designation. When a donation form includes more than one designation, donors can select the one they want to support. Membership forms can only have one designation.

Each form handles designations differently. The following table summarizes the key differences.

Designation Features by Form Type

Feature	Optimized	Standard	Membership
Allow for multiple designations	Yes	Yes	No
Donors can split a gift across designations	No	Yes, if enabled	No
Designation labels customizable	Yes	Yes	No
Designation order customizable	Yes	Yes	Not applicable
Custom field label and placeholder text	No	Yes	No
Where to configure designations	Donation tab	Get started tab	Get started tab
Where to configure labels and order	Designations list	Form tab and Designations list	Not applicable

To learn how to add and configuration designations on Online Giving forms, see:

• Add Designations to Optimized Donation Forms

• Add Designations to Standard Donation Forms

• Get Started with Membership Forms