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# What is a Donor?

A Donor is a contact who gives gifts to your ministry.

•Individuals and organizations can be donors.

•Staff members and employees can be donors.

•Although your own ministries and internal departments could theoretically be made into donors, practically speaking they cannot give gifts.

Donors give Donations

•A single donation may be distributed among multiple designations.

•To distinguish between the two (the giver and the receiver), what the donor gives is called a "donation" while what the designation receives is called a "gift". Therefore, a single donation is comprised of one or more gifts.

Duplicate Contacts | When a donor is in your database more than once. The multiple contacts may or may not all have donations.
Redirecting Activity | When items credited to a donor are redirected (forwarded to, passed through to) another donor contact for some reason.
Related Donors | When donors are separate contacts but may be related in some way. Examples •A donor gives from their personal funds and their business. •Husband and wife have separate donation accounts •Parent and children have separate donation accounts
Unknown | When a donor is unknown. This can often occur when donors initiate the gifts themselves through a bank.
Anonymous | When an identifiable donor wants the gift to remain anonymous.
Suspense | When the designation of the gift is unknown.
Other Receipts | When the incoming money is not a donation.
Donation Refunds | When donations are refunded to a donor.