Anonymous gifts may be given with a variety of possible stipulations from the donor. Your organization should adopt an internal practice and policy that meets your needs while respecting a donor’s wishes for these types of transactions.
This article explains how to record these types of anonymous gifts:
Tip: Consider adding a privacy policy to your website that tells donors how their information might be shared and how to opt out. You can also use custom fields to ask donors how they would like to be recognized.
The Donor Wishes to Remain Anonymous
When a donor wishes to remain anonymous, Bloomerang recommends using “Anonymous” in the Recognition Name field, and using that field when creating lists for public recognition. This enables your organization to acknowledge and receipt the donor while respecting their wish to remain anonymous to the public. If you have several anonymous donors to share publicly in a single report, consider grouping and totaling them to be concise.
Recognition Name is referenced in Tribute Notificant letters. If a donor is in a household, the system will check the household's Recognition Name, not the individual.
The Donor Requests a Specific Gift Be Made Anonymously
In instances where an existing donor requests a specific gift be made anonymously, follow these steps:
Create a custom field on transactions and name it "Anonymous?".
Select Text for What kind of data goes in this field? and Pick 1 Value From a List for How do you enter data in this field?
Click Save.
Add a single New Value of "Yes".
Click Save.
You can use this custom field as a filter or a column to act appropriately with your reporting and communications, in accordance with your internal policy.
The Gift is Truly Anonymous
If the gift is truly anonymous (for example, cash in an envelope delivered by a board member), create a constituent account for “Anonymous Donors” and enter the donation(s) there. Enter as much information as you do have in the Note section for each transaction.