Batch Gift Entry — Common Questions & Troubleshooting

Quick answers for the most common questions about Batch Gift Entry.

Entering gifts

"Row 3: pick a giver from the search list" — but I typed the name! Typing the name isn't enough — you have to select the giver from the dropdown (click them, or press Enter with them highlighted). A red outline on the Giver box means text was typed but nobody was selected. If the person isn't in your contacts yet, use ➕ Add "…" as new donor at the bottom of the search list — or check anonymous if the gift shouldn't be tied to anyone.

Why can't I find a giver by envelope number? - Giving envelopes are a Core-plan-and-up feature — on other plans the search is by name only. - The giver may not have an envelope number assigned. See Using Giving Envelope Numbers. - Envelope search matches the number exactly: typing 4 finds envelope 4, not 40 or 41.

How do I enter loose plate cash or a gift from someone who doesn't want to be tracked? Check the anonymous box under the Giver field on that row — no donor is required or linked. The gift still counts toward campaign and deposit totals; it just isn't tied to any contact. (Anonymous gifts can't receive emailed receipts, since there's no one to send them to.)

Can I enter a gift without a campaign? No — every gift needs at least one campaign, because the campaign tells GoodBooks which fund and revenue account the money belongs to. For ordinary gifts that's just your General Fund campaign; set it as the Default Campaign at the top and you'll never think about it.

What does "split amounts must add up to the gift amount" mean? You clicked split on that row, and the campaign lines don't total the gift. Adjust the split amounts (or remove extra split lines) until they equal the amount column. See Splitting a Gift Between Campaigns.

Saving

I got an error when saving. Was anything recorded? No. The batch saves all-or-nothing: if any row has a problem, nothing is written and your grid stays exactly as you left it. Fix the rows called out in the message and save again.

The page total doesn't match my count sheet. Use the per-method breakdown under the grid (Checks vs Cash, with counts) to find the discrepancy — usually a transposed amount or a gift entered twice. Blank rows don't count toward anything.

How many gifts fit in one batch? Up to 200. For a bigger event, enter two batches (e.g. "Gala — checks" and "Gala — cash").

After saving

Where did my gifts go? Each row became a regular donation (see it under Donations or on the giver's contact record), and all of them are grouped in a new pending deposit batch, which is the page you land on after saving.

Nothing showed up in the checkbook register. Why? By design — the accounting entry is created when you Mark as Deposited on the batch, after the money actually goes to the bank. See Understanding Deposit Batches.

I entered a wrong amount and already saved. If the batch is still pending: open the batch, remove that donation, correct or re-enter it, and add it back (or just delete the batch and re-enter — it's fast). If the batch was already marked deposited, edit the donation and GoodBooks posts the adjustment to your books.

Can I record online/card gifts here? No. Card gifts recorded through your donation page settle automatically when the processor pays out, fees and all. Batch Gift Entry is for money you're taking to the bank yourself: cash and checks.

Do batch-entered gifts get receipts and show on giving statements? Yes — they're normal donations in every way: receipts, annual giving statements, donor history, campaign totals, and pledge fulfillment all include them.