Fund Rules
Fund rules are a powerful tool that lets you configure how donations from different Spektrix funds are processed.
What Are Fund Rules?
Fund rules automatically apply settings to donation documents like tax receipts based on the fund a donation came from, overriding your organizational defaults. This saves you from manually configuring each receipt for different types of donations.
Creating Fund Rules
- Go to Settings > Spektrix Integration > Fund Rules
- Click Create Rule
- Select the fund to match
- Configure the actions
- Save the rule
Available Actions
Exclude from Receipting
Skip receipt generation for this fund entirely. Useful for:
- Test funds
- Non-charitable funds
- Internal funds
Auto-Issue Receipts
Automatically approve receipts for donations from this fund without manual review. When enabled, receipts move directly to "Ready to Send" status after sync.
This overrides your organization's default auto-issue setting for donations matching this fund rule. Set to "No" to require manual review even if your org default is to auto-issue.
Once a receipt is issued, it cannot be edited. If you need to make changes, you'll need to void the receipt and issue a replacement. Consider keeping auto-issue disabled for funds where donation details frequently need correction.
Auto-Send Receipts
Automatically send receipt emails when receipts are ready. This works in conjunction with auto-issue:
| Auto-Issue | Auto-Send | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Fully automated - receipts issued and emailed |
| Yes | No | Auto-approved, but emails sent manually |
| No | Yes | Manual approval required, then auto-emailed |
| No | No | Fully manual - review and send each receipt |
Be cautious with full automation. Consider keeping auto-send disabled for high-value donations or new fund types until you've verified the receipts look correct.
Set Gift Type
Automatically set the gift type:
- Cash - Default for monetary donations
- Non-Cash - For in-kind gifts, auction items
Require Appraiser
For non-cash (in-kind) gifts, you can require appraiser information before a receipt can be issued. This is important for CRA compliance.
Under Canadian tax law, non-cash gifts over $1,000 require an independent appraisal to establish fair market value. Enable this option for funds that receive in-kind donations to ensure compliance.
When enabled:
- Donations from this fund will be flagged as requiring appraiser review
- Receipts cannot be auto-approved until appraiser details are provided
- Staff will need to manually add appraiser name, address, and valuation date
Set Advantage Amount
For events with a benefit component (galas, dinners), specify the advantage amount that should be deducted from the tax-eligible portion.
Example: A $500 gala ticket with a $150 dinner = $350 eligible amount.
Advantage amounts can also come from Memberships automatically. In Spektrix, set the Goods and Services Value and this will automatically be deducted from the tax receipt as an advantage amount when the order is processed.
Set Advantage Percentage
Similar to advantage amount, but as a percentage of the donation.
Receipt Timing [Coming soon]
Control when receipts are issued:
- Immediate - Issue receipt right away (default)
- Annual Aggregate - Combine into a single annual receipt [Coming soon]
Use annual aggregate for recurring/membership donations.
Email Template
Override the default email template for this fund. Useful for:
- Different messaging for major gifts
- Special templates for event donations
- Fund-specific branding
PDF Template
Override the default PDF template for this fund.
Receipt Notes
Add custom notes that will appear on all receipts for donations from this fund. Useful for:
- Fund-specific acknowledgment language
- Program descriptions or impact statements
- Special donor instructions
Example: "Your gift to the Building Fund supports our capital campaign to expand community programming space."
Refund Handling
Control how refunds from Spektrix are processed for this fund:
| Option | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Auto-Replace | Automatically void the original receipt and issue a replacement with the corrected amount |
| Manual Review | Flag the refund for staff review before processing |
| Ignore | Don't process refunds for this fund |
Auto-Replace is the default and recommended setting. When a refund is detected, PatronSend will automatically void the original receipt and generate a replacement receipt for the net donation amount.
You can also control whether replacement receipts are automatically emailed to donors with the Auto-Send Replacement option. By default, this follows your Auto-Send setting for the fund.
Use Ignore with caution. When set to Ignore, PatronSend will not track refunds for this fund and cannot notify you about receipts that need to be corrected. This may lead to compliance issues if donors have received receipts for amounts that were later refunded. Only use Ignore for funds that are already excluded from receipting.
Rule Priority
When a donation matches multiple rules, the first matching rule wins. You control the priority by ordering rules in the UI - drag and drop to reorder them.
Rules are evaluated from top to bottom, so place more specific rules above general ones. For example:
- "2024 Gala VIP" (specific event tier)
- "Gala" (general gala donations)
- "Annual Fund" (catch-all)
If no rules match, your organization's default settings apply.
Common Fund Rule Examples
Exclude Test Fund
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fund | "Test Donations" |
| Action | Exclude from receipting |
Gala Event
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fund | "2024 Gala" |
| Advantage Amount | $150 |
Monthly Giving
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fund | "Monthly Giving Circle" |
| Receipt Timing | Annual Aggregate |
In-Kind Donations
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Fund | "Auction Items" |
| Gift Type | Non-Cash |
| Require Appraiser | Yes |
For in-kind gifts under $1,000, you may choose not to require an appraiser, as donors can self-declare the fair market value for smaller gifts.