Overview
The Pledges subtab on the Giving tab displays a donor’s pledge commitments. A pledge represents a donor’s intention to make one or more future gift payments.
Use pledges when a donor has committed to giving a specific amount, but the amount has not yet been received. Pledges can be entered with or without an installment schedule, depending on how the donor plans to fulfill the commitment.
Understanding pledges
A pledge is different from a received gift. The pledge records the commitment. The received gift records the payment.
| Record Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Gift | A completed transaction that has already been received. |
| Pledge | A commitment to give a specific amount in the future. |
| Planned Gift | A documented future or deferred commitment, often associated with estate, trust, or long-term gift planning. |
| Opportunity | A cultivation or proposal record that can later connect to a gift, pledge, or planned gift. |
A pledge can be fulfilled over time as gifts are received. As payments are applied, Slate tracks how much of the pledge has been received and how much remains outstanding.
Enter a pledge
To enter a pledge from a record:
- Open the person, company, or foundation record.
- Select the Giving tab.
- Select the Pledges subtab.
- Select New Pledge.
- Complete the required pledge fields.
- Configure installments, if the pledge will be paid on a schedule.
- Add any connections, soft credits, tributes, or additional details.
- Select Save.
Pledges can also be created from a form when the form is configured to create pledge records.
Video: Entering a Pledge
Pledge fields
The pledge entry form includes required fields, optional fields, and additional sections for related giving information.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| *Amount | The total amount of the pledge. This field is required. |
| *Fund | The fund designation associated with the pledge. This field is required. |
| *Type | The type of pledge being entered. This field is required. Pledge types are configured using the Gift Type prompt. |
| *Status | The current status of the pledge. This field is required. Pledge statuses are configured using the Gift Status prompt. |
| Date | The date the pledge was made. |
| Write-Off Date | The date when all or part of the pledge was written off. This value conditionally displays based on the gift status. |
| Write-Off Amount | The amount of the pledge that was written off. This value conditionally displays based on the gift status. |
The Type, Status, and write-off fields are controlled through prompt configuration. Write-off fields are used when an institution needs to preserve the original pledge while documenting that all or part of the expected amount is no longer anticipated.
Connect the pledge to related activity
Pledges can be connected to other advancement records to support campaign tracking, proposal management, stewardship, and fulfillment.
| Connection | Description |
|---|---|
| Opportunity | Connects the pledge to an existing opportunity or proposal. |
| Campaign | Connects the pledge to a fundraising campaign. |
| Appeal | Connects the pledge to the appeal associated with the pledge. |
| Soft Credits | Recognizes additional people or organizations for the pledge without changing the hard-credit donor. |
| Tributes | Identifies the pledge as being made in honor or memory of another person or organization. |
The Connections, Soft Credits, Tributes, Details, and Custom Fields sections follow the same general patterns used for gifts. Use these sections when the pledge needs additional context, recognition, or institutional tracking.
Configure installments
Installments define the expected payment schedule for a pledge.
Select Configure Installments when the donor plans to fulfill the pledge through scheduled payments.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Start Date Override | Sets the first installment date. If no override is entered, the first installment date defaults to the pledge date. |
| Number of Installments | The total number of expected payments. |
| Months Between Installments | The number of months between each installment. For example, enter 1 for monthly installments, 2 for every other month, or 6 for twice per year. |
When the pledge is saved, Slate creates the installment schedule based on the start date, number of installments, and months between installments.
Override an installment schedule
After a pledge is saved, users with permission to edit giving records can adjust the installment schedule.
Use Override Installments when the standard schedule does not match the donor’s actual payment plan.
To override installments:
- Open the pledge.
- Select Edit.
- Select Override Installments.
- Adjust installment dates or amounts.
- Add or remove installments as needed.
- Save the pledge.
Use installment overrides when a donor’s expected payment schedule is irregular, changes after the pledge is created, or requires specific installment amounts or dates.
Fulfill a pledge
A pledge is fulfilled by entering received gifts and connecting those gifts to the pledge.
To fulfill a pledge:
- Open the donor’s record.
- Select the Giving tab.
- Select the Gifts subtab.
- Select New Gift.
- Enter the received gift information.
- In the Fulfilling field, select the pledge.
- Save the gift.
Slate applies pledge payments to the earliest installment with an outstanding balance. A single gift can pay multiple installments, and multiple gifts can pay a single installment.
As gifts are applied, Slate calculates the pledge’s received and outstanding amounts.
What Slate does automatically
When a pledge is saved or fulfilled, Slate updates the related pledge and installment information.
Depending on the pledge and received gift details, Slate:
- Creates the installment schedule when Configure Installments is used.
- Applies fulfilling gifts to the earliest installment with an outstanding balance.
- Allows one gift to fulfill multiple installments when the gift amount exceeds the next outstanding installment.
- Allows multiple gifts to fulfill the same installment when the installment is only partially paid.
- Calculates the pledge amount received and the remaining balance.
- Preserves the relationship between the pledge and the gifts that fulfill it.
- Displays tribute-linked pledges on an honoree record’s Honored By subtab when the honoree is selected as a Slate record.
Edit or update a pledge
Users with permission to edit giving records can update a pledge after it has been saved.
Use statuses, write-off fields, installment updates, and notes to preserve a clear record of what changed and why.
Troubleshooting
A pledge is not available in the Fulfilling field
Confirm that the pledge exists, is associated with the current record or an eligible related record, and still has an outstanding amount available for fulfillment.
A payment was applied to a different installment than expected
Slate applies payments to the earliest installment with an outstanding balance. If a different schedule is needed, review the installment schedule and use Override Installments where appropriate.
The installment schedule does not match the donor’s payment plan
Use Override Installments to adjust installment dates, amounts, or the number of installments.
A pledge should no longer be expected
Update the pledge status according to your institution’s workflow. If the pledge or part of the pledge should be formally written off, use the write-off fields when available.
A tribute pledge does not appear on the honoree’s Honored By subtab
Confirm that the honoree was selected as a Slate record in the Tributes section. If the honoree was entered only as free text, the name is stored on the pledge, but the pledge is not linked to a specific honoree record.
Summary
The Pledges subtab helps institutions track donor commitments that have not yet been fully received. Use pledges to record the commitment, configure installments when payments are expected on a schedule, and connect received gifts as fulfillment occurs.
As gifts are received, Slate applies payments to pledge installments, calculates the remaining balance, and preserves the relationship between the pledge and the gifts that fulfill it.