Split Gifts

Overview of Split Gifts

Split Gifts allow multiple gifts entered for the same donor to be connected as one coordinated contribution. This is most commonly used when a donor gives one total amount but directs portions of that amount to different funds.

For example, a donor gives $1,000 total: $500 to the Annual Fund and $500 to a Scholarship Fund. In Slate, each gift is still recorded separately so that the correct fund, amount, and gift details are preserved. By entering the gifts as a split, Slate connects them so staff can view, report on, and recognize the donor’s combined $1,000 contribution.

Split Gifts are available for:

• Received gifts
• Pledges
• Planned gifts

They can be entered from an individual record or through Batch Gift Entry.

When to Use a Split Gift

Use the Split Gift option when one donor contribution should be represented by multiple gift records, usually because the donor has designated different portions of the contribution to different funds.

Common examples include:

• A donor gives one payment and divides it between two or more funds.
• A donor makes a pledge that should be allocated across multiple designations.
• A planned gift is recorded with multiple intended purposes.

Split Gifts are especially helpful for donor recognition and communications because they allow each fund-level gift to remain distinct while still making it possible to identify the combined contribution.

How Split Gifts Work

Each gift in a split remains its own gift record. This means each gift can have its own:

• Fund
• Amount
• Date
• Status
• Campaign, appeal, occasion, or other gift details
• Soft credits
• Tributes
• Custom fields

Slate connects the gifts behind the scenes so they can be recognized together as part of the same split. This connection is created when a user saves a gift using Save & Split and then saves at least one additional gift in the split.

If a user clicks Save & Split but cancels before saving the next gift, no split is created. The first gift remains a standard gift.

Where Split Gifts Can Be Entered

Entering a Split Gift from an Individual Record

1. Open the donor record.
2. Navigate to the Giving tab.
3. Click New Gift, New Pledge, or New Planned Gift.
4. Enter the details for the first gift.
5. Instead of clicking the standard Save button, click Save & Split -- represented by a right-facing arrow next to the Save button.
6. Slate saves the first gift and opens a new gift entry form for the same donor. You will see the first gift added to the table behind the gift entry form.
7. Enter the fund and amount for the next gift in the split.
8. Review the inherited values and make any changes needed.
9. Click Save to complete the split, or click Save & Split again to add another gift to the same split.

The Save & Split option is only available when creating a new gift. It does not appear when editing an existing saved gift.

Entering a Split Gift in Batch Gift Entry

The workflow in Batch Gift Entry is the same as the workflow on an individual record.

1. Open the batch.
2. Search for and select the donor.
3. Click New Gift, New Pledge, or New Planned Gift.
4. Enter the first gift.
5. Click Save & Split.
6. Enter the fund and amount for the next gift.
7. Click Save to complete the split, or Save & Split to continue adding gifts.

Each gift in the split is still listed as an individual gift in the batch. The split relationship is displayed when viewing one of the gift records.

What Carries Forward When Using Save & Split

When Save & Split is used, Slate opens a new gift entry form pre-populated with many of the values from the gift that was just saved. This makes it easier to enter the next gift in the split without re-entering the same contextual information.

The fields most likely to differ between split gifts are intentionally cleared and must be entered by the user.

This design helps preserve the shared context of the contribution while requiring the user to deliberately enter the fund and amount for each portion of the split.

Always review inherited values before saving the next gift, especially if one portion of the split should have a different campaign, appeal, recognition treatment, or other attribute.

Adding More Than Two Gifts to a Split

A split can include more than two gifts.

To add additional gifts, continue using Save & Split:

1. Enter the first gift and click Save & Split.
2. Enter the second gift and click Save & Split again.
3. Enter the third gift.
4. Click Save when the final gift in the split has been entered.

Each saved gift in that sequence becomes part of the same split.

Viewing Split Gifts

When viewing a gift that is part of a split, Slate displays additional split information in the gift detail view.

Imports, Forms, and Automated Gift Creation

Split Gifts are not created through automated or self-service gift creation methods.

If gifts are imported from an external system that tracks split information, the imported gifts will not automatically be connected as Split Gifts in Slate. Institutions that need to preserve this relationship for reporting may choose to store an external split identifier in a custom field or other reporting-friendly location.

Editing Split Gifts

Editing a gift that is already part of a split does not remove it from the split. Users can edit the gift’s standard fields, such as fund, amount, date, status, or other details, and the gift remains connected to the other gifts in the split.

The Save & Split option does not appear when editing an existing gift. This means users cannot add a new gift to an existing split directly from the edit form.

If a gift was saved without using Save & Split, it cannot be added to an existing split through the standard gift entry interface.

Reversing Split Gifts

If a gift that is part of a split is reversed, the reversal is recorded as a separate negative gift and remains associated with the same Gift Group ID.

Because the reversal remains connected to the split group, reporting and communications should be designed intentionally to account for both the original gift and its reversal. Depending on the purpose of the report or communication, an institution may want to:

• Include both the original gift and reversal to show the net impact.
• Exclude reversed gifts from donor recognition outputs.
• Display reversal activity separately for audit or reconciliation purposes.
• Review the full split before using the split total in acknowledgements, receipts, or recognition.

When reversing one gift in a split, staff should review the related split gifts to confirm whether any additional gifts in the split also need to be reversed or adjusted.

Deleting Split Gifts

If a gift in a split is deleted, the deleted gift no longer appears in the split display. The remaining gifts continue to be connected to each other.

Before deleting a gift in a split, review the related gifts to confirm whether the remaining split still accurately represents the donor’s contribution.

Permissions

Reporting on Split Gifts

Split Gifts can be used in custom reporting when an institution needs to identify gifts that belong to the same split or calculate a combined split total.

Because each gift in a split remains an independent gift record, reports should be designed carefully based on the intended purpose:

• Fund-level reporting should usually continue to treat each gift separately.
• Donor recognition reporting may need to group the split gifts together.
• Receipt or acknowledgement logic may need to present either individual fund amounts, the combined total, or both.
• Reversal and adjustment reporting should account for whether reversed gifts should be included, excluded, or displayed separately.

The split relationship can be used in Query Builder through the Group function. This allows administrative users to create query exports that group related split gifts together and return aggregate values, such as the combined split amount.

A common approach is to create a subquery export that looks at the donor’s gifts, groups the gifts by the split grouping value, and returns the desired combined amount or related gift details. That subquery export can then be used like other exports in Slate, including as a merge field for donor communications, acknowledgements, giving summaries, and recognition outputs.

For example, an institution might create exports that:

• Return the total amount of gifts in a split.
• Display the funds included in a split.
• Identify whether a gift is part of a split.
• Produce a recognition amount that uses the combined split total instead of only the individual gift amount.
• Support donor communications that present both the total contribution and the individual fund allocations.

This approach keeps the configuration within the graphical query tool while still allowing institutions to build communication-ready outputs. The specific query design will depend on the institution’s reporting goals, gift data structure, and how the resulting merge fields will be used.

When building these exports, be intentional about the purpose of the output. A query used for fund accounting may need to preserve each gift as a separate row, while a query used for donor recognition may need to group gifts together and present the combined total.

Donor Recognition and Communications

Split Gifts are often most useful in donor recognition and donor communications.

For example, a donor who gives $500 to one fund and $500 to another fund may need to be recognized as a $1,000 donor, while still showing the specific fund allocations when appropriate.

When building acknowledgements, receipts, giving summaries, or Year in Review-style communications, consider whether the communication should display:

• The combined split total
• Each fund and amount within the split
• Both the combined total and the individual allocations

This is not applied automatically in all communication templates. If a communication should group Split Gifts together, the query exports or merge logic must be configured to do so.

Subquery exports are often the best way to make this information available for communications. Once configured, those exports can become merge fields in letters, emails, receipts, giving summaries, or recognition templates.

Important Considerations

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a gift to an existing split after the split has already been saved?

Not through the standard gift entry interface. Save & Split is available when creating a new gift, but existing gifts cannot be manually assigned to an existing split through the gift edit form.

Can I remove a gift from a split?

Not through the standard gift entry interface. If a gift was entered as part of a split, editing the gift does not remove the split relationship.

Can a split include gifts for different donor records?

No. Split Gifts are intended to connect gifts entered for the same donor record. Use soft credits or other household recognition strategies when a contribution needs to involve multiple records.

Do soft credits show split information?

Soft credits are managed as related gifts and are not themselves entered as Split Gifts. A soft credit does not display the Split Total or Split Gifts rows in the same way as the original split gift.

What happens if one gift in a split is reversed?

The reversal is recorded as a separate negative gift and remains associated with the same Gift Group ID. Reporting and communication logic should account for whether reversals should be included, excluded, or displayed separately depending on the purpose of the output.

Can Split Gifts be used in Year in Review or other donor communications?

Yes. Query exports can be configured to group gifts in a split and return the combined total or related details. Those exports can then be used as merge fields in acknowledgements, giving summaries, and other donor communications.

Should Split Gifts be used for every multi-fund donor?

Use Split Gifts when the gifts are part of the same coordinated contribution. If a donor makes separate gifts to different funds at different times, those gifts should generally remain separate unless there is a clear business reason to connect them.