The Funds dataset serves as the central repository for managing and organizing institutional giving opportunities. Each record represents a fund that can receive philanthropic support, such as scholarships, programs, endowments, or unrestricted giving areas. Like all datasets, Funds can have custom tabs, fields, and dashboards.
Linking Gifts to Funds
Every gift must to be linked to a fund at the point of gift entry, ensuring that the donor’s intent is accurately captured and tracked.
During gift entry, users select the appropriate fund (or multiple funds, in the case of split gifts), which determines how the gift is categorized, reported, and ultimately allocated. This connection drives downstream processes including financial reconciliation, fund-based reporting, and stewardship, making the fund designation a critical component of accurate gift management.
How joins power Fund data
Once a gift is saved, the donor, gift, and fund are all connected through joins. These joins define how records are related, allowing Slate to bring together information from donors, gifts, and funds within a single query or similar aggregate.
Because of this structure, the fund record can dynamically surface all associated gifts through these defined relationships. In practice, this is how gift totals, counts, and other metrics populate within the Funds dataset, including dashboard aggregates and embedded gift queries. Rather than storing duplicate data, Slate relies on joins to pull and summarize related gift information in real time, ensuring fund-level reporting remains accurate and up to date.
Common Fund custom fields
In addition to standard Profile fields, most institutions use custom fields on the Funds dataset to capture additional context needed for reporting, segmentation, and business processes. These fields allow teams to tailor fund records to their specific organizational structure, stewardship needs, and financial practices.
GL Code / Account Number
Alternate names: General Ledger Code, Finance Code, Account ID
This field can help associate the fund in Slate to the institution’s financial system, ensuring gifts are properly allocated and reconciled in the general ledger.VSE Fund Type
Alternate names: CASE Fund Category, VSE Classification
Used for standardized reporting (typically CASE/VSE surveys), this field classifies funds into categories such as current use, endowment, or capital.💡 See also: VSE Survey Report
Fund Type (Unrestricted / Restricted)
Alternate names: Restriction Type, Fund Restriction Status
Indicates whether a fund has donor-imposed restrictions on how gifts can be used.Description
Alternate names: Fund Description, Public Description, Internal Description
Provides a summary of the fund’s purpose and impact. This may be used on giving forms, reports, or internally to help staff understand the intent of the fund.Donor Restrictions
Alternate names: Restriction Notes, Usage Restrictions, Gift Restrictions
Captures specific limitations or conditions set by the donor. This field helps ensure gifts are used appropriately and informs stewardship, reporting, and compliance efforts.
Fund Documents
The Materials tab on a fund record is typically used to store key supporting documents, such as donor agreements, gift instruments, or internal setup documentation. Keeping these materials attached to the fund ensures staff can easily reference donor intent, restrictions, and fund details during gift entry, stewardship, and reporting.