Soft Credit
A soft credit occurs when a donor is recognized for influencing or being associated with a donation they didn't directly make. The donor who actually made the payment receives a "hard credit" (the actual donation record), while others who influenced the donation receive "soft credits."
The soft credit feature allows you to properly acknowledge individuals or entities that influenced or should be credited for a donation.
You can add soft credits in two primary ways:
When Adding a New Donation: After entering the main donation details, check the "Add Soft Credit" checkbox. This will reveal options to select the soft credit recipient, the credit type, the amount to be soft-credited, and add any specific notes. More about adding a new donation here.
When Adding a Payment to an Existing Sponsorship/Pledge: During the payment logging process, you'll find an option to "Add Soft Credit", allowing you to assign soft credit to another donor for that specific payment. More about adding a payment here.
Adding soft credit when adding a donation or adding a payment When editing a donation: During the editing of a donation process, you will see a "Add Soft Credit" tab where you can assign soft credit to another donor for that specific donation. More about editing a donation here.
Available soft credit types currently include:
Matching Gift: An employee donates and their employer matches the gift.
Donor Advised Fund: Donations through DAFs attributed to the advising donor.
Tribute: Donations made in honor/memory of someone.
Solicitor: Crediting the fundraiser who solicited a donation.
Household Member: Crediting a spouse or household member.
How soft credit works
The original donor (who made the actual payment) receives the "hard credit" – this is their direct donation record. You'll also see the soft credit acknowledgment (who it was given to and why) listed alongside their original donation in their 'Donation History' (under the Transactions tab).
The donor who receives the soft credit acknowledgment will see this attribution listed in their 'Soft / Hard Credits' section (under their Transactions tab).
This 'Soft / Hard Credits' section provides a comprehensive summary of a donor's direct financial contributions (hard credits) and any soft credit acknowledgments they've received or initiated.
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