Effectively tracking donations is crucial for any not-for-profit in Australia and New Zealand, but it can be especially challenging for larger organisations with diverse fundraising streams and high volumes of transactions. Accurate donation tracking is essential for maintaining financial transparency, demonstrating impact to donors, and ensuring compliance with local regulations.
This guide explores the best practices for donation tracking in 2025, highlighting key considerations, data opportunities and showcasing how a comprehensive donation management CRM system like Klevr Fundraising can enable your organisation to track donations to a highly detailed level.
Why accurate donation tracking is important to Not-for-Profits
- Financial Transparency and Accountability: Maintaining detailed records of all donations is crucial for demonstrating accountability to donors, funders, and regulatory bodies like the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission or Charities Services in New Zealand. This builds trust and strengthens your organisation’s reputation.
- Donor Stewardship: Tracking donations allows you to understand donor preferences, personalise communications, and cultivate stronger relationships. This leads to increased donor retention and lifetime value.
- Impact Measurement: By tracking donations and linking them to specific programs or outcomes, you can effectively measure the impact of your work and demonstrate the value of donor support.
- Informed Decision-Making: Accurate donation data provides valuable insights into fundraising performance, enabling you to identify trends, optimise strategies, and make data-driven decisions.
- Compliance: Proper donation tracking ensures compliance with Australian and New Zealand tax laws and regulations, including generating accurate receipts for donors.
Best practices for donation tracking in 2025
1. Centralised Database
Use a centralised database or CRM system like Klevr Fundraising to store all donation information, including donor details, donation amounts, dates, payment methods, and any associated restrictions or designations. This eliminates data silos and ensures consistency.
2. Real-Time Recording
Record donations as soon as they are received to maintain accuracy and avoid delays. This allows for timely acknowledgment of donors and facilitates prompt processing of tax receipts. Klevr Fundraising allows you to capture donations in real-time or batch, regardless of the source (online, offline, events).
3. Detailed Information
Capture comprehensive information for each donation, including but not limited to:
- Donor Name and Contact Information
- Donation Amount and Currency
- Donation Date and Time
- Payment Method (cash, credit card, transfer, etc.)
- Campaign or Appeal (if applicable)
- Fund Designation (if applicable)
- Gift Aid Eligibility (if applicable)
- Any Special Instructions or Restrictions
4. Payment Processing Integration
Integrate your donation tracking system with your payment processing platform to automate data entry and reduce manual errors. Klevr Fundraising seamlessly integrates with popular payment gateways in Australia and New Zealand like Stripe, Windcave, Nab Transact, PayPal and more.
5. Regular Reconciliation
Reconcile donation records with bank statements regularly to identify any discrepancies and ensure accuracy.
6. Data Security
Implement robust data security measures to protect sensitive donor information and comply with privacy regulations.
Klevr Fundraising enables accurate donation tracking
Klevr Fundraising offers a comprehensive solution for efficient and accurate donation tracking, specifically designed for the needs of Australian and New Zealand not-for-profits. Here’s how it can benefit your organisation:
- Streamlined Donation Management: Automate data entry, receipt generation, and reconciliation processes to save time and reduce errors.
- Enhanced Donor Engagement: Segment donors, track preferences, and personalise communications to cultivate stronger relationships.
- Data-Driven Insights: Generate customised reports to analyse donation trends, track campaign performance, and measure impact.
- Seamless Integration: Integrate with leading financial systems like Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations and Business Central for regular, streamlined bank reconciliations and financial reporting.
- Secure and Compliant: Ensure data security and compliance with local regulations. Klevr Fundraising is backed by enterprise level security on the Azure Cloud. Klevr Fundraising prioritises data security and compliance with PCI-compliant payment processing via Portal and Agent, including voice channel.
By choosing Klevr Fundraising, you can optimise your donation tracking processes, enhance efficiency, and strengthen your overall fundraising efforts.
Contact us today to learn more about how Klevr Fundraising can empower your not-for-profit.