Check out the Fund/Campaign/Appeal training course in Salsa Scholars.
Funds represent how the gifts your supporters make should be distributed by Accounting. These should correspond to Income Accounts within the foundation's accounting structure, designated as Unrestricted or Restricted funds.
For instance...
- Golf Tournament registrations and gifts are earmarked for a scholarship. Contributions are considered restricted dollars.
- A donor used a Donor Advised Fund to send a check for a specific program to help women out of human trafficking situations. Those donations would be recognized as restricted funds.
- A Capital Campaign is for a new gymnasium to be built, and donations are restricted funds only to be used to build the new gym.
- Spring or fall letter appeals generate funds for payroll and expenses and are earmarked for the General Fund and those contributions are considered unrestricted funds.
Campaigns are large-scale fundraising events, such as a capital campaign when you are raising money for buildings, land, etc., or a Golf Tournament. These donations fund the activities of the foundation, or the Funds defined above.
Appeals are individual activities within a Campaign, such as the 'Spring annual appeal letter' within the Annual Campaign, or 'Registrations' within the Golf Tournament, or a 'Buy a Brick' event for the Capital Campaign. Think of them as 'sub-campaigns'.
Each campaign or appeal is independent of every Fund. Your 'Registrations' Appeal is the same for your 'Gala Campaign as for your '5K Walk' Campaign.