Handling Adjustments

How to Leverage Gift Refund

Definition: A gift refund refers to the monetary return of a donation to a donor, typically due to requests, errors, or other valid reasons. This process can be initiated for various reasons such as donor dissatisfaction, a mistake in the donation amount, or return of items related to fundraising efforts. Proper management of gift refunds is essential for maintaining donor trust and satisfaction.

Examples:

Scenario 1: Processing a Gift Refund

A donor requests a refund. After checking that the donor is eligible for a refund, the refund is processed, then the donor is notified via email.

Scenario 2: Program Cancellation

A donor contributes to a specific project that is subsequently cancelled. They request a refund for their donation due to the project not proceeding.

Steps for Implementing Gift Refunds:

1. Establish a Gift Refund Policy
   • Define the conditions under which refunds will be processed (e.g, time limits).
   • Document the policy for staffing training and donor communication.
2. Configure Salesforce to provide full or Partial Refund
   • From the App Launcher, find and select Gift Transactions.
   • Click the paid Gift Transaction that you want to process a refund for.
   • Click Related, and in the Gift Refunds section, click New.
   • Enter the refund amount and the refund date.
   • Select the refund status
   • Save your changes.
   • In the Gift Transaction record, update the status field as needed.
3. Develop a Refund Request Form
   • Create an online form (using Experience Cloud or a similar tool) for donors to submit refund requests.
   • Include fields for all required information, ensuring clarity and ease of use.
4. Process the Refund
   • Upon approval, initiate the refund through the organization’s payment processing system (e.g., PayPal, Stripe).
   • Update the original donation record in Salesforce to reflect the refund status.
5. Notify the Donors of Refund Status
   • Set up automated email notifications to inform donors about the approval or denial of their refund request.
   • Provide details about the refund process and expected timelines
6. Collect Feedback Post-Refund
   • Follow up with donors to gather feedback on their refund experience.
   • Use this feedback to improve the refund process and donor relations.

Prerequisites for Salesforce Admin:

See Prerequisites for Salesforce Admin from Multiple Payment Gift.

Required:

• Access to the Gift Transaction object: Tracks contributions made by donors, including fields such as Donation ID, Amount, Date, and Donor Name.
• Access to the Gift Refund object: Custom object to manage refund requests, with fields such as Refund Amount, Donation ID (lookup), Reason for Refund, and Status (Pending, Approved, Denied).

Prerequisites for End User:

• See Prerequisites for End User from Multiple Payment Gift.

Required:

• Ability to navigate the donation records.

Optional:

• Access to refund request forms, if in use.
• Organization’s gift refund policy and timelines for requesting refunds.

Best Practices:

• See Best Practices from Multiple Payment Gift.

• Regularly maintain accurate data in the Donation and Gift Refund objects to ensure smooth operations and compliance.
• After processing refunds, solicit feedback from donors about their experience. Use this feedback to improve the process.