Designations

Designations let donors choose which fund, program, or initiative their gift supports: a capital campaign, a department, a specific cause. They give donors agency over where their money goes within your organization, and they give you per-fund attribution in reporting.

Enable designations

Click the Form Features tab in the left sidebar and toggle Designations on, or click Edit to open the panel. A Designate to dropdown appears on the first step of the popup.

Configure the list

Each row in the panel is an option in the dropdown, shown in the order you list them; the first option is what donors see before they change it. Click into a row to rename it, and click Add Option to add one.

Put a general option like "Area of Greatest Need" first. Most donors don't want to think about routing, they want to give, and a general default keeps the form frictionless while leaving specific designation open.

Choosing what to offer

• Keep the list short. Three to five options usually outperforms ten. Too many choices creates decision paralysis; donors who can't decide give to the default or close the form.
• Use plain language. "Scholarship Fund" beats "Educational Initiatives Program (2024)". Donors should recognize the option without needing internal context.

Designated donations are filterable in the Activity Dashboard, so you can report donations by fund.

Designations vs. campaigns

Designations route money to internal categories within a single campaign. If you're running two efforts with different audiences, copy, and emails, use separate campaigns instead. See What is a campaign?.