Running a Smooth Pledge Campaign

Ready to launch your pledge campaign? This article walks you through what the donor experience looks like from start to finish, plus a few tips to help everything go smoothly.

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Before You Launch  |  The Donor Experience  |  Pledge Fulfillment Options
How Donors Fulfill Their Pledge  |  Pledge Statuses  |  Pledge FAQs

Before You Launch

📥 Double-Check Your Campaign Selection

The campaign (and subcampaign, if applicable) you selected during setup will be pre-filled and locked for donors, so their pledges are attributed correctly. Here's a quick guide to help you decide:

• No subcampaigns linked to your campaign? Leave the subcampaign field blank.
• Want donors to give to a specific subcampaign? Select that subcampaign during setup.
• Want donors to choose from all linked subcampaigns? Leave the subcampaign field blank. Pledge fulfillment will be tracked at the campaign level across all linked subcampaigns.

💵 Customize Your Quick-Selection Amounts

Quick-selection amounts make it easier for donors to commit with just one tap! They also help set expectations around giving levels, gently guiding donors toward amounts that are meaningful for your campaign goals.

• By default, donors will see 4 preset pledge amounts: $50, $100, $500, and $1,000.
  
• These can't be changed directly in your Dashboard, but we're happy to update them for you on the backend. Simply reach out with your 4 preferred amounts and the name of your pledge campaign.

🔍 Try It Before You Share It

We recommend visiting your pledge campaign URL before sharing it. That way, you'll know exactly what your donors will see and can answer any questions that come up.

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The Donor Experience

🎯 Step 1: Pledge Details

1. Pledge Amount — The total amount the donor would like to commit to your campaign. They can enter a custom amount or choose from the 4 quick-selection options.
2. Pledge Fulfillment Type — Donors choose how they'd like to make progress toward their pledge. (This selection can't be changed once the pledge has been created.)
   
3. Recurring Plan Details (if applicable) — If a donor goes the recurring plan route, they'll pick how much to give each cycle, how often, and when to start. Once everything's filled in, they'll see a handy summary, including the total number of contributions their plan will include.

🔒 Step 2: Verification

1. Campaign (and Subcampaign, if applicable) — The campaign details from your setup will appear here, pre-filled and locked, so every pledge lands in the right place.
2. Verification Code — Just like the cash giving flow, donors will enter their phone number or email address, or sign in with Google. This connects them to their existing Donor Profile or helps them create a new one.
   • If a donor is having trouble receiving a verification code, no worries! You can set up a pledge on their behalf directly through your Dashboard.
     
   • Note: Setting up a recurring plan does require the donor to verify their online account. It's a small but important step to help protect their payment information.

🎉 Step 3: Donor Information and Submission

1. Donor Information — New donors will fill in their name, email address, phone number, and billing address. Returning donors just need to confirm their information looks correct before moving on.
2. Pledge Now — This button will show the donor's total pledge amount.
3. Thank You Page — Once their pledge is submitted, they'll see 2 action buttons:
   • ❤️ Give Towards Your Pledge — Directs donors to your organization's donation page to start fulfilling their pledge! They'll have the option to set up a recurring gift or make a one-time donation.
   • 🖥️ Manage Your Pledge — Introduces donors to the Pledges module in their Donor Profile, where they can keep track of their progress. (They'll also receive a confirmation email.)

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Pledge Fulfillment Options

When donors visit your pledge campaign page, they'll be asked: "How do you want to make progress towards this pledge?" They can choose from 2 options:

Recurring Plan

This option is ideal for donors who prefer a "set it and forget it" approach — a fixed amount given on a consistent schedule, with no need to make separate one-time gifts. It's also a great fit for donors who will only be giving after your pledge campaign's Overflow creation date.

• 🚫 One-time gifts can't be applied toward the pledge progress of a recurring plan.
• ⚠️ Recurring pledge plans are set up with a fixed amount and frequency at the time of creation, so the recurring gift can't be adjusted retroactively (only canceled if needed).
• Once the pledge is fulfilled, the recurring gift will automatically stop, unless the donor chooses to continue giving after their pledge is complete.

Non-Recurring Plan (Highly Recommended!)

This option is highly recommended for most donors since it offers the greatest flexibility. Donors can fulfill their pledge through recurring gifts, one-time gifts, or a combination of both. It's also ideal for donors who made first-fruits donations prior to your pledge campaign's Overflow creation date.

• 💡 As long as a donor's gifts share the same campaign (and subcampaign) designation as their pledge, each donation will automatically be attributed to their pledge progress.
• 📈 Noncash donations (e.g., stock, crypto, and DAF) can also be applied to this type of pledge.

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How Donors Fulfill Their Pledge

Recurring Plan

✅ No extra steps are needed! Since the recurring plan is set up alongside the pledge, all donations will automatically be attributed to the donor's pledge progress.

Non-Recurring Plan

Please direct donors to your organization's donation page to fulfill their pledge!

• ✅ As long as their contributions share the same campaign (and subcampaign, if applicable) as their pledge, each donation will automatically be applied to their progress.
• One-time gifts can also be given directly through their Donor Profile, via the Give to Pledge button.
  

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Pledge Statuses

As donors make progress toward their pledges, you'll see their status update in real time:

• 🟣 Pledged — The donor has created a pledge but hasn't made their first gift toward it yet.
• 🟡 In Progress — The donor has started giving toward their pledge, but their total giving is still less than the pledged amount.
• 🟢 Fulfilled — The donor's total giving has met or exceeded their pledged amount.