Donation Routing Rules

Donation routing rules tell NP Ledger which fund to assign when a donation comes in automatically through a donation connection. Instead of editing each donation by hand, you set up rules once and NP Ledger applies them every time.

If your nonprofit tracks money in multiple funds — say a General Fund and a Building Fund — you need each donation to land in the right bucket. A fund is like a separate bucket of money within your organization, each tracked independently. Without routing rules, every automatic donation goes to your default fund and you have to reassign them manually.

• At least two funds set up in NP Ledger (see Funds and Programs)
• A donation connection configured (see Setting Up a Donation Connection)
• Know how you want to split donations — by platform, supporter, amount range, or metadata

Creating a routing rule

1. Go to Organization (in the sidebar under Settings), then click Fund Allocation Rules. This shows all your current rules in priority order.
2. Click "New Rule."
3. Enter a name that describes what the rule does — for example, "Building Fund — Stripe" or "Major Gifts over $5,000."
4. Set the priority. Lower numbers run first. If multiple rules could match a donation, the first match wins.
5. Select the target fund — the fund where matching donations should be recorded.
6. Set your match criteria (all optional — the rule matches when ALL filled-in criteria match):
7. Source type — match donations from a specific platform (Stripe, PayPal, Givebutter, Donorbox) or import type (CSV, OFX)
8. Supporter — match donations from a specific donor
9. Amount range — match donations within a dollar range (minimum and/or maximum)
10. Metadata key and value — match Stripe metadata fields (e.g., fund_name = Building Fund)
11. Description pattern — match text in the donation description
12. Make sure "Active" is checked.
13. Click "Save Rule."

Testing your rules

1. On the Fund Allocation Rules page, scroll to the Test Rules section.
2. Enter sample donation details: source type, amount, and description.
3. Click "Test Rules."
4. Review the result: the test shows which fund would be assigned, or tells you no rule matched and the donation would go to your default fund.
5. Adjust rules if the test result isn't what you expected.

Changing rule priority

1. Use the up/down arrows next to any rule to change its position in the priority list.
2. Remember: rules are evaluated top-to-bottom. The first rule where ALL criteria match is used. If no rule matches, the donation goes to your organization's default fund.

• Your rules appear in the correct priority order on the Fund Allocation Rules page
• The test tool produces the expected fund assignment for sample donations
• New automatic donations from your connected platforms land in the correct fund

• Setting criteria too broadly — A rule with only "Source type: Stripe" routes ALL Stripe donations to one fund. Add more criteria if you need finer control.
• Forgetting that ALL criteria must match — If you set both a source type AND an amount range, the donation must match both to trigger the rule. Criteria are AND logic, not OR.
• Not testing after changes — Always use the test tool after adding or reordering rules. A priority change can redirect donations you didn't intend.
• Creating rules before funds exist — You need the target fund to already exist in NP Ledger. Create your funds first.

Accountant note: Routing rules implement donor intent tracking required by ASC 958-605. When a donor designates a gift for a specific purpose, the routing rule ensures it's recorded in the correct restricted fund from the start, avoiding manual reclassification entries.