Forms: Collect general tributes using an LGL form

In this article:

Overview

IMPORTANT NOTE: This article assumes you are familiar with how to use the LGL Tributes feature and set up tribute notifications to map to in your form.

The term "tribute gifts" refers to gifts given either in honor or in memory. 

You can use an LGL form to collect tribute gifts. The two most common scenarios for how to approach this, which we strongly recommend you use (especially if you are new to building forms), are described below. Instructions you can follow for these two scenarios are provided in this article.

2 possible scenarios for collecting tribute gifts using an LGL form

Scenario 1 - Standard donation form with a simple tribute gift option

In this form, you can offer the option to give in honor/memory with no expectation from donors or your staff that you will need to notify the honoree or the next of kin of whoever is being memorialized. 

Scenario 2 - Standard donation form with a simple tribute gift option and notifications

This is the same as Scenario 1, except in this scenario you can provide donors and staff with the data needed to notify the honoree or the next of kin of whoever is being memorialized. 

3 key points to understand before building your Scenario 1 or 2 form

  • Implement your Scenario 1 and/or Scenario 2 form exactly as shown in this article. Be sure you are adept at these basic approaches before attempting any others.
  • Allow tribute gift options only in forms that are set up to accept one-time gifts (recurring gifts must be disabled in the form). Neither example in this article shows how to accept recurring tribute gifts.
  • If you want to accept recurring tribute gifts, set up a separate, very simple form specifically for that purpose.

How your form and mappings should look

This section previews what you should see when you have finished building and mapping a form for Scenario 1 or Scenario 2. Instructions for how to complete these forms and their mappings are available beginning in the "Follow these steps to build your form for Scenario 1 or 2" section below.

Scenario 1

This form will collect one-time tribute gifts but no notification data.

Here’s how your Scenario 1 form will look when published live:

NOTE: Conditional fields will display if the user clicks either of the tribute options, as seen here:

Here’s how the mapping for Scenario 1 will look.

Scenario 2 

This form will collect one-time tribute gifts, plus notification data.

Here’s how your Scenario 2 form will look when published live.

NOTE: Conditional fields will display if the user clicks either of the tribute options, as seen here:

Here’s how the mapping for Scenario 2 will look.

Follow these basic steps to build your form for Scenario 1 or 2

1. Add a new form and give it a name.

2. Click on the form name and begin editing. 

a) Ensure it is a payment type form. 

b) Click the “Disable recurring” button (see image 1 below). 

Image 1

c) Set options for a minimum donation amount and reCaptcha. Once you have something similar to image 2 below, click the "Save and keep editing" button.

Image 2

3. Edit the “Amount” field. The default is shown in the example below, but you may want to edit/change the suggested values for your organization.

NOTE: Remember, this “Amount” field serves two purposes: 

  1. It is a general one-time donation field for your website
  2. It also allows someone to make a tribute gift

The defaults are shown below. ( NOTE: The red asterisk (*) indicates that the field is required.)

When you edit the field, you can make changes. Below are highlighted areas you can edit for your needs:

NOTE: The minimum was set to $10, so anyone trying to enter a gift under $10 will not be able to complete the form.

Remember to click “Save” after making any changes.

4. Edit the “Contact Information” fields.

We recommend checking the “Required?” box, as shown below, so that the field will be required.

We also recommend making the “Email” field required, as shown below:

The “Address” fields ideally will be required as well. You can choose not to display the country field by checking the “Hide country field?” box, if you prefer.

It is a good idea to click “Save & keep editing” at this point.

5. Add the necessary fields to allow for tribute gifts. See Build a new form for a list and description of each field type. Below you can see how to add a “Radio Buttons” type field:

Mapping instructions for Scenario 1 - Standard donation form with a simple tribute gift option (no notifications)

  1. After setting up the basics for the form as described in the “Follow these basic steps to build your form for Scenario 1 or 2” section, you can now add the following fields:
    2. Field type Field label Field choices
    Radio Buttons Is this gift in honor of or in memory of someone? In Honor, In Memory
    Name In Honor/Memory Of N/A
  2. Set the Display Rules as shown below so that the “Name” field will display only if the donor clicks the "In Honor" or "In Memory" radio button (TIP: To select both “In Honor” and “In Memory” here, hold the "Shift" key down, which will allow you to select both).

When you have finished, the screen should look like this:

Mapping the fields for Scenario 1 so your data flows into LGL

In addition to linking the name and contact information, map (link) the form to LGL as shown here:

Remember these key points about mapping your form fields:

  • All mapping related to the tribute is performed in the “Gift #1” mapping section
  • Take note of the use of defaults that are using "only apply if" rules (NOTE: The assigned values depend on the options offered in your form.) See this help article for instructions on adding a default to your form's mapping.
  • You need to have previously set up notification templates in your LGL account so that the Tribute Notification Template fields are there to map to in the defaults you will set up

IMPORTANT: Scenario 1 does not allow you to send notifications to the honored person or to the next of kin of the person being memorialized.

Mapping instructions for Scenario 2 - Standard donation form with a simple tribute gift option and notifications

Follow all steps for Scenario 1 (link to “Follow these basic steps to build your form for Scenario 1 or 2”). Then add the following fields:

Field type Field label Field choices
Name Send notification to N/A
Single-line input Salutation of person to be notified N/A
Email Email of person to be notified N/A
Address Mailing address of person to be notified N/A

Set the Display Rules as described for Scenario 1, using "any of" and selecting both “In Honor” and “In Memory”.

Click “Save and Publish”, and then preview your form. Check that your display rules are working as expected by clicking on “In Honor” or “In Memory” and verify that the fields you set show only when either option is checked.

Here is how the finished form should appear while editing:

Mapping the fields for Scenario 2 so your data flows into LGL

The screenshot below shows how to set up your form mappings:

Remember these key points about mapping your form fields:

  • All of the tribute fields are mapped to the gift record
  • The defaults are using conditional logic to make sure the correct tribute is being assigned (NOTE: The assigned values depend on the options offered in your form.)
  • You need to have previously set up notification templates in your LGL account so that the Tribute Notification Template fields are there to map to in the defaults you will set up, shown in the screenshot above.

Scenario 3 - Mapping an LGL form to collect many gifts to a named tribute

When a person is being honored or memorialized and you expect to receive multiple gifts in their honor or memory, you can set up a named tribute to track these gifts and send acknowledgments and notifications for them. You can then offer your constituents an LGL form where they can submit their gifts online.

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