Atlas — gift entry End-to-end reference v1 · 4 May 2026

Twelve gift types, one source of truth.

Atlas handles every gift type the PRD §5.2 calls out — but each has its own routing, fields, and receipt rule. This page maps every type from where you enter it to what receipt fires, in IRS-Pub-1771-compliant terms.

7
Receipt-eligible
4
Hard-block (soft credit only)
1
Special tax form (QCD)
2
Dedicated screens

Quick decision flow

Three questions decide which screen you land on and what happens next.

1 · Is the gift in shares of stock?
Stock has a separate IRS valuation rule (high+low/2) and dedicated handling.
Captures shares × security · trade date · sale proceeds · gain / loss. Receipt shows shares only — no $.
NO ↓
Continue.
2 · Is this an instalment on an existing pledge?
Pledge payments auto-decrement balance and link to the pledge schedule.
Pick the pledge first · record payment · auto-balance · receipt shows pledge balance.
NO ↓
Continue.
3 · Everything else: open atlas-gift-entry.html
Pick the type chip — Atlas swaps the form fields per type and surfaces the right receipt rule.
Receiptable
Cash · Check · Credit card · ACH · In-kind · QCD · Pledge — full Pub-1771 receipt fires.
Hard-block
DAF · Matching · Foundation · Corporate — receipt blocked; soft-credit acknowledgement letter issued instead.

The 12 types at a glance

What each type asks for, where it lives, and what fires when you save.

Type
Where to enter
Receipt
Soft credit
Special
Cash
atlas-gift-entry · type chip
✓ Issued
Optional
Check
atlas-gift-entry · type chip
✓ Issued
Optional
Check # field
Credit card
Auto-synced from GiveCentral · or manual
✓ Issued
Optional
Last 4, processor
ACH
Auto-synced from GiveCentral · or manual
✓ Issued
Optional
Bank last 4
Stock
atlas-stock-gift (dedicated)
✓ Issued · no $
Optional
Shares × HL/2 · sale proceeds
In-kind
atlas-gift-entry · type chip
✓ Issued · description only
Optional
No $ · description required
DAF
atlas-gift-entry · type chip (amber)
✗ Blocked
Required
Distributing org + recommender
Matching
atlas-gift-entry · type chip (amber)
✗ Blocked
Required
Employer org · matched-gift link
Foundation
atlas-gift-entry · type chip (amber)
✗ Blocked
Required
Foundation org
Corporate
atlas-gift-entry · type chip (amber)
✗ Blocked
Required
Company org
Pledge pmt
atlas-pledge-payment (dedicated)
✓ Issued · shows pledge bal.
Inherited from pledge
Auto-decrements balance
QCD
atlas-gift-entry · type chip
✓ Issued · no IRA tax bill
Not applicable
Donor must be 70½+

The receipt-eligible types

Cash · Check · Credit card · ACH · Stock · In-kind · QCD · Pledge — full Pub-1771 receipt fires automatically.

Cash
Receipt
Openatlas-gift-entry.html → type chip "Cash"
RequiredDonor · amount · gift date · designation (Campaign → Appeal → Fund)
OptionalDeposit location · note · soft-credit recipients
Receipt ruleCash receipt template · Pub 1771 §A · "no goods or services"
Auto-issued in < 60sPDF emailed to primary email · attached to donor timeline · GL fund credited tonight via QuickBooks export.
Pick donorType=CashAmount + dateDesignationSaveReceipt fires
Check
Receipt
Openatlas-gift-entry.html → type chip "Check"
RequiredDonor · amount · gift date · check # · designation
OptionalMemo · payor name (if different from donor) · soft credits
Receipt ruleCash receipt template (checks treated identically to cash for receipt purposes)
Receipt issued · check # on internal recordThe donor's PDF receipt mirrors the cash template; check # is for your reconciliation only.
DonorType=CheckAmount + check #DesignationSave
Credit card
Receipt · usually auto
OpenAuto-synced from GiveCentral payment forms (60s p95) · or manual atlas-gift-entry.html → "Credit card"
Auto-capturedCard brand · last 4 · processor · transaction ID · receipt routing
Required (manual)Donor · amount · last 4 · processor
Receipt ruleCash receipt template · receipt fires on settlement (~60s after charge)
97% of CC gifts auto-syncManual entry is reserved for declined-then-paid offline cases. Refunds reverse the GL line; the gift stays on the donor record marked "Refunded."
ACH bank transfer
Receipt · usually auto
OpenAuto-synced from GiveCentral · or manual atlas-gift-entry.html → "ACH"
Auto-capturedBank account last 4 · routing prefix · processor · settlement date
Required (manual)Donor · amount · bank last 4
Receipt ruleCash receipt template · receipt fires after settlement (T+3) — not on initiation
3-day settlement windowAtlas marks the gift "Pending settlement" until the ACH clears, then auto-fires the receipt. NSF returns reverse the gift.
Stock
Dedicated screen
Openatlas-stock-gift.html · the only IRS-compliant flow
RequiredDonor · ticker / CUSIP · share count · trade date · high & low of day · designation
CalculatedFMV = (high + low) / 2 × shares · stored separately from sale proceeds
Sale trackingSale date · sale price · fees · net proceeds · realized gain / loss (vs FMV)
Receipt ruleStock-receipt template — shares + security only · no $ · Pub 561 / 1771 §B
Compliance-criticalThe donor uses their own FMV calculation for tax purposes — Atlas never prints a $ value on a stock receipt.
In-kind
Receipt · description only
Openatlas-gift-entry.html → type chip "In-kind"
RequiredDonor · gift date · description (e.g. "12-foot scaffolding rental, 2 weeks")
Optional · internalFMV estimate (for GL booking — never on receipt)
Receipt ruleIn-kind template · description + date only · no $ · donor self-substantiates value
Pub 1771 §B(2)"For gifts of property, the receipt may not include a $ value." Atlas hard-blocks the receipt template if a $ is entered for an in-kind gift.
QCD (IRA)
Special form
Openatlas-gift-entry.html → type chip "QCD"
RequiredDonor (must be 70½+) · IRA custodian · check # from IRA · amount · gift date
Atlas checkDonor DOB lookup — if < 70½, hard-block with explanation
Receipt ruleQCD-receipt template — adds the language "no goods or services… counts toward your RMD"
Tax-coded as $0 to donorQCDs don't enter the donor's AGI — but the gift counts in full on Atlas (no double-count needed). Donor reports on Form 1040 line 4b as "QCD."
Pledge payment
Dedicated screen
Openatlas-pledge-payment.html · pick the pledge first
RequiredPledge · amount · payment date · method (check/CC/ACH/stock/DAF distribution)
Auto-appliedDonor (from pledge) · designation (from pledge) · soft credits (inherited)
Receipt rulePledge-payment template · shows new balance after this payment
Auto-decrements pledge balanceIf this payment fulfils the pledge, status auto-flips to "Fulfilled" and a thank-you cadence triggers. Underpayments roll the schedule.

The hard-block types — soft credit only

Per IRS guidance, these gift types come from a third party (DAF sponsor, employer, foundation, corporation) — Atlas hard-blocks the tax receipt and issues a soft-credit acknowledgement letter to the human donor instead.

DAF — Donor-Advised Fund
No receipt
ExampleSchwab Charitable, Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, parish foundation DAF
Openatlas-gift-entry.html → type chip "DAF" (amber)
RequiredDistributing org (the DAF sponsor) · recommended-by donor · amount · designation
Atlas behaviourReceipt button is grayed-out · soft-credit panel auto-populates with the recommender
Why blockedThe donor already received their tax deduction when they funded the DAF. A second receipt for the distribution would be double-counting.
What fires insteadSoft-credit acknowledgement letter to the recommender — "Thank you for recommending this gift to St. Mary's…" — with no tax language.
Matching gift
No receipt
ExampleAcme Construction matches employee Margaret O'Brien's $1k → another $1k arrives
Openatlas-gift-entry.html → type chip "Matching" (amber)
RequiredEmployer org · amount · linked original gift (the employee's gift Atlas is matching) · designation
Atlas behaviourBoth gifts grouped under the original donor on Donor 360 · employer-corporate-credit shown separately
Why blockedThe corporation deducts on its own return — not the donor's. Issuing a personal receipt would understate the corporation's deduction and overstate the employee's.
What fires insteadSoft-credit letter to the employee · separate corporate ack to the matching company (no tax language to either).
Foundation
No receipt
ExampleDiocesan Foundation, Knights of Columbus, family foundation grant
Openatlas-gift-entry.html → type chip "Foundation" (amber)
RequiredFoundation org (sub-typed = Foundation) · amount · designation · grant award letter (optional upload)
Atlas behaviourReceipt blocked (foundation gets its own internal records) · stewardship workflow triggers a "report-back" reminder per the grant agreement
Why blockedFoundations are themselves §501(c)(3) — they don't need a deductibility receipt. They need a confirmation of receipt with the grant agreement number.
What fires insteadFoundation acknowledgement template — references the grant agreement, lists the funded program, no tax language.
Corporate
No receipt
ExampleDirect corporate sponsorship · table buy at the gala · year-end corporate gift
Openatlas-gift-entry.html → type chip "Corporate" (amber)
RequiredCompany org (sub-typed = Company) · amount · designation
Atlas behaviourSame as Foundation — corporate ack, no personal receipt; soft-credit to the relationship-owner if known
Why blockedCorporations deduct on their own returns — they need a corporate-level acknowledgement, not a personal-deductibility receipt.
What fires insteadCorporate acknowledgement letter · soft-credit to the executive who recommended (if known) · "stewardship event" task auto-created.

Where every gift ends up

Regardless of type, every successful gift lands in the same five places.

1 · Donor 360 timeline
What appearsAn entry in the activity timeline · gift card with type, amount, date, designation · receipt link · soft-credit attributions
2 · Gifts & pledges hub
What appearsRecent gifts table · counts in the KPI strip · type tag (Cash / Check / DAF…)
3 · Campaign detail
What appearsAdds to Pledged / Received / Outstanding · rolls up into appeal & fund · counted in YoY
4 · Receipt or acknowledgement
What appearsPDF receipt for receiptable types · acknowledgement letter for hard-block types · per-entity sender identity
5 · GL export & reports
What appearsQuickBooks / Sage entry on next nightly export · counted in Gifts-by-fund report · reconciliation matched against GiveCentral