# Record a pledge and its payments

Record a donor’s promise to give, collect payments against it, and write off what won’t be paid.

Canonical: https://demo.qixcount.com/help/nonprofit/pledges

Who can do this: Owners, or people with *Record cash gifts*; writing off, canceling or voiding needs *Refund cash gifts*

Where: Nonprofit, then Pledges

You'll need: Approved mappings, an active Operating fund, a donor and an active cash/bank account for payments

## Record a pledge

1. Open **Nonprofit**, then **Pledges**.
2. Select **Record pledge**.
3. Choose the donor, enter the **Pledge date** and **Amount pledged**, and pick the **Fund**.
4. Under **Payment dates**, enter when the donor plans to pay. Select **Add line** for each further payment. The amounts must add up to the amount pledged.
5. Select **Record pledge**.

An unconditional pledge posts on its pledge date: it debits Pledges receivable and credits your contribution revenue account in the fund you chose. The pledge page then shows **Pledged**, **Paid** and **Still owed**.

This guide explains how QixCount works. It isn't tax, legal or accounting advice.

## How restrictions are set

- If you choose a **Donor purpose**, the whole pledge is recorded with donor restrictions under that restriction.
- If you select **The donor meant later payments for this year’s operations**, the whole pledge stays without donor restrictions.
- Otherwise, payment dates in this fiscal year stay without donor restrictions. If some payments fall in later fiscal years, QixCount records the pledge in parts, one per fiscal year, and shows them under **Parts of this pledge**. Each later year’s part is recorded with donor restrictions under its own time restriction, which ends on that year’s last payment date.

Record each payment on the part it pays. When a restricted part’s payment arrives, release that amount from its restriction once the terms are met. See [Release restrictions](https://demo.qixcount.com/help/nonprofit/release-restrictions).

## Record a payment

1. Open the pledge and select **Record payment**.
2. Enter **Received**, **Amount** and **Deposited to**, and any **Check or reference**.
3. Select **Record payment**.

The payment is a cash gift linked to the pledge. It debits the deposit account and credits Pledges receivable in the pledge’s fund and coding, so revenue isn’t counted twice. A payment can’t be more than what is still owed. Send the thank-you letter from the gift. Refunding the gift puts the amount back on the pledge. Donor totals count payments, not promises.

## Conditional pledges

Select **The donor will only give if something happens first** and describe it under **What has to happen**. Nothing posts. When the conditions are met, open the pledge and select **Conditions met**; it posts on the date you enter. **Cancel pledge** closes a conditional pledge that never counted.

## Write off, cancel or void

- **Write off what’s left** posts the amount still owed. An unrestricted pledge goes to an Uncollectible pledges expense. A restricted pledge reduces restricted contribution revenue instead, and is refused if the restriction has already been released below that amount.
- **Void pledge** is for a pledge recorded by mistake with no payments or write-off. It reverses the pledge journal on today’s date.

## Statuses

| Status | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| Open | Money is still owed and nothing is past due. |
| Overdue | Payment dates up to today add up to more than has been paid. |
| Conditional | Waiting on its conditions; nothing posted. |
| Paid | Payments cover the whole pledge. |
| Written off | The rest was written off. |
| Canceled | A conditional pledge closed before it counted. |
| Void | Recorded by mistake and reversed. |