Adding notes and comments to a donor¶
In short: On the donor's Summary tab, find the Donor Notes: area, type your note, and submit it. You need the Manage Donors permission. Notes are plain text up to 1000 characters, and you can only edit or delete the notes you created.
Overview¶
Notes (called comments in the system) let you record free-text information about a donor that doesn't fit a structured field — for example a phone-call summary, a special request, or context for colleagues. This article explains how to add, edit and delete donor notes.
Before you start¶
You'll need:
- The Manage Donors permission.
- To know that notes are plain text — any formatting/HTML tags you paste in are stripped out, and a note can be up to 1000 characters.
📌 Note: Notes are tied to your user account. You can edit or delete only the notes you created; notes added by colleagues are read-only to you.
Adding a note¶
Step 1: Open the Donor Notes area¶
Open the donor's profile and, on the Summary tab, find the Donor Notes: area at the bottom of the summary panel.
Step 2: Type and submit¶
Type your note in the note box and submit it. It is saved against the donor with your name and the time.
Editing or deleting a note¶
Each note you created shows controls to edit or delete it. You can only change or remove your own notes; a note added by another user at your charity is read-only to you.
What notes are for¶
- Recording a conversation or commitment ("Promised to renew in March").
- Flagging context the structured fields can't hold.
- Leaving information for colleagues who view the same donor.
💡 Tip: Notes are different from reminders, which schedule a future task and can be assigned to a team member. If you need to be prompted to do something later, set a reminder instead — see Setting reminders for a donor.
Field reference¶
| Field | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Note text (message) | Yes | Plain text, up to 1000 characters; HTML/formatting tags are stripped. |
Common issues & solutions¶
| What you see | What it means | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Your note was cut off | Notes are limited to 1000 characters. | Split a long note into several, or summarise. |
| You can't edit or delete a note | You can only change notes you created. | A note added by a colleague can't be edited by you. |
| Your formatting disappeared | Notes are stored as plain text; tags are stripped for safety. | Keep the text plain; formatting isn't supported. |
FAQ¶
Where do I add a note about a donor? On the donor's Summary tab, in the Donor Notes: area. Type and submit.
Can I edit someone else's note? No. You can only edit or delete the notes you created yourself.
Is there a length limit? Yes — 1000 characters per note. Split longer notes into several.
What's the difference between a note and a reminder? A note records information; a reminder schedules a future task you (or a colleague) get prompted about. See Setting reminders for a donor.
Related¶
- Setting reminders for a donor
- Editing a donor's details
- Adding a donor (types and required fields)