Donor types explained¶
In short: Every donor has a Donor Type chosen from eight options — Individual, Company, Company (Public), CC, NPC, Trust, Association and Estate. Individual and Estate are people (First Name + Last Name); the other six are entities (Entity Name). The type also decides how the donor's ID or registration number is validated.
Overview¶
When you add a donor you must choose a Donor Type. The type tells ActiveDonor whether the donor is a person or an organisation, which name fields to collect, and how to validate the donor's identity and registration numbers for Section 18A certificates (tax certificates that let a South African donor claim a SARS deduction). This article explains every type and what it means.
Before you start¶
The Donor Type dropdown appears in the Add New Donor window and again on the full donor form. You can change a donor's type later by editing the donor — but switching between a person type and an entity type swaps the name and identity fields between First/Last Name and Entity Name. See Editing a donor's details.
The eight donor types¶
The Donor Type dropdown offers exactly these options:
- Individual — a single private person. Collects a First Name and Last Name. Treated as a person.
- Company — a private company (typically a (Pty) Ltd). Collects an Entity Name. Treated as an entity.
- Company (Public) — a public company. Collects an Entity Name. Treated as an entity. Stored internally as the value
Public Company. - CC — a Close Corporation. Collects an Entity Name. Treated as an entity.
- NPC — a Non-Profit Company. Collects an Entity Name. Treated as an entity.
- Trust — a trust. Collects an Entity Name. Treated as an entity.
- Association — an association (for example a voluntary association of persons). Collects an Entity Name. Treated as an entity.
- Estate — a deceased estate. Collects a First Name and Last Name. Treated as a person.
Person types versus entity types¶
ActiveDonor groups the types into two behaviours:
- Person types are Individual and Estate. The form shows First Name and Last Name (both required), and the donor is shown by full name.
- Entity types are Company, Company (Public), CC, NPC, Trust and Association. The form shows an Entity Name (required), and the donor is shown by organisation name with a building icon.
How the type affects identity and tax fields¶
The type controls what counts as a valid identity or registration number in the Tax Information section:
- For an Individual, you choose an ID Type of ID or Passport and a Country of Issue. A South African ID number must be 13 valid digits (and a non-South African individual must use a Passport).
- For Company, Company (Public), CC, NPC, Trust and Association, the registration number is validated against the South African company-registration format CCYY/NNNNNN/MM (for example
2015/123456/07). - A Tax No. (a SARS tax reference number, 10 digits) can be recorded for any type.
On the donor's profile, the Tax Information panel shows the type as a badge and labels the registration number by type — for example "Trust Number", "CC Number" or "Company Number" — and "ID Number" or "Passport Number" for individuals. Full validation detail is in Adding tax and ID information to a donor.
📌 Note: Estate is treated as a person but, because it isn't a living individual, it is not validated as a South African ID — capture the relevant estate or master's reference number in the ID/registration field.
Field reference¶
| Type | Stored value | Name fields | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | Individual |
First Name, Last Name | Person |
| Company | Company |
Entity Name | Entity |
| Company (Public) | Public Company |
Entity Name | Entity |
| CC | CC |
Entity Name | Entity |
| NPC | NPC |
Entity Name | Entity |
| Trust | Trust |
Entity Name | Entity |
| Association | Association |
Entity Name | Entity |
| Estate | Estate |
First Name, Last Name | Person |
Common issues & solutions¶
| What you see | What it means | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| The form asks for an Entity Name but you have a person | An entity type is selected. | Choose Individual (or Estate for a deceased estate) to get First Name and Last Name. |
| Reports show Public Company when you chose Company (Public) | That is expected. | "Company (Public)" is stored and reported as Public Company. |
| "Invalid Registration Number: Format should be CCYY/NNNNNN/MM." | An entity registration number is the wrong format. | Re-enter as CCYY/NNNNNN/MM. See Adding tax and ID information to a donor. |
| "Donor type … is not recognised and cannot be submitted to SARS." | A bare "Entity" type can't be mapped to a SARS code. | Set a specific type: Individual, Company, Company (Public), CC, NPC, Trust, Association or Estate. |
FAQ¶
What's the difference between Company and Company (Public)?
Company is a private company (usually (Pty) Ltd); Company (Public) is a public company, stored and reported as Public Company.
Which type do I use for a CC or a trust? Use CC for a Close Corporation and Trust for a trust. Both are entity types and collect an Entity Name and a registration number.
Can I change a donor from Individual to a company later? Yes — edit the donor and change the Donor Type. Switching between person and entity swaps the name fields, so re-check the name and identity fields afterwards. See Editing a donor's details.
Why is my entity's registration number rejected? Entity registration numbers must follow CCYY/NNNNNN/MM (year, six digits, two-digit company-type code). See Adding tax and ID information to a donor.
Related¶
- Adding a donor (types and required fields)
- Adding tax and ID information to a donor
- Editing a donor's details