Welcome to Module 2! When you log onto FastFund Online, the first screen you encounter is the Dashboard. Think of the Dashboard as your mission control center. All navigation throughout the FastFund application originates here.
For development professionals, the Fund Raising Dashboard provides a dynamic, visual representation of your financial data. It displays real-time Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics that monitor the health of your fundraising efforts, helping you make informed management decisions.
In this lesson, we will explore the key metrics displayed on your Dashboard and how to interact with them.
1. Dashboard Timeframes
By default, the financial information displayed on your Fund Raising Dashboard is based on your organization’s Fiscal Year-To-Date up to the current system date. As you enter new transactions, the data updates dynamically. If you prefer to view your metrics based on the Calendar Year-To-Date, or lock the dashboard to a specific date (like the end of a previous fiscal year), you can easily adjust this in your user Preferences.
2. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Widgets
The Dashboard organizes your data into easily digestible widgets and charts. Here are the core metrics you will see:
- Donations This Month / Donations This Year: These widgets display the total cash gifts and pledge payments received. Note: Open pledge balances are not included in these totals. These sections also highlight the total number of donations received, your average donation amount, and the number of new donors acquired.
- InKinds This Year: This summarizes your non-cash contributions. It displays the total dollar value of in-kind donations, the total number of contributions received, and the average in-kind amount.
- Pledge Summary: Displays the total open pledge balance currently owed to your organization.
[INSERT SCREENSHOT: Display the top half of the Fund Raising Dashboard highlighting the ‘Donations This Year’, ‘Donations This Month’, ‘InKinds This Year’, and ‘Pledge Summary’ summary boxes.]
3. Visual Charts and Graphs
To help you quickly analyze giving trends and the motivation behind your donations, FastFund provides interactive visual charts:
- Appeals Pie Chart: A year-to-date summary of all donations received for each of your appeals (events, mailings, etc.). The pie chart visually represents the total donation amount for each appeal. If you have more than ten active appeals, only the top ten are displayed, and all others are grouped together into an “Other” category.
- Gifts Pie Chart: Similar to the Appeals chart, this is a year-to-date summary of the specific gift designations chosen by your donors. It displays the top ten active gifts by total donation amount, grouping the remainder into “Other.”
- Donations by Month Line Graph: A visual plot of your total donations received for each month of the year. You can place your mouse pointer over the dot on each month’s vertical axis to reveal the exact dollar amount raised that month.
[INSERT SCREENSHOT: Display the bottom half of the Fund Raising Dashboard showing the ‘Appeals’ and ‘Gifts’ pie charts alongside the ‘Donations by Month’ line graph.]
4. Interactive Drill-Downs and Icons
The Dashboard is not just a static picture; it is an interactive tool designed to get you to the detailed data you need instantly.
- Question Mark Icon: Located in the upper right corner of the dashboard widgets. Click this icon to view a helpful hint explaining exactly what data the graphic element represents.
- Directional Arrow Icon: Located next to the Question Mark. Clicking this “drill-down” link takes you directly to the detailed summary report associated with that widget. For example, clicking the Directional Arrow on the Appeals Pie Chart will instantly generate and open your Appeal Summary Report.
5. Actionable Lists
Depending on your daily workflows, you may also see actionable lists at the bottom of your Dashboard:
- Upcoming Recurring Transactions: Displays transactions scheduled to post in the next specific number of days, showing the date, transaction type, and memo. You can click the transaction date to view details.
- Unposted Transactions: Displays unposted journal entries or imported batch transactions waiting for your review.
- Notifications: Displays alerts, such as recently posted automatic recurring transactions.