Managing Sponsorship Payments (Admin Guide)
For Admin Users of the Sponsorships Module
In the Sponsorships module, recurring payments are linked directly to sponsor-child relationships. This guide explains how sponsorship payments are structured, how to stop or adjust them, and what actions do or do not impact recurring donations.
Contents
How Sponsorship Payments Work
- Each sponsorship type defines the standard donation amount.
- Sponsors can optionally add an additional amount to give above the base.
- Sponsors cannot lower the base amount individually.
- Payments are processed through a recurring gift tied to the sponsee (child).
Admin users can update sponsorship type amounts system-wide via Sponsorship Settings if needed. This will impact all sponsors who are currently using that sponsorship type.
| Action |
Linked Sponsorship |
Regular Donation |
| Change recurring amount | (except additional amount) | |
| Cancel recurring gift | Must contact admin | Can cancel any time |
| Edit schedule | View only | Full access |
| Add/remove additional donation amount | | |
Sponsors can view and manage sponsorships in their portal but cannot remove or cancel them directly.
Sponsors can update their payment information to a new credit/debit card or pre-authorized debit at any time.
- Go to the Sponsorship Info section in the admin view
- Click the red Remove Sponsor button
- In the pop-up, check the box for “Stop Recurring Donation”
- Confirm removal
If you uncheck the box, the recurring gift will continue but will no longer be linked to any child.
What Happens When You Change a Child’s Status?
You can define automatic status updates under:
Sponsorship Menu > Sponsorship Settings > Status Tags
Status changes happen when:
- A sponsorship begins
- A sponsorship ends
Changing a child’s status tag manually will not affect any sponsorships or payments.
Common Scenarios
A sponsor is giving more than the required amount and wants to reduce it:
- Admins can guide them to reduce the additional amount to $0
- The base amount cannot be lowered per person
A child has left the program, but the sponsor wants to keep giving:
- Unlink the sponsor and uncheck “Stop Recurring Donation”
- The donation will continue and can be linked to a new sponsee later
A sponsor wants to stop giving entirely:
- Admin removes the sponsorship link and checks “Stop Recurring Donation”
Additional Admin Controls
- All recurring gifts — including sponsorship-linked ones — can be found in the Giving module
- Admins can view/update recurring gifts via:
Accounting > Financial Settings > Recurring Giving Profiles
Summary
- Sponsorship amounts are fixed by type; sponsors can only adjust the optional additional amount
- Only admins can cancel or unlink a sponsorship
- Status tag changes don’t control sponsorships — but sponsorships can trigger status changes (based on your settings)
- Removing a sponsorship and checking the box will stop the recurring payment
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