How do we set up "Pay it forward" adoptions?

Many organisations have a process whereby one person pays for another person to adopt a pet, whether they are labelled "pay it forward adoptions", "sponsored adoptions", or something else. 

Although Shelter Buddy doesn't have a bespoke method of recording these, it nevertheless can do so and even allow for a few different variations, depending on what works best for your specific organisation. 

Part 1 - Setting Up

1. Depending on your process, you may wish to set up a unique GL Code to assign these payments to or you might prefer to use a standard Adoption GL Code. For information on creating a GL Code, click here. 
2. Set up a Campaign specifically for payment towards these adoptions. For more information about creating a Campaign, see our help guide here. 
3. Set up a Product/Service equivalent to your regular adoptions fees if required (e.g. if you don't want your users to have to manually enter the payment amount for the person paying for the adoption).
   • If the GL Code you are using for the Campaign is unique to the Campaign, you can mark the GL Code "Requires Campaign" and then it will insist on a campaign being selected whenever it is assigned to a receipt. 
4. Set up an Adoption Fee Group to help you identify this type of adoption, even if it means the adoption fee paid by the adopting family is $0.00.
   • You will need a discount GL Code for this process. To do this go into Administration > Adoption Administration > Adoption Fee Groups.
   • Set for each relevant Animal Type.
   • Make sure the name of it makes it easily identifiable.
   • For more information on creating Adoption Fee Groups, click here.
5. When setting the Adoption Fee Group fees, there are two variations here: 
   • The simple $0 method means that you only need to set up an adoption fee group that contains a 0$ amount assigned to the relevant GL Code. 
   • The complex discount $0 method is as follows: 
     • Click Add Fee Group
     • Enter Fee Description (e.g. "Sponsored Adoption")
     • Include any other variables (age range if required, registration/license option if required)
     • Click Save
     • You new Fee will show without any amounts assigned. Click Add Fee
     • Enter a fee amount (e.g. '100'). Do not include a $ or decimal point. 
     • Assign the relevant Gl Code (e.g. the usual Adoption GL Code)
     • Click Save
     • Click Add Fee
     • Enter the discount amount (e.g. if the entire amount of a $100 adoption is sponsored, enter '100' again)
     • Assign this amount to the DISCOUNT GL Code (For more information on setting up Discount GL Codes, click here. 
     • Click Save

Part 2 - Processing the Paying Customer

When a customer comes in to pay the fee for the adoption of a pet they are not, themselves adopting, follow these steps:

1.  Search for the Person. If they do not yet exist, create a record for them. 
2. From the Person Details page and click "Add Receipt" from the Person Menu
   OR
   Click "Sell Product/Service" in the Person Menu and in the pop-up search page, find and add the Sponsored Adoption option you set up earlier
   OR 
   Scroll down to the Person Categories at the bottom of the page > Click Donor* > Click Add Receipt
   (*This method guarantees the payment shows as a Donation on all reports)
3. On the Receipt page: 
   • Select the Payment Method
   • Enter the Payment Amount
           OR
   • Click Add Product/Service and add the Product/Service item you set up as an equivalent to an Adoption Fee. This will update the Payment Amount automatically.
   • Allocate the fees to a GL Code if this has not been done automatically. 
   • Make sure the Campaign you set up earlier is assigned to the row. 
   • Finalise the receipt
4. Give a copy of the receipt to your customer as required. 
5. If the sponsored fee is to be assigned to a specific animal, we would recommend you search for that Animal record and assign the Adoption Fee Group set for these adoptions to it immediately.
6. It might be worth adding an additional marker to the animal record to make it easy for users to see this pet has a sponsored adoption. Some trackable fields you can use for this purpose are: 
   • Sub-Status
   • Animal Icon
   • Alternative Placement
7. Don't forget to Save!

Part 3 - Processing the Adopting Customer

1. Search for the Person Details page as per normal. If the person does not exist, create a record for them. 
2. From the Person Details page, scroll down to the Person Categories at the bottom of the page and click on the option Adoption.
3. Click the relevant option from the menu (depending on whether it is a single or multiple adoptions)
4. Search for the Animal(s) being adopted. 
5. If the sponsored fee was for a specific animal, that animal's Adoption Fee field will already display the sponsored adoption fee group. If no specific animal was assigned, select the pertinent fee group from the Adoption Fees drop-down now as relevant.
6. Process the remainder of the Adoption as normal. 
7. On the Receipt Processing page, the Payment Amount should show as $0.00 (or whatever the discounted amount should be). 
8. Set the Payment Method (if there is no fee, select "Free of Charge")
9. The Adoption Fee Group will have already assigned the relevant amounts to the proper GL Codes. 
10. Finalise any additional payments (e.g. products & services sold)
11. Have the customer sign the receipt if required
12. Click Update and Print. 

Part 4 - Tracking and Reporting. 

1. Tracking how many people have paid for a sponsored adoption can be done via the Campaign or GL Code (or Product/Service if you used one). Reports that track this field include (in no particular order):
   •  310 Campaign Management by GL Code
   • 328 Campaign Totals
   • 629 Detailed Donation by GL Code
   • 138 Campaign Results
   • 665 Products and Services Sold (if Product/Service was used)
2. Tracking how many animals assigned a sponsored adoption (in care) can be done using any of these reports:
   • 3 Available for Adoption Report (Fee Group, Sub-Status, Icon)
   • 226 In Care Inventory (Sub-Status, Icon, Alternative Placement)
   • 612 Animal Status Report (Sub-Status only)
   • You can also go to the Advanced Animal Search Page and filter an in care search using Sub-Status, Icon, or Alternative Placement. 
3. Tracking how many animals have been adopted via sponsored adoption fees can be done using any of these reports: 
   • 198 Outgoing Animal Detail List (Sub-Status, Alternative Placement)
   • 196 Adopted List Report (Sub-Status, Adoption Fee Group)
   • 222 Adopters Report (Sub-Status, Adoption Fee Group) 
   • You can also go to the Advanced Animal Search Page and filter a "Last Outgoing Date" search using Sub-Status, Icon, or Alternative Placement. 

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