Fundraising & Donations
October 1, 2025 · Last updated on November 4, 2025
Recipe: Pay-It-Forward Program
# fundraising
# recipes for success
Makes: An opportunity for customers to donate and help provide free tickets for community members
Free and subsidized ticket programs allow members of your community to access the arts when they might not otherwise be able to. With this recipe, you’ll prompt customers to contribute to a Pay-It-Forward fund at the point of booking, helping you raise money in a seamless and scalable way.
By integrating the ask directly into the purchase path, you create an easy and effective way for customers to support your mission.
- A Restricted Fund set up in Spektrix
- Financial Account Codes for reconciliation
- Access to the Insights & Mailings interface
- Optional: Dotdigital for automated thank you emails
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Ongoing Maintenance: Low
- Make it easy for customers to support inclusive ticketing through donations
- Track and report on contributions to the Pay-It-Forward fund
- Identify supporters and engage them in ongoing fundraising efforts
- Restricted Fund: A dedicated fund for collecting donations toward a specific purpose
- Financial Account Codes: Used to support internal reconciliation and reporting
- Customer Criteria and Event Criteria: Define when and for whom the donation ask appears
- Dotdigital Follow-up (optional): Send automated thank-you emails to recent donors
Build your Fund
- In Spektrix, create a new Fund titled something like “Pay It Forward.”
- Add a short description explaining the purpose and impact of the program.
- Assign any required Account Codes to support reconciliation.
- Choose Event Criteria — this could include all ticket sales or specific events.
- Set the Customer Criteria — apply to everyone or target specific segments.
- Set a Suggested Donation Amount, ideally based on the average ticket price.
- You could scale the ask based on basket size for higher average gifts.
Prepare Your Reporting
- Schedule a daily report to track donations:
- Go to Insights & Mailings > Report Schedules
- Add the Donations Report
Use the “by Accounting Date” criteria and select “Yesterday”
- In the Fund setup, check “Display on Web.”
- Brief your Box Office and Sales team so they’re prepared for in-person donation asks.
- The fund will now automatically prompt customers to donate at checkout.
Create a follow-up fund for returning donors.
- Use an Autotag to identify customers who have already donated to Pay It Forward
- Create a second fund with this tag set as the Customer Criteria
- Customize the copy to thank them for their support and invite them to give again
This approach helps deepen relationships while making the ask feel personal and appreciative.
↗️Introduction to Locks
Learn what locks (set asides or holds) are, how they work in Spektrix, and how they can be used to reserve seats for access, press, agents, or special segments.
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