Overview

This is only applicable if your organisation has received a notification email from Donorfy.  

The purpose of the Attachments utility is to enable you to work through each file in turn, re-attaching the missing files, where they are available.

 

What you need to do 

Open Data Management > Attachments (you must be signed in, and have access to Data Management).

 

 

Files which were accidentally removed are listed within this area. The objective is to “action” (i.e. resolve) all of the files. Either by reinstating the attachments in bulk or manually resolving them one by one.

This is what you see on the Attachments screen:

 

 

Include Actioned button - setting this to Yes will display all files. Setting it to No will just show those that have not yet been marked as Actioned.

On each row, to the right of the screen (you may need to maximise your browser window) you will see either an Action button , or if the item has already been actioned it will display a Closed icon . Closed items cannot be reopened.

 

Filename - this is the name of the attachment that was attached. Clicking on the filename will download the attachment to your computer so that it can be viewed. 

 

 

Latest connection - this contains the location of the most recently uploaded version of the file, the one that would be used for the bulk reinstatement of the attachment.

 

Constituents Affected - This is the total number of constituents who had an attachment with that same file name. Clicking on the number will open up a view featuring the constituents' details, as well as an option to download the file. 

 

Activities - This shows the Activity Type(s) to which the file had been attached, and how many activities there are for each type. Clicking on the Activity Type will open up a view of the Activities. Clicking on the Activity Number will open up the activity.
There is also an option to download the file and mark the item as Actioned (see action section).

 

GADs  - This is the total number of Gift Aid Declarations to which a file of the same name had been attached. Clicking on the number will display a list of the GADs. By clicking on the GAD number it will open up the GAD.
There is also an option to download the file and mark the item as Actioned (see action section). 

 

Major Donor Prospects - This is the total number of constituents who had the file attached on the Constituent Prospect Attachments panel. Clicking on the Major Donor Prospects number will open up a list of all the constituents concerned.

 

Opportunities - This is the total number of Opportunities which had an attachment with that same file name. Clicking on the number will open up a view featuring the Opportunity details, including the main constituent details, the Opportunity Number, Opportunity Date, Opportunity status and amounts.

Action button

 

This button offers two options:

• Mark as Actioned - this is used to denote that no further action is required. This can apply whether a file was re-attached or not.
• Reinstate - this option re-attaches the file to all items in this row that have not been marked as Actioned.

Once either of these options has been selected, the status of that file is changed to Closed and can not be reopened.

 

Please be aware that the file you’ve been working on may be in a different place in the list after you have actioned the items within it. For example, you have sorted the list by Activities (say), and having resolved some of them and therefore reducing the number of those that still need resolving, it slips further down the list. To avoid this you might want to sort the list on something that doesn’t change - eg the filename.

 

Reviewing the files, and actions you can take to resolve

Each file falls into one of the following categories:

1. Files where the content is the same, across all constituents from whose timeline they are missing For example “Spring Events.pdf” or “Newsletter July 2023.doc” would likely be the same for everyone. We can reinstate these in bulk (see below).
2. Files where the content was different, despite the file name being the same. For example: “Inbound letter.pdf”, “GAD.jpg” or “Volunteer application form.pdf” would likely have different content in each case. These need to be dealt with manually on a case-by-case basis (see below).

 

The utility enables you to review the files, downloading them to see them in more detail if you wish. As you work through the list of files you need to decide - for each file - which of the two categories it falls into.

 

How to reinstate attachments when the file contains the same content for everyone

If the file is in the first category (same content for everyone) you can immediately reinstate the missing attachments to all unactioned timeline entries on this row by clicking on the Action button and selecting Reinstate.

This applies the attachment to each item and marks it in the utility as actioned (i.e. closed).

 

 

How to resolve the manually

For files in the second category where a file - despite having the same name - is specific to a particular constituent timeline item, you will need to manually upload the file (if you have it) to each item and then mark the item as actioned.

Finding the file:

• Find the original file in your electronic, email or manual filing systems
• Re-scan the document, if necessary, and save it in your computer filing system
• Re-upload it into the appropriate place(s) - i.e. the Activity, GAD, Opportunity, Prospect Research (see below).

 

 

If you can not locate the original document, then unfortunately it has been lost. The item can still be marked as actioned so you can work on the remaining files without this one showing in the list.

 

You can action all the items on the row by clicking the action button and selecting Mark as Actioned from the action button at the end of each row. This marks all items in that row as actioned, whether you have attached files to them or not.

 

You can attach files to specific timeline items (Activities, GADs, Opportunities, Major Donor Prospects) within the row individually by clicking on the number in the appropriate column. A screen is displayed showing a list of the items. At this point, you can:

• Open the item (click on the item’s number - a form for that item is revealed) - add the attachment and close.
• Mark as Actioned - by clicking on the Mark as Actioned button on the right of each item.

 

Special note re Gift Aid Declaration attachments

If, having gone through the above steps you still do not have evidence for a donor’s written Gift Aid Declaration, there are further options available:

1. Check the constituent’s timeline to see whether they have other Gift Aid Declarations that cover their donations. For example, some constituents make multiple declarations. If this is true, you will still have the evidence required should you have an HMRC Gift Aid inspection.
   
   
2. Obtain a new Gift Aid Declaration from the donor, covering previous and future donations. This can be another written GAD, or an online GAD (which can be obtained using Donorfy Forms, with or without a donation), or a phone GAD - for which a GAD confirmation will need to be issued.

HMRC have some helpful guidance and a process for recovering GADs.