Working in a nonprofit environment is a lot like working in a public or private company: you have to work hard to make a difference, you have to make sure your customers are happy, and you have to always keep an eye on the bottom line.  But when it comes to finances, the two types of organizations can differ wildly.  Sure, most larger nonprofit organizations are like private companies in how they run their accounting departments and keep their financial records, but nonprofits have the added responsibility of tracking and recognizing giving from their donors.

There are two general ways you can count and total up gifts to a fundraising organization: you can count the total funds Received or you can count the total funds someone has Committed to your organization.

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