The development director wants a code for the gala: board members get 20% off, sponsors’ guests register free, and the early-bird rate ends Friday. Before you promise any of that, answer one question: in Altru, is this event a ticketed program or a special event with registration? The answer decides whether a discount code is even the right tool.
Two kinds of “event” in Altru
Altru handles admission-style events and fundraising-style events differently, and staff often use the word “event” for both.
- Ticketed programs and scheduled events (a lantern walk, a members’ night with timed entry, a lecture series) are sold through daily sales, advance sales, and online ticketing. Altru’s discount tools are built around this sales flow.
- Special events with registration (galas, golf outings, donor dinners) use registration options, registrants, and event revenue. These are tracked for fundraising and guest management, and their pricing is set on the registration options themselves.
Discounts and promotional codes are well established on the ticketing side. Whether a discount can be applied to a special event registration, and especially whether a registrant can enter a code on an online registration form, is less clear-cut and can depend on how your database and web forms are set up. Don’t assume either way. Build a test event in a sandbox (or a clearly labeled test event you delete afterward), try the exact scenario you need, and if it doesn’t behave, ask Blackbaud support before you announce anything to donors.
If the event is ticketed: use a discount with a code
For a program sold like admission, the usual approach is a dedicated discount tied to that program and limited to online use with a code. A few setup decisions matter more than the mechanics:
- One discount per audience. “BOARD20” and “SPONSORGUEST” should be separate discounts, not one shared code. Separate discounts give you separate counts in reports, and you can turn one off without breaking the other.
- Scope it narrowly. Limit the discount to the specific program or price types it is meant for. A code that also works on general admission will eventually get posted on a coupon site.
- Set start and end dates. An early-bird code with no end date is a code that runs until someone notices.
- Decide whether staff can apply it at the desk. Guests will show up saying “I had a code.” Tell desk staff whether to honor it in person, and make sure the discount is available in daily sales if the answer is yes.
- Test the full purchase. Run a real transaction on the live web form with the code, check the price, then check how the discount appears on the order and in revenue. Refund it afterward.
If the event uses registration: build the price into the options
For galas and donor events, the most dependable approach is usually to treat each discounted price as its own registration option instead of a code applied on top.
- Early-bird pricing: create an “Early Bird” registration option at the lower price, then remove or hide it from the web form when the deadline passes. Write the cutoff date on your calendar, because nothing will remind you.
- Board or member rates: a separate option such as “Board Member” or “Member Rate.” If you don’t want the public seeing it, put it on a separate registration form and send that link only to the eligible group. The link becomes the “code.”
- Comped guests: a zero-dollar “Sponsor Guest” or “Complimentary” option keeps those registrants counted for headcount, seating, and catering without inventing a fake payment.
The trade-off: a private link can be forwarded, and unlike a code you can’t easily switch it off for one person. For small invite lists, that risk is usually acceptable. For anything larger, have someone review registrations on the restricted option against the invite list a few days before the event.
Keep the fundraising numbers honest
Discounts on fundraising events affect more than revenue totals. Before launch, talk to whoever handles gift processing and acknowledgments about two things:
- Fair market value and deductible amount. If a $250 gala ticket is sold for $200, the benefit the guest receives hasn’t changed, so the deductible portion shrinks. Confirm how your registration options record benefits so receipts show the right figure.
- Reporting by source. If the goal is to know which group drove registrations, separate options or separate discounts make that a simple query. A single generic code makes it guesswork.
Communicate it before guests do
Most discount problems show up as phone calls, not in the database. A short internal note prevents most of them:
- Each code or rate, who it’s for, and when it expires.
- Whether front desk and phone staff can apply it manually.
- What to say when someone has an expired code (honor it, or offer the current rate).
- Who to contact if a code isn’t working on the website.
After the event, pull a quick query of registrations or orders by discount or option. It tells you whether the early-bird push actually moved sales earlier, and gives you a starting point for next year.
Quick answers
Can one code work across several events?
On the ticketing side, a discount can typically be applied to more than one program, but broad codes are harder to control. Separate codes per event usually make reporting cleaner.
Can I limit how many times a code is used?
Don’t rely on it without testing. Check what limits your version of Altru supports in a sandbox, and if none fit, use a capped registration option or a private form with a guest limit instead.
