2027 Gift Projections in Salesforce

A short proposal for entering expected 2027 gifts, grants and major gifts alike, and reporting on them alongside the budget. Five quick questions at the end; your answers come straight to me.

What it would do

One list of every gift expected in 2027: grants, plus major gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations. Each projection records:

DonorWho the gift is expected from
AmountWhat you expect to receive
MonthWhen you expect it
FundWhere it will be designated
Likelihood30%, 60% or 90%

Salesforce then calculates a weighted amount (expected amount × likelihood), so totals reflect realistic expectations rather than best case.

The 2027 projection report

Projections by month and by the same budget categories you use now:

Budget categoryExpectedWeightedReceived to date
Membership———
Summit Stewardship & Trails———
Education———
Unrestricted & Other———

Illustration of the layout; figures fill in once projections are entered. Each row opens to the individual donors behind it.

From projection to gift

Enter projection→ Update likelihood as conversations progress→ Gift arrives and is linked to it→ Report shows projected vs received

Projections never count as revenue. They stay out of the giving reports until the money comes in, so the revenue figures you are already using are unaffected.

How I would build it

Salesforce already has a grant pipeline with stage, requested amount, likelihood and a weighted projected amount. I would extend that same list to cover major gifts that are not grants, rather than start a second one.

Grants and major gifts then sit in one place, are entered the same way, and roll into one report. Nothing changes for how grants work today.

Five questions before I start

Pick the closest answer and add anything I should know.

1. What counts as a major gift for projections?

2. Individual gifts only, or lump estimates too?

3. Is the likelihood scale right?

4. Multi-year commitments

5. Who will enter or update projections?

Anything else?

Your answers save in this browser as you go, so you can come back to finish.