GiftWrap Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I’m concerned about the responsibility of administering our planned gifts in-house. How can GiftWrap help?
A: At the application level, GiftWrap contains many safeguards that help ensure that the data you enter complies with rules for specific gift vehicles. Users will also benefit from the depth of experience and expertise of PG Calc staff that are available for client support. It’s the same staff that builds, tests, and uses the application for PG Calc’s gift administration services, and there’s no gift administration issue we haven’t faced and addressed.
Q: How does GiftWrap differ from a fundraising database?
A: GiftWrap’s functionality is not comparable to a fundraising database.GiftWrap doesn’t just store data; GiftWrap performs computations important to a planned giving program, such as FASB 116/117 liabilities, gift annuity reserves, and expectancies. Without GiftWrap, reports like these might take days of work with spreadsheets or the services of outside professionals.
Q: Will gift information files (.gft and .tax) from Planned Giving Manager (PGM) work with GiftWrap 4.0?
A: Users will need to be running the most current version of PGM (6.3) in order to create GiftWrap Gift Information files in the new format (.gftx) to upload into GiftWrap 4.0.
Q: How is the performance of GiftWrap?
A: GiftWrap 4.0 performance is good! GiftWrap 4.0 was designed and built to provide users with an experience similar to the desktop version of the application. In most instances, GiftWrap 4.0 performance equals that of the desktop application, while in some instances, including CashTrac, FASB and 1099 Tax Summary reports, GiftWrap 4.0 performance is better. When running in a hosted environment over the Internet, GiftWrap 4.0 user interface performance will be similar to that of the desktop application. In some instances, most notably when GiftWrap 4.0 has to “post back” to the server to obtain and display data, GiftWrap 4.0 performance is somewhat slower than that of the desktop application, as measured in seconds. We have made every effort possible to minimize the instances in which GiftWrap has to post back to the server. When running over a corporate WAN, GiftWrap 4.0 performance will consistently equal to or exceeds that of the desktop application if recommended server and network configurations are in place.
Q: Is my data secure on Web-based GiftWrap?
A: Yes, both during the migration process from previous versions of GiftWrap or another database to GiftWrap 4.0 and on an ongoing basis. We have contracted with Rackspace, one of the nation’s top web hosting providers. They maintain a sophisticated, high-capacity infrastructure with state of the art monitoring, redundant power, comprehensive physical security, continuous availability, and unparalleled support. Rackspace has full SAS 70 Type II certification and works with many major financial institutions.
In addition to being hosted in a secure environment, the application has many native security features, including two levels of database encryption and more. Using Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), the entire GiftWrap 4.0 database is encrypted. In addition, selected fields, including social security numbers and dates of birth, are encrypted a second time, to further ensure data privacy and integrity.
GiftWrap 4.0 supports both user and role based access control. The resulting two-level access control model allows you to create authorized users whose access to the application and to your data is strictly limited by you. Role and user based access allows you the flexibility to create an access control model that conforms to your workflow and operating policies. Add to that a robust audit trail accessible only to the administrator.
Download the GiftWrap Security FAQ document to learn more about the security safeguards that PG Calc has implemented to protect your data.
Q: Are GiftWrap data files suitable for use with PG Calc's BatchCalcs Service?
A: Yes. Users can create a data file of donor names, addresses, and birth dates for use by PG Calc's BatchCalcs Service. This service adds personalized planned gift calculations, such as the charitable deduction and gift annuity rate, to a planned giving mailing.
Q: How do I choose between the two implementation options?
A: PG Calc makes GiftWrap 4.0 available as a hosted application with pages served securely over the public Internet for those customers who want to relieve themselves of the cost and effort required to run the GiftWrap 4.0 application. GiftWrap 4.0 is also available as an enterprise application for customers who want to manage the application themselves. Whether hosted or enterprise, GiftWrap 4.0 provides the same comprehensive set of planned gift administration tools, calculations, and reports.
Your decision to host with PG Calc will depend on a variety of factors, including the following:
- size of your planned giving program
- availability of IT support resources
- available budget
- internal IT policy
Most charities will choose to host with PG Calc, as this is the most cost effective option for small, medium and large programs. Large financial institutions and very large charities may have the internal IT resources required to support an enterprise implementation. In these instances, the hosting decision may turn on the balance between cost and control. For those organizations in between, the decision will typically turn on the question of available IT resources required to make the enterprise commitment.
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