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Tools Release Notes

Tools - Releasing June 2026

This release is packed with new and improved features in your MinistryPlatform tools!

star icon indicating a featured enhancement Assign Donor Tool

  • We improved several aspects of the Assign Donor tool! One of the first things you'll notice is the updated look as well as better mobile responsiveness if you're on a phone or tablet.
  • You no longer need to select records before opening the tool. The Select Donations drop-down list will show the 200 most recent unassigned donations if you don't start with a selection. You can also search for specific unassigned donations directly in the tool by clicking the magnifying glass magnifying glass and entering the date, amount, and/or payment type.

    Example of the Assign Donor tool showing the Select Donations drop-down list as well as a magnifying glass icon that, when clicked, opens a modal where you can search for a donation by Donation Date, Donation Amount, and/or Payment Type

  • You can now select multiple donations from the drop-down list. And if the Platform detects records with the exact same notes (like name and email), click Select matching records to instantly group them together. That way, you can assign one donor to all of the selected donations!
  • For possible matches, the information that matches the notes is now highlighted so you can tell why it matched. Plus, you can now click Search contacts to find the exact contact you're looking for based on name, phone number, email, address, or date of birth. Also, in the list of possible matches, minor children display at the bottom. Usually, you won't assign them, but they are available in the tool just in case.

    Gif showing how you can select multiple unassigned donations from the drop-down list and see the matching information highlighted in the notes

  • When the Platform detects that a matched donor has a different address on file than the one provided in the donation notes, you can click Assign and Update. This assigns the donation and updates the donor's address.
  • As you assign and update information in the tool, you'll see a new confirmation message. Complete multiple tasks without having to leave the tool! You can undo an action while it's still in progress or after it happens using the Undo action in the confirmation message.
  • When you click Create New Donor, the information from the Notes is now automatically entered for you. Then, when you save the information, it creates the Contact and Household records, assigns the Envelope Number (if enabled), and assigns the donation.

Add A Payment Tool

  • You can choose whether a participant's end date affects how they display in the Add A Payment tool. When you create a new event participant within the tool, select Ignore End Date to see participants with end dates in the list.

    Example showing the Add A Payment tool after clicking New Event Participant, selecting Ignore End Date, and searching for a name; participants with an End Date show in the drop-down list along with the end date for reference

Background Check Request Tool

  • Check out the sleek new design of the Background Check Request tool!
  • You can check invalid contacts after you've corrected their information—without leaving the tool! Let's say you open the tool and see that you have a few people who are marked as Invalid because they don't have an email address listed. You then use the jump links to open each record and add the missing information. Now, you can click Re-validate to check if the contacts are still invalid.

    Gif showing the Background Check tool contact validation, and how when you correct the missing information on a record, you can re-validate the contacts in the tool

Donations and Pledges Import Tool

  • We made several improvements in the Donations and Pledges Import tool. Firstly, the tool now searches within the selected congregation/parish when you use Envelope Number or First and Last Names. This is useful because envelope numbers could be reused and people could donate to multiple places using the same name. So, you will only see matches within the congregation/parish you select. When you use the Donor ID or Donor Code, the tool will search across your entire database. Since these are always unique to only one donor, you will see all the relevant matches.
  • When donors within the same household share a Donor Code or Envelope Number, the tool now assigns the donation or pledge to a specific household member, in this order: male head of household, any head of household, then any donor. If you're curious about how the tools determines who to assign, we'll have a help topic to explain it! Check back soon for the link.
  • When you match by Donor Code, Envelope Number, or First and Last Names, there's a new option to Use Default Contact to quickly assign the donation or pledge when multiple matching donors from different households are found or when no matching donor is found. And to help identify donors when you use the default contact, the First Name, Last Name, and Email Address are now shown in the Notes field.
  • The pledge import now matches Parish Credited (if applicable) by either parish ID or name.
  • We modified the pledge import to use Frequency rather than Installments Per Year. You can select an appropriate value, such as Weekly or Monthly. If you're using an older import template, you're prompted to map the new Frequency field, and the old Installments Per Year mapping will be ignored.
  • There are three new fields in the pledge import that you can map from your file:
    • Send Pledge Statements – Yes or No field to indicate whether to send pledge statements. You can also set a default value.
    • Source Code – Optional field that uses values from the Donation Sources table. You can also set a default value.
    • Third Party Pledge ID – Optional field that fills in the Vendor Pledge Code on Pledge records.
  • The pledge import now supports creating and processing $0 pledges. This is helpful when you need to track commitments without monetary value.

Removed/Upgraded Tools

  • We're investing in the long-term performance, security, and scalability of your product. That means taking advantage of modern technologies that improve reliability, increase system efficiency, and position MinistryPlatform for faster innovation in the future. To support this work, legacy tools that are no longer used will be removed from your system, and tools that are used are being upgraded. You shouldn't notice any major differences in your tools experience.
    • These tools have been removed: Impersonate Portal User, old Background Check Request, Add a Payment (Registration Manager), and ACH File Creator.
    • These tools have been upgraded: Copy Batch, Form Response, Event Rooms and Groups, and Deposit Export.

Reminders

  • Are you more of a visual learner? Check out our video library for MinistryPlatform! We'd like to create new videos, so please submit video topics that you'd like to see next. Check it out and let us know what you think!
  • Reminder about Support Hours: Support is available Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST/EDT. If you submit a case outside of these hours, including on a holiday, the case will be reviewed at the start of the next business day. If your concern cannot wait, you can call 843-413-8400 and leave a voicemail. We are notified and will work to assist you. Hourly rates may apply for off-hours assistance. For all the details, see Support Hours & Holidays.

Last updated: May 8, 2026