How to Transfer a Recurring Plan Between Supporters (Salesforce NPSP)

Overview

Sometimes a donor sets up a recurring plan under the wrong supporter record — for example, donating as an individual when the gift should be associated with their company/organization. This guide walks through how to transfer that recurring plan to the correct supporter in WeGive, with additional considerations for organizations using a Salesforce NPSP integration.

Why can't I just reassign the plan? WeGive does not allow you to change the supporter on an existing recurring plan. The transfer requires canceling the original plan and recreating it on the correct supporter. This is the case for all WeGive customers regardless of CRM integration.

For organizations using Salesforce NPSP, there is an additional constraint: NPSP does not allow you to change the ownership of a Recurring Donation if there is a Closed Won Opportunity tied to it — so even on the Salesforce side, a cancel-and-recreate approach is required.

Prerequisites

Before starting, confirm the following:

• You have access to both the original and destination supporter records in WeGive.

• You know which payment method is being used on the current recurring plan.

• The destination supporter record (e.g., the company) has a login/payment method entry that includes the same payment method used on the original plan. If it doesn't, you'll need to add it before proceeding.

Steps

1. Cancel the Original Recurring Plan in WeGive

Navigate to the original supporter's recurring plan in WeGive and cancel it. For organizations with a Salesforce NPSP integration, this will also close out the corresponding Recurring Donation in Salesforce.

Note: Canceling (rather than deleting) preserves the historical record of the plan and its transactions on the original supporter.

2. Ensure the Payment Method Is Available on the Destination Supporter

Before creating the new plan, verify that the payment method from the original recurring plan is also available on the destination supporter record. If the destination supporter is a company, the individual's payment method must be linked as a login/payment method on that company record.

If it is not available, add the payment method to the destination supporter before proceeding.

3. Recreate the Recurring Plan on the Correct Supporter

Create a new recurring plan on the destination supporter record (e.g., the company) in WeGive. Match the original plan's details:

• Amount

• Frequency

• Fund/Designation

• Payment method (the one you verified in Step 2)

• Next donation date (align with the original schedule to avoid gaps or double charges)

4. (NPSP Only) Let the New Plan Sync to Salesforce

For organizations with a Salesforce NPSP integration, allow the new recurring plan to sync to Salesforce. This will create a new Recurring Donation record under the correct account/contact in NPSP.

5. (NPSP Only — Optional) Move Opportunity Records in Salesforce

If the organization wants the historical transaction data associated with the new supporter, you can move the Opportunity records in Salesforce from the old Recurring Donation to the new one.

Note: This step is optional. Some organizations may prefer to keep the original transaction history on the individual supporter record for accurate reporting. Confirm with the organization before moving any Opportunities.

Summary

Important Considerations

• Communicate with the donor if there will be any gap or timing change in their recurring gift.

• Double-check the next donation date on the new plan to avoid duplicate charges during the transition.

• Confirm with the organization whether they want historical Opportunities moved or left on the original supporter record.

• Steps 1–3 apply to all WeGive customers. Steps 4–5 are specific to organizations using a Salesforce NPSP integration.