Deleting a recurring gift removes the standing instruction to give and every gift that recurring gift has produced. This is the most far-reaching change you can make, so use it only when the full giving history should be removed. If you only need to stop future charges, cancel or suspend the recurring gift instead.
Prerequisites
- You need access to the recurring gift's record page in the Fundraising Console.
- If you only want to stop future charges but keep the giving history the recurring gift already produced, cancel or suspend it instead. See Edit a Recurring Gift.
Delete a Recurring Gift
- Open the recurring gift's record. You can reach it from Fundraising & Gifts › Recurring Gifts, from the donor's record, or from the linked notice on one of its gifts.
- On the recurring gift's page, select Delete Recurring Gift.
- Confirm the dialog that asks Are you sure you want to delete this recurring gift? This operation cannot be undone.
Result
The recurring gift and every gift it produced are removed, and you return to the Recurring Gifts overview. Billing for this recurring gift stops.
Warning
The confirmation dialog warns that deleting cannot be undone, but it does not tell you that every gift the recurring gift produced is deleted with it. Before you confirm, check the recurring gift's Linked Gifts tab to see how many gifts, and how much giving history, will be removed.
Delete Recurring Gift appears on every recurring gift, regardless of its status or whether it has an order behind it. Unlike a gift or pledge, the delete option is not hidden just because an order exists.
What Happens to the Gifts
Every gift produced by the recurring gift is deleted with it. This includes the first gift that started the recurring gift and every later gift created through billing. If you delete a later gift from the gift's own page, the recurring gift and its other gifts are not affected. If you delete the recurring gift's first gift, the recurring gift is also deleted, no matter what status it was in.
Does Deleting Stop the Donor's Billing?
Yes. Deleting a recurring gift stops any future charges for it, so the donor is not billed again for that recurring gift.
Why Can't I Delete This Donor, Fund, or Campaign?
You cannot delete a fund, campaign, appeal, donor, contact, organization, or order while a recurring gift still refers to it. If Rhythm refuses the delete, check whether an active or past recurring gift still points to that record. For example, you cannot delete a donor who has ever had a recurring gift, even a cancelled or completed one, until that recurring gift is deleted or reassigned.
Tip
To find which recurring gifts reference a fund, campaign, or donor before deleting it, search recurring gifts by that fund or open the donor's record and check its Recurring Gifts tab.