This article explains what a sponsorship is, how to create one, how contribution types work, and how Section 18A references and unallocated value are calculated.

Sponsorships

What is a sponsorship?

A sponsorship records what a sponsor gave you. An allocation records what you gave them back. Think of it as a deposit and a withdrawal from the same account: the sponsorship is the deposit, the allocation is what you spend it on.

Creating a sponsorship

1. Click + Add Sponsorship

2. Select the sponsor - they must already exist in your Sponsors list

3. Add one or more contributions: Cash, Goods or Services, each with a value and description

4. Set Date Received, Start Date and End Date

5. Choose a Purpose - Sports, Arts and Culture, Academic, Infrastructure, General, Bursary, Event, or another from the full list

6. Click Save

A sponsorship can mix contribution types - R50,000 cash plus R10,000 of branded water bottles is one R60,000 sponsorship with two contributions.

Recording a whole new deal from scratch? + Quick Add in the top bar creates the sponsor, the sponsorship and the allocations together in one flow. Already have this in a spreadsheet? Use Onboard / Import rather than retyping it.

Why Date Received matters more than it looks

It is not just a record-keeping field. It decides which month the sponsorship's revenue appears in on your dashboard, and it is the date SARS matching relies on for Section 18A receipts. Set it to when the money actually arrived, not the day you happened to capture it in Altivo.

Sponsorship numbers

Altivo generates a sequential number automatically - SCHOOLSLUG-YYYY-NNNN, for example GREENSIDE-2026-0001. Numbering resets each year, and once created a number never changes.

Section 18A references

Generated automatically when both are true: the sponsorship includes a Cash contribution, and your school has a PBO number set in My School. Format: 18A-{PBO}-{tax year}-{sequence}, using South Africa's March-to-February tax year. Goods and Services never qualify, no matter how the PBO number is set.

Unallocated value

A sponsorship's full value starts out unallocated. Each allocation you link to it reduces that figure.

• Sponsorship recorded: R50,000 - unallocated R50,000

• First allocation, R20,000 - unallocated drops to R30,000

• Second allocation, R15,000 - unallocated drops to R15,000

A high unallocated value is worth investigating - it usually means the sponsor is not receiving everything they were promised, or an allocation was agreed but never recorded.

Frequently asked questions

I can't find the sponsor when creating a sponsorship.

They need to exist first. Create them on the Sponsors page, or use + Quick Add to create the sponsor and the sponsorship together in one step.

The total value looks wrong.

It is the sum of all contributions on the sponsorship. Check you entered Rand values, not cents, and that you have not accidentally added the same contribution twice.

There is no Section 18A reference.

Check both conditions: a PBO number set in My School, and at least one Cash contribution on the sponsorship. Missing either one means no reference is generated.

Can I edit a sponsorship after saving it?

Yes - contributions, dates and purpose can all be changed. The sponsorship number and Section 18A reference, once generated, do not change even if you edit other fields.

Our dashboard revenue looks wrong for a month we know we received money.

Check Date Received on the sponsorships from that period. If it was left blank during an import, Altivo falls back to the start date instead, which can land the revenue in the wrong month.