Funder ID & Reference structures guide

Last updated: May 27, 2026

Overview

A funder in Found is a contact or organisation responsible for paying care fees for a resident and a customer in your accountancy software.

Each funder is assigned a system-generated funder ID, which is a unique identifier within your workspace.

In addition, each funder can be given a funder reference — a user-defined unique identifier within your workspace.

Funder ID structure

A funder ID has two components:

Sequence ID (required)

The sequence ID is automatically generated by the system when a funder is created. It follows the format:

FUN-XXXX

Where XXXX is a zero-padded number unique to your workspace, for example:

  • FUN-0001

  • FUN-0042

  • FUN-0150

You cannot manually set or change a sequence ID, you can configure the prefix via the settings. It is assigned automatically and cannot be reused once created.

Funder Reference number (optional)

A funder reference number is a custom identifier that can be added to a funder. It is a free-text field, used to align the funder with an ID from your accounting system if you rely on your own internal ID structure rather than Found’s system-generated structure.

Rules for reference numbers:

  • Must be at least one character if provided

  • Must be unique within your workspace — no two individual contacts can share the same reference number

  • Can be left blank; multiple funders in the same workspace can have no reference number

  • Can be updated or removed after the funder is created

Combined display format

When a funder has both a sequence ID and a reference number, they are displayed together:

FUN-0001 | REF123

If no reference number has been set, only the sequence ID is shown:

FUN-0001

Frequently asked questions

Q: Can I choose my own funder ID number? A: No. The sequence ID (e.g. FUN-0001) is assigned automatically by the system and cannot be set manually or changed.

Q: Can two contacts have the same reference number? A: No. Reference numbers must be unique within your workspace. If you try to save a duplicate reference number, the system will show a conflict error.

Q: What happens if a funder has no reference number? A: The funder is still valid. Multiple funders can exist without a reference number. Only the sequence ID is required.

Q: Can a funder be linked to both a contact and an organisation? A: No. A funder must be linked to either a contact or an organisation — not both.

Q: Can I update a funder's reference number after it has been created? A: Yes. You can update or remove the reference number from the funder record at any time, as long as the new value is not already in use by another funder in your workspace.

Q: Does a funder need to be linked to a booking before invoices can be generated? A: Yes. A funder must be associated with a booking before a billing contract subscription can be created. Invoices are generated through the subscription, so the funder → booking link is a prerequisite.

Q: Where does the funder ID appear on an invoice? A: This depends on your Pro billing contract configuration. You can choose to display the invoice organisation ID (the sequence ID), an org code, or a payables code. This is set in the invoice setup step of the billing contract.

Q: What is the Pro billing module? A: Pro billing is a premium feature module in Found that enables advanced billing management, including billing contracts, invoicing, billing reports, billable extras, linked subscriptions, and personal allowance tracking. These features are enabled per workspace via feature flags.