Setting a Fixed Amount or Leaving a Contribution Open

Fixed amount contributions

When a contribution has a fixed amount, every member is expected to pay that specific figure, and the system tracks balance due against it, this is the natural setup for something like dues where everyone owes the same amount.

Open or voluntary contributions

If you leave a contribution open instead, there's no fixed amount and no balance-due math attached to it at all, members can contribute whatever amount makes sense, this fits things like a funeral collection or a wedding collection where amounts are voluntary and vary person to person.

Because an open contribution has no fixed amount, there's nothing to be behind on, the ledger simply records what each member gave rather than comparing it against a target.

Best practice

Use a fixed amount only when there's a genuine expected figure everyone should pay, for anything voluntary, leaving it open gives a more honest picture of participation than forcing an artificial target onto it.