Entering contributions data
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To enter a new contribution for a person, you must first have selected their name using the tools provided in the left most column of the Enter/Modify/Delete Contributions dialog and clicked the Enter New Contribution button. See Select a Name for more information.
Once the name has been selected and the Enter New Contribution button has been clicked, the cursor will be moved to the Deposit ID field in the center area of the Enter/Modify/Delete Contributions dialog labeled Contributions Details.
The first item in the center column is labeled Start On. Though the cursor does not go there automatically, you may wish to make use of it. Its function is to tell the program which of the fields in this column you would like to start with when you are entering a batch of contributions. In most cases, once you've established the Deposit ID and the date, that information will remain the same for all items in the batch. Thus, you can tell CMD to start on the Check Number field the next time a name is selected for a new contribution. This will save a few steps for you when you enter this column each time.
Of course, you can always click directly into any of the fields at any time. However, this field can save you some time in general use.
Check this box if you wish for Contrib to assume that a blank entry in the Check # field means that it's a cash donation. This feature is useful if you wish to print a deposit register which totals cash and check donations separately.
The Deposit ID field is provided as a means to let you associate together a batch of contributions that were made in one group in preparation for one deposit. This association means that you can print an audit register to make sure your entries are correct before you make the deposit. You will be able to print this report anytime during the year if you need it later on. Use of this field the primary audit trail tool to make sure your deposits and reports are accurate.
While we hope this never happens, the reality is that sometimes computers fail or are damaged or even stolen. If you faithfully print these deposit audit reports and place them in a notebook or file them, then you have the documentation you will need to reconstruct your contributions data.
We strongly urge you to make consistent, regular use of this field, and faithfully print a deposit register for each deposit.
When you first start up CMD, the Deposit ID field is automatically set to today's date plus "#1." You can change it to anything you wish as you begin a batch of entries. We suggest that you develop a consistent way of labeling your deposits to make it easier to reference them later in the year.
Note that the Deposit ID will remain the same until you change it or until you leave the program entirely. This allows you to enter a batch of contributions without having to enter it each time.
This field is designed to record the date. You may wish to use the date the donation was received, or you may wish to use the date you are entering it. Whatever you do, we strongly suggest that you date your entries consistently throughout the year.
You can either enter the date manually, or you may click the calendar icon on the right edge of the control to pick a date from a pop-up calendar.
Note that the Date will remain the same until you change it or until you leave the program entirely. This allows you to enter a batch of contributions without to enter it each time.
If you have this information available, enter a check number. For cash or other gift, you can leave it blank by tabbing through it. In addition, if you enter CASH, CC, or RECEIPT in this field, that same designation will be entered by default the next you enter this field in case you need to enter a number of these types of donations in succession.
Special note: If you need to enter CC (credit card) or RECEIPT donations (donations where members submit a receipt for a church purchase that they absorbed as a gift to the church for which they want donation credit for tax purposes), we urge you to enter each of these as separate Deposit ID sessions. Credit card donations will take a few days to process so they can't be placed in with normal cash/check deposits. RECEIPT donations don't go to your bank at all, so they should be on their own Deposit ID (even though there's no deposit - that's just how you can record and track it).
Once you have entered all the above information, you are ready to enter the actual amount(s) of the gift.
Since it is often the case that people "split" their gifts among several accounts, you can use this grid to enter any number of splits for a given contribution. However, you should only enter the information from a single contribution at one time in this grid. Space is provided for 8 splits, but the scroll bar will let you add or view as many as needed.
When you first tab into this field, a line will be opened for you to enter the account and the amount. In most cases, the list of accounts will be opened automatically for you. If it doesn't open up when you enter the Account field (the first column), then click the icon on the right edge of the Account field and it will open for you.
Note that there are two different behaviors that the drop-down Account list will exhibit based on the selection you can make when you open the Account Field Options drop-down box. See explanation below.
Find and highlight the account that this gift (or this portion of the gift) is to be marked for, and then press Enter.
To move to the Amount field, you can either press TAB or press Enter again.
When at the Amount field, enter a value in standard currency format. Enter the decimal point as needed.
If you are finished recording this contribution after entering the first account and amount, click the Save Contribution button (or press Alt-S). The Names List area will be re-enabled so that you can select another name.
If, however, you need to record a split contribution, instead of clicking Save Contribution yet, press Enter after entering the amount and a new line will be created so that you can enter the next part of the split contribution. Continue entering items in the split as needed until you are finished. When you are done entering the splits, click Save Contribution.
There is a small navigation bar directly under the Account/Amount grid. Use this bar in case you need to remove a line from a split, or if the grid does not display a place for you enter an account and amount when you tab into it.
•To delete a line of a split, click on the line and then click the - button on the navigation bar. You'll be prompted with an "Are you sure?" message.
•To create a line to add an item if the grid did not display a space for you to enter it, click the triangle button.
The x button cancels any change you've made to a cell that you are editing.
This button aborts the contribution you are currently entering.
A unique number for each donation is assigned as the computer allocates space for it. The actual allocation does not take place until you arrive at the Account/Amount grid. Should you decide to abort a contribution once you've reached the Account/Amount grid, the donation # currently displayed will be lost permanently. However, the next number in the numeric sequence will be assigned to the next donation entered.
You can use this donation number if it's needed in your bookkeeping procedures. If not, just ignore it.
If for some reason the total displayed in the Running Total box does not look correct to you, click the Refresh Total button to bring it up to date.
The Account Field Options drop-down box allows you to select the behavior of the drop-down Accounts list when entering contributions.
•Select Account from Menu or Type in an Account Name. Select this option if you'd like to be able to add a new Account to your list of accounts on the fly. If you type in an account that is not a part of your accounts list, once you attempt to leave the Account field, CMD will ask you if you wish to add what you've typed in. If the answer is yes, click Yes. If not, click No and you'll be returned to the drop-down accounts list to make a new entry. If you do say Yes, then CMD will automatically add this new account to your official Accounts list.
•Select Account from Menu Only will disable any ability to type in the Account field. You can, however, type characters to move you around in the Accounts list. It's just that no edit box will be available for you to use.
Both these choices will help to keep you from entering spurious account names, which has been a bit of a problem for some in the past. If you wish to view a brief video that shows this in action, click http://www.screencast.com/t/NGMyMjA2. The video also explains the toggling of Goes By and First Name, but is primarily about the Account Field Options settings and how it affects the entry of contributions.
If you need to make changes to your accounts list, click this button.