User Support Forum

We just ended one 3 year capital campaign for a new sanctuary. When we began the campaign I guessed on number ranges to use for groups:

Honorarium groupings range from #1007-3029
Memorial groupings range from #4000-6900

I have a group of numbers for purchases that do not appear on Contribution Statements:
#6901-9000

Finally I have a group of numbers that I use at the year of the year to reassign old memorial and honorarium numbers I should not use again.
#70000-

My numbers worked well for the last 3 years. However...

This week our church voted to do 2 more 3 year capital funds campaign.
We should not have many dedicated memorial. Most income should be pledges.

The first phase begins in March of this year. I have learned from experience I can't change my numbers until after April, for people who wait until the last minute for taxes and need another copy of their Yearly Contribution Statements.

Since I put the "purchases" where I put them; if I move a memorial down to the 70000 range "purchases" would now get included in any statement with numbers I have moved.

1. How many years am I supposed to be able to track of statements? I was told at least 5 years.

2. Since these are 2, 3-year commitments. I will have to keep 6 years of memorials in my new list without moving any? Or am I just still keeping track year to year?

3. Would it be better for me to keep a printed copy of everyone's year-end statement? How long would I have to keep them?

4. I'm running out of lower numbers. I'm thinking I should move my Purchases way down the list. Is there any way to move these numbers down as a group like 60000?

I do appreciate any help/suggestions~God bless you~Kristi

A few questions ...

Why are you tracking 'purchases' under contributions, this normally would go under Accounts Recievable in accounting?

Why are you accounting for every single memorial gift individually ? All that is needed is an acknowledgement of the gift to the giver, and an entry into a church ledger that is kept for longer than 5 years !

Same with honorariums, is there a reason you keep them totally separate ??


FWIW ... I do not believe there is an easy way to change a 'group' of numbers. Each number has to be changed individually.

What I mean by "purchases" is what contributors pay for study books, booth rentals, reimbursements to the church, etc.
I know PowerChurch has Donor Restrictions, but I have reservations about changing to it...please see the Accounting forum.

The reason I post every memorial is so I (or/and a helper) can acknowledge the contributor and the family. I am required to do both. Setting it up isn't a problem...it just uses a lot of numbers. Esp. if one person writes a $10 for 5 people. Most mem's come in the mail and I can create numbers on Friday so I can enter the contrib. easily on Monday.

I keep notes I receive for memorials on Monday in a folder. After I post Contrib.'s:I run the Contributions Summary; honors from #1007-3029 (aver. 3 a week), mem's #4000-6900 (aver. 5 a week) and staple Monday's notes to the back. On Friday I (or my helper) have the name & address of who who ack., for whom, for what and how much. We refer to the notes, say if they wanted the kids listed as the givers to grandmas mem. On the left margin I note the family who is ack'd. I note it with a C for card when done.

Lots of people just write notes on their checks or non-members include notes with their checks. So in the past I was trying to keep 3 copies of information in 3 places: Monday's deposit records, Memorial's folder and Jubilee list. I had papers everywhere. I have to type a list of memorials for our secretary that lists "To whom and from whom" for our monthly newsletter. I use the same report as above. I note it with a J when done.

I also used the list for book plates information on our new hymnals.

Now every month all my information is at my fingertips on one piece of paper and I can tell if I forgot to acknowledge anyone.

In the end it does make my life easier~Kristi

I've decided if I move my "purchases" down towards the old numbers, I won't need to touch my honors/memorial. That way I'm not moving any numbers that should appear on the Contrib. Statements.

I'll just skip a few numbers and begin a whole new grouping for this year.

I'll let you know if it worked.
Thanks~Kristi