Enter Tansaction vs Manual Checks

[peggybeatty]

I am a new user with no experince or background in accounting. We are a small church and using ver. 11. We got it last year, but didn't get it set up until now. I am in the process of entering financial data from jan. 1 forward. Since we don't write more than 6-8 checks a month, if that, I am choosing to use the Manual Check option. I have 2 questions.

#1: When I write a check do I also enter all of the information in the "Enter Transaction" screen?

#2: When the debit card is used is that information entered on the "Transaction" screen or elswhere.

Would like to thank you in advance for any help. The kindness and patience I have seen in the answers in the Forum are a blessing to people like me, so, thank you for that also.

Peggy Beatty

[JohnDMeyers]

You can use Fund Accounting / Enter Transactions, but you would be better served to use the Accounts Payable module.

For each check, you first setup a Vendor: Accounts Payable / Setup / Maintain Vendor Records

Then, enter the Manual Check: Accounts Payable / Maintain Manual Checks

Post the transaction first in Accounts Payable where it will be transferred to Fund Accounting / Maintain Unposted Transactions. Then, post in Fund Accounting.

You can use this procedure for entering your debit card entries, as well.

[peggybeatty]

Thank you for a prompt response. I actually understood your answser and was able to follow your instructions easily up to the "Post" in Fund accounting. The only date it allows is 2011. I don't know how to get 2012 to show on that. There are reports I can't run as they only give me 2010 or 2011 dates as options.

We purchased this software in Jan. 2011, but were not able to actually start using it until this year, 2012, but I don't know if that would matter or not.

Any suggestions welcome! Thanks.

[JohnDMeyers]

When you installed PowerChurch, it asked you what date you wanted to start with. To advance that date, you need to Close Month as in: Fund Accounting / Close Month

which is usually done after finalizing all inputs for the month, running reports, and making backups.

If you simply want to advance the month, do this in succession: Fund Accounting / Close Month, Fund Accounting / Close Month, etc.

[NeilZ]

Thank you for a prompt response. I actually understood your answser and was able to follow your instructions easily up to the "Post" in Fund accounting. The only date it allows is 2011. I don't know how to get 2012 to show on that. There are reports I can't run as they only give me 2010 or 2011 dates as options.

We purchased this software in Jan. 2011, but were not able to actually start using it until this year, 2012, but I don't know if that would matter or not.

Any suggestions welcome! Thanks.

It sounds like you need to 'open' the number of months you have open

You need to go into Preferences -> Accounting Setup then select the Fund Accounting tab. On that tab, you'll see the entry for Number of months that can be open at one time, make sure that is set to 18.

Then on the General tab, check to see what he current working month is, and the start of the fiscal year. Since you started using it for accounting this year, you should not have any closed months, and the working month should be set for March 2012 if you've already entered all the data for January and February.

May I suggest that you check into the online Powerchurch training that is offered by Powerchurch Software. Funds Accountin 101 and 102 would definitely help you understand the accounting module better.

[peggybeatty]

Thanks once again forthe quick reply. Doing the "Close Month" function actually solved several problems for me.
Until next time.