User Support Forum

Is there any way to get a list of the UNUSED envelope numbers?

audrey wrote:Is there any way to get a list of the UNUSED envelope numbers?

The fastest way is to get a list of used envelope numbers, and deduce the rest !!

I could write a bunch of SQL to do it, but why bother when using the built in report is much easier.

Is there a specific reason you'd want a separate report ??

Yes, I thought there would be a quicker one other than the used envelope numbers.

I think an unused envelope report within a range would be a usefull report as well. I have often had situations when I have gone thru the used envelope report looking for an unused number and found it tedious and time consuming.

Something for the "wish list" maybe ?

Yes, I agree with that. It's a pain to have to scroll thru pages of envelope numbers looking for a gap.

saintpaul wrote:Yes, I agree with that. It's a pain to have to scroll thru pages of envelope numbers looking for a gap.

There really isn't a need to scroll through numbers to get a unused one.

The system will do that for you. Here are two ways I use the built in system:

1. When I'm looking for an unused envelope number for a new member, I change the beginning envelope number under preferences to 101 (where our envelopes begin their numbering). I then click on the magnifying glass on the new member's personal profile, and the number will appear. See, the system will bypass any number in use.

2. After I assign new member envelopes, I change the beginning number to 1001, this is where we begin tracking non-member contributions. Again, when my counters have to add a new number when there is a contribution from someone not in the system, all they do is press the magnifying glass, and up pops an unused number.

Neil,

I played with this a little and can't figure out what you are doing. If I have a contributor that already has a system issued number who requests envelopes how do I find the next available number within the range of my envelope numbers? I find no magnifying glass within the personal profile window. This sounds like it cold be a lot of help in issueing envelope numbers. But I must be missing something.

tborgal wrote:Neil,

I played with this a little and can't figure out what you are doing. If I have a contributor that already has a system issued number who requests envelopes how do I find the next available number within the range of my envelope numbers? I find no magnifying glass within the personal profile window. This sounds like it cold be a lot of help in issueing envelope numbers. But I must be missing something.

OK .. there's an additional piece of information there that I didn't have before. You've already issued this person a number, which I'm assuming is not within the range of normal envelope numbers.

What I suggested to do will usually work if a number is not assigned. The magnifying glass is located on the personal profile tab, right next to where you would enter the envelope number.

So, I can see why you need to know which envelopes are not being used. In this case, I just grab a box of envelopes, and transfer the numbers.

Quick question, you said that the person already has a 'system issued' number. How was the number assigned ??

When we get an offering from someone who is not already listed we just go thru the "Add Contributor" in the enter contributions window. Which sounds like what you are doing in your non-member contributions example. This will issue the next highest number which is well outside the envelope numbers we have. We don't issue envelopes until someone requests them, so we need to change to an open envelope number from the number issued when we added the contributor at that time.

As far as picking out a box and issueing it. This would work in a perfect world, but we have many envelope numbers that are used by people who may not be getting the box. Moved away but still contribute on occasion, still attend but don't give regularly enough to take or use the envelope.

Maybe I just need to take the time to clean up some of the above issues in my system. But the unused envelope report would still be nice to have.

tborgal wrote:When we get an offering from someone who is not already listed we just go thru the "Add Contributor" in the enter contributions window. Which sounds like what you are doing in your non-member contributions example. This will issue the next highest number which is well outside the envelope numbers we have. We don't issue envelopes until someone requests them, so we need to change to an open envelope number from the number issued when we added the contributor at that time.

As far as picking out a box and issueing it. This would work in a perfect world, but we have many envelope numbers that are used by people who may not be getting the box. Moved away but still contribute on occasion, still attend but don't give regularly enough to take or use the envelope.

Maybe I just need to take the time to clean up some of the above issues in my system. But the unused envelope report would still be nice to have.

That procedure for visitors is the way we do it. Our procedure here is that, if you are a member, you get a box. So we only have unassigned envelope boxes stored for issue.

However, we also track our attendance closely, so if we have a member who has not given in a year and has not been attending, we turn the name over to the Session who is charged to find out why. We also change the envelope number to a 2000 series number, which flags it (in our eyes) as someone to track for the Session. The number goes back in the 'pile' for use, and the box is available for reissue to a new family.

We recently had our first membership class for the year, and due to the weeding out of non-contributing members from last year, I was able to issue envelopes that were in the middle of the envelope number range.

Not knocking your idea, just looking for a way you would be able to work around it.

Again, in a perfect world that would work fine. But I have had people use the previous years envelopes. If we had changed their number and issued their old number to someone else there could be a problem with crediting contributions to the correct person. I know it is an education thing, but no matter how hard you try the message just doesn't get to everyone, and it would probably be the one who has the full box of last years envelopes because he has not been attending for some reason.

Sorry about the whining. Probably just trying to avoid what I know needs to be done. I hate housekeeping.

tborgal wrote:Again, in a perfect world that would work fine. But I have had people use the previous years envelopes. If we had changed their number and issued their old number to someone else there could be a problem with crediting contributions to the correct person. I know it is an education thing, but no matter how hard you try the message just doesn't get to everyone, and it would probably be the one who has the full box of last years envelopes because he has not been attending for some reason.

Sorry about the whining. Probably just trying to avoid what I know needs to be done. I hate housekeeping.

I understand ... we don't change envelope numbers on an annual basis, usually every 3 or 4 years, so we don't have that much of a problem.

In addition, our counters know to look for last year's envelopes (our supplier changes the number color each year) and then verify the name on the check against the name that pops up on the account.

Then there is the contributor that puts cash in the envelope and no name on the outside.

We haven't changed envelope numbers in over 7 years. It looks like such a huge task that I haven't even considered it. I'll just have to do my housekeeping, like it or not, and that should make it easier to issue envelopes to new requestors.

Still think an unused envelope report would be a nice feature.

tborgal wrote:Then there is the contributor that puts cash in the envelope and no name on the outside.

We haven't changed envelope numbers in over 7 years. It looks like such a huge task that I haven't even considered it. I'll just have to do my housekeeping, like it or not, and that should make it easier to issue envelopes to new requestors.

Still think an unused envelope report would be a nice feature.

There are those ...