using PC for School Accounting

[WSCA]

I need to locate a current user of the PowerChurch software that is using it for both the church and school. We are in the process of setting this up new and I would like to have some pointers and learn things to watch out for. thanks Bonnie

[NeilZ]

I need to locate a current user of the PowerChurch software that is using it for both the church and school. We are in the process of setting this up new and I would like to have some pointers and learn things to watch out for. thanks Bonnie

Bonnie,

are you planning to use the same database for both the church and the school, or keeping them separate?

[WSCA]

Hi Neil,
I had expected to use the same data base and perhaps just separate funds but I'm open to suggestions if you know the best way to do it. Thanks for your reply.

[bookkeeper-sheila]

We have PC for church and our preschool. I currently have the school running in the accts receivable module only, with no link to the main family databases used by the church. I have recently been directed to see if it is feasible to run the preschool through the pledging part of the contribution module, but having problems making it work.

I currently have funds for each ministry of the church, including a fund for the preschool. It already has its own checking acct and the accounting structure in the fund to handle the tuition and fees.

What questions do you need help with?

[NeilZ]

We have PC for church and our preschool. I currently have the school running in the accts receivable module only, with no link to the main family databases used by the church. I have recently been directed to see if it is feasible to run the preschool through the pledging part of the contribution module, but having problems making it work.

I currently have funds for each ministry of the church, including a fund for the preschool. It already has its own checking acct and the accounting structure in the fund to handle the tuition and fees.

What questions do you need help with?

Not sure if you're asking for help, or trying to help

I wouldn't use the Contributions module to run the preschool. You may have people sending their children to the Preschool, but are not members, yet you'll have to create a set of envelope numbers for these non-members to use.

In addition, there is no way to track overdue payments, give credit memos (if needed), etc. Why would they want to use the contributions module instead ??

[bookkeeper-sheila]

How do I say this nicely????

I am being directed to move all the preschool stuff from accts receivable to contributions/pledging because everything else go in there. If the church asks for an offset payment for use of a building (for utilities), it is recorded in the contribution module as a payment. So the theory is that the preschool stuff could be entered in as payments too.

Since we track the tuition by child, I have the first address line of the acct receiv. record as the child's name. The problem is that the data is not "linked" to the membership database. I thought, as a compromise, to double-enter this information in both modules, so I don't touch the billing, but I can see the preschool families in the membership module (using skills or activities to label them as such).

I agree that the issue of contribution envelopes troubles me...there is a finite number of them.

I struggle with pledging (a promise to pay) versus invoicing for services rendered (tuition, etc.).

I don't know how to communicate that the only "link" between accts receiv. and the other modules is the address info, which I can easily double-entry upon enrollment. The school doesn't use the attendance functions, as they have custom forms they have created in Word or Excel. Yes, they could use that function later on, but how to add in information like allergies, form requirements, emergency contacts, etc.????
oh well.... any insight would be lovely!!! thanks!

[NeilZ]

How do I say this nicely????

I am being directed to move all the preschool stuff from accts receivable to contributions/pledging because everything else go in there. If the church asks for an offset payment for use of a building (for utilities), it is recorded in the contribution module as a payment. So the theory is that the preschool stuff could be entered in as payments too.

I hope at least its being entered using an envelope set aside for such use, to a Contribution fund that is linked to a 'rental income' account in Funds Accounting !!

Since we track the tuition by child, I have the first address line of the acct receiv. record as the child's name. The problem is that the data is not "linked" to the membership database. I thought, as a compromise, to double-enter this information in both modules, so I don't touch the billing, but I can see the preschool families in the membership module (using skills or activities to label them as such).

Actually, you can copy that data from the membership module, the system will ask if the person has a personal profile, so you really don't have to add in two places, only one and copy from there.

I agree that the issue of contribution envelopes troubles me...there is a finite number of them.

I struggle with pledging (a promise to pay) versus invoicing for services rendered (tuition, etc.).

Well envelope numbers can go to 99998 (99999 is for internal program use), still, tracking using envelope numbers is not the same as giving a person an invoice.

I don't know how to communicate that the only "link" between accts receiv. and the other modules is the address info, which I can easily double-entry upon enrollment. The school doesn't use the attendance functions, as they have custom forms they have created in Word or Excel. Yes, they could use that function later on, but how to add in information like allergies, form requirements, emergency contacts, etc.????
oh well.... any insight would be lovely!!! thanks!

FWIW .. I'm not even sure if the address data is linked back to membership, I don't think so. As far as not using the attendance module, they're missing some great automation and prepared forms. As far as everything about allergies, emergency contacts and stuff, well all that was added in Version 11. An upgrade would give them all that, plus the capability to sign kids in and out with the optional Check In program.

[bookkeeper-sheila]

We use a range of contribution numbers strictly for payments, and the income fields are different for gifts versus payments. So we are okay there.

I'm glad to hear that the acct receiv address data doesn't link back to membership; I like that you can't tell if a member owes money to the preschool! But if the link is simply to "copy" address info from the membership dtb to acct receivable to save on typing, then I'll just leave my current system alone; it works fine with my custom reports.

I agree that the school could start using the membership module for attendance and checkin. We have to wait until the church budget will allow us to get the newest version of PC. Then I can present the info to the preschool director.

In that future situation, I could see attendance and membership working in tandem, but billing coming from accts receivable. Does that senario seem correct to you? Pledging just isn't made for school bookkeeping,...my opinion. Thanks for all the feedback. I really appreciate it! God bless!

[NeilZ]

I agree that the school could start using the membership module for attendance and checkin. We have to wait until the church budget will allow us to get the newest version of PC. Then I can present the info to the preschool director.

The cost could be split between the preschool and the church, the price is VERY reasonable $149 for the upgrade, and $139 for the Check-In module, which would increase security for the preschool in many ways.

In that future situation, I could see attendance and membership working in tandem, but billing coming from accts receivable. Does that senario seem correct to you? Pledging just isn't made for school bookkeeping,...my opinion. Thanks for all the feedback. I really appreciate it! God bless!

Spot on !!

[bookkeeper-sheila]

Thanks Neil...more than you know! God bless!