Envelope number setup

Contributions, Faith Promises

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tbeckman
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 1:59 pm

Envelope number setup

Post by tbeckman »

In Contributions, is there any way to set up a general envelope number that is not connected to a particular person or family. I would like to set up a number to include all donations given for using our fellowship hall so that I can track them without doing individual numbers.

NeilZ
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Location: Dexter NM
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Re: Envelope number setup

Post by NeilZ »

tbeckman wrote:In Contributions, is there any way to set up a general envelope number that is not connected to a particular person or family. I would like to set up a number to include all donations given for using our fellowship hall so that I can track them without doing individual numbers.
Most definitely .. in fact, I'm surprised you don't have this setup already for any loose plate offerings. Here's the advice given on this subject from one of the early 'Tech Tales' newsletters:
Sometimes I'm asked what to do about money that's found on the floor or at the bottom of the collection plate when you have no idea who it's from. Certainly, you can't just stick it in your pocket (yes, I'm talking to you now). You've got to enter it into Contributions. But, what envelope number do you give credit to?

What many churches do is set up a non-existent person (in a non-existent family) with an easy to remember envelope number and they give that person credit for the contribution.

You can call the person anything you want, but some of my favorites include Johnny or Lucy Cash. (Get it? Lucy Cash. Loose Cash. That still makes me laugh.)

As a side note here, you might choose to give them an envelope number outside of the range of numbers you've given your members so that you can exclude them from reports or when you print statements. (Of course, you might want them on reports. I don't know. It's up to you.) Either way, you might give them the church's address in case you accidentally send out a statement or print a label for them. You might also want to exclude them from mailouts and Membership reports, but again, that's up to you.
I usually recommend using a number like 999 or 9999 (depending on the size of your church :) ) as the number since its outside of your normal envelope numbering. Do NOT use 99999, as that's a system defined number you will get an error saying its already in use.

Then you can use the number '999' for loose plate offerings, along with any other type of offerings given anonymously or, as in your case, rental on the church hall from a non member.

However, if you do have a member using the hall you can still use their envelope number and the amount will not show up on their contribution report as long as you have the checkbox for include fund on statements unchecked under that Contribution Fund in the Maintain List of Contribution Funds function. (V11.1 & V11.5x).
Neil Zampella

Using PC+ since 1999.

R.V.Fagan
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Location: Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, Canada
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Re: Envelope number setup

Post by R.V.Fagan »

In our Parish we use 9000 for Anonymous, and 9001 onwards for groups or firm. We use 10000+ for deceased envelopes (when somebody dies we transfer their envelope number to a 10000 series). We use 8000 series for adhoc (occasional) givers who require a tax receipt at year end. The lower numbers (1-1000) are for regular givers. Envelope boxes 1-300 are for frequent giver, and are dated for each week and special occasions, and we repurchase them each year. Envelope boxes 500-999 are configured for mute-year designed to last at least four years, hence are purchased very infrequently. This also makes generating useful reports very simple.

tbeckman
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 1:59 pm

Re: Envelope number setup

Post by tbeckman »

Thanks for your responses which does help. The strange thing is that I did set up a Misc. envelope (#500) several years ago but I don't remember having to attach it to a fake name and address, and see no evidence of it. Somehow, I think I did it on the enter contributions screen and it let me set up a manual number without going to the enter person screen. But this time it would not let me do that. I'm thinking something may have changed in program or something. Anyway, for this new number I will just use your response and set up fake person unless someone else knows what I am talking about.

NeilZ
Posts: 10209
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:20 am
Location: Dexter NM
Contact:

Re: Envelope number setup

Post by NeilZ »

tbeckman wrote:Thanks for your responses which does help. The strange thing is that I did set up a Misc. envelope (#500) several years ago but I don't remember having to attach it to a fake name and address, and see no evidence of it. Somehow, I think I did it on the enter contributions screen and it let me set up a manual number without going to the enter person screen. But this time it would not let me do that. I'm thinking something may have changed in program or something. Anyway, for this new number I will just use your response and set up fake person unless someone else knows what I am talking about.
The easiest way to setup the 'fake person' is to use the name "Loose Cash Offerings" with the church's address on the Mailing List Profile, then use Loose Cash as the first name, and Offerings as the last name on the Personal Profile. Then assign the number.
Neil Zampella

Using PC+ since 1999.

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