Input Procedure for Sunday Morning

[Blessed]

Hi,
Is there anyone out there who would be willing to describe their procedure for counting the offering on Sunday and inputing it in the computer on the same day? We are currently doing our input on Tuesday, when things are quieter from the individual offering envelopes and we sometimes have a different total. I would like to do the input in real time but I'm not sure how many people or how much time that might take.
How many people do you have involved in this process on a given Sunday? What are some of the challenges?
What would you suggest to someone who is trying to move in this direction?

[NeilZ]

Hi,
Is there anyone out there who would be willing to describe their procedure for counting the offering on Sunday and inputing it in the computer on the same day? We are currently doing our input on Tuesday, when things are quieter from the individual offering envelopes and we sometimes have a different total. I would like to do the input in real time but I'm not sure how many people or how much time that might take.
How many people do you have involved in this process on a given Sunday? What are some of the challenges?
What would you suggest to someone who is trying to move in this direction?

Here is the procedure we setup at my last church when we selected and installed Powerchurch.

1. We asked for volunteers to join the Counting Team. Typically, we looked for members who were members for at least one year, and had a good record of giving. This would eliminate anyone who would not be on the up-and-up. Sure, we're a church, but we also have a fiduciary duty to the congregation to make sure those handling money can be trusted. The actual data entry is very easy to learn, but we had a few of our older volunteers who would rather just count and read off the envelopes. We just teamed them with a tech savvy person, and it worked out fine.

2. Normally, we have a counting team of 2 or more, normally 2; and they serve the same Sunday every month.

3. One person does the data entry, and the other reads off the envelope number, contribution fund and the amount. As we start, the person at the computer will take all the loose checks placed in the plate without an envelope and run them through the check reader (see note below). The other person will take the loose cash offering and total that up, then set that aside for verification later. At this time, we usually found checks left by visitors not in the system, and entered their information to the database using the data usually found on the check.

4. After the initial sorting, and entering of loose checks and cash, one person starts to open the envelopes and reads off the information, the other person sits at the computer and enters that data using the Enter Contributions function. As the person reads off the envelopes, they would normally separate the cash donations from the checks, and would call those out after all the checks are done. Makes for easier data entry.

5. The data entry person would then recount the loose cash to verify the original count, and enter that into the system, using the Loose Cash Offering envelope we setup for use.

6. We would then print off the Bank Deposit Slip to verify the check amounts entered along with the giver, any incorrect entries would be fixed at this point. We also recounted all cash contributions and verified that against the cash total listed on the report.

7. A bank deposit slip (in duplicate) would be filled out, and it would go into a deposit envelope, along with checks, cash, and the Powerchurch Bank Deposit Slip report,and we'd drop that off in the night deposit of our bank.

8. The standard Funds Report report would then be printed off, the duplicate deposit slip stapled to it, and dropped off in the Treasurer's mailbox.

Normally, for normal Sunday attendance of over 180, it would take about an hour to do the count.

Note: We have a check reader, bu we only used it to read those checks dropped in the plate without an envelope. Some churches read every check with a reader, but we found the procedure we used made it easier when there were multiple contributions wrapped up in one check. Usually these types of donations came in an envelope with instructions on how much to put in each contribution fund, so reading that data to the data entry person made it much easier.

Hope this helps.

BTW ... this type of question concerning contributions should normally be asked in the Contributions area of the forum. Just a friendly hint for the next time you post.