Allocating funds within the Budget

[ktuttleodbctx]

I just upgraded to PowerChurch Plus 11.5. I am new to the accounting area of this program and reading the manual did not seem to answer my question. Once I set up the Budget for our church, can I show income and expenses into the budgeted account? For example, I want to set $25 a week to go towards the Electric bill. Is it possible to designate that with the budget area? Thank you for your help with this matter.

[NeilZ]

I just upgraded to PowerChurch Plus 11.5. I am new to the accounting area of this program and reading the manual did not seem to answer my question. Once I set up the Budget for our church, can I show income and expenses into the budgeted account? For example, I want to set $25 a week to go towards the Electric bill. Is it possible to designate that with the budget area? Thank you for your help with this matter.

Um ... its not a good accounting practice to show income in an expense account. It really doesn't show up as income, and then the expense account doesn't reflect the actual expenses.

What are you trying to accomplish? Where are the funds coming from? This would help with an answer.

[ktuttleodbctx]

Forgive my ignorance, I am new to accounting and Powerchurch accounting. Right now, our church is not using an accounting program. We use excel spreadsheets to work with our budget and bank ledgers. Each week we designate money into each of our budget accounts to make sure we have money set aside for all bills and other programs of the church (i.e. bus ministry, printing supplies, etc.). Also from time to time, out church will take up offering designated for our church ministries/needs or people will designate money for these ministries. Is there a way to show this in the in the budget or somewhere else in the program? Please, let me know if this is confusing or doesn't make sense. Thank you for your help!

[NeilZ]

Forgive my ignorance, I am new to accounting and Powerchurch accounting. Right now, our church is not using an accounting program. We use excel spreadsheets to work with our budget and bank ledgers. Each week we designate money into each of our budget accounts to make sure we have money set aside for all bills and other programs of the church (i.e. bus ministry, printing supplies, etc.). Also from time to time, out church will take up offering designated for our church ministries/needs or people will designate money for these ministries. Is there a way to show this in the in the budget or somewhere else in the program? Please, let me know if this is confusing or doesn't make sense. Thank you for your help!

There are ways to restrict income so that its set aside from your normal budget to be released for specified ministry uses. That said, my advice is that you really need to talk to an accountant who understands funds accounting and double entry accounting. You can try to convert from spreadsheets to Powerchurch, but the way you're currently doing it cannot easily be translated.

An accountant can assist you with the overall setup of your accounts for entry into Powerchurch, trying to do this via this forum would not be very productive to you, as we cannot see exactly how your spreadsheets are setup to make any sense of what you want to do.

Sorry that we couldn't be of much help, but once you get Funds Accounting setup properly, it will be MUCH easier.

[ktuttleodbctx]

I will talking to my boss about how we are going to handle this. Thank you so much for your help.

[F12Mahon]

If you go into Maintain Chart of Accounts you can set up your budget but it is only by month. IF you look at Reports in Funds accounting you can print out your chart of accounts to see what is the program default and see if it will do what you need. Neil gave you good advice also.