Memo Line on Contribution Screen

[stthomaslouky]

I have requested this before and I have read your response to similar requests. Is it possible to add a memo line to the Contribution screen, not for sorting, etc., that will allow us to make a note when entering a contribution? For example, when a member's relative visits, they often put a check in the plate; this person is entered as a Miscellaneous Visitor but I have to hand-write on the report who actually made the contribution. I just need a way to enter a "note" that is nothing more than that. It seems odd to have an automated system that requires you hand-write something in order to keep proper records.

[NeilZ]

I have requested this before and I have read your response to similar requests. Is it possible to add a memo line to the Contribution screen, not for sorting, etc., that will allow us to make a note when entering a contribution? For example, when a member's relative visits, they often put a check in the plate; this person is entered as a Miscellaneous Visitor but I have to hand-write on the report who actually made the contribution. I just need a way to enter a "note" that is nothing more than that. It seems odd to have an automated system that requires you hand-write something in order to keep proper records.

I'm not sure what you mean by miscellanious visitor? Usually when we get a check, we'll enter it with the person's name and address from the check in the system as a visitor with an envelope number in our 'visitor range'. We list all checks that way, just in case the 'miscellaneous visitor' become a member, we'll have access to all their previous contributions for the end-of-year statement.

At the end of the year, if the amount is less than the amount needed to send a statement, no statement is created or mailed. However, in this way we do track all such contributions, thus eliminating any need to add 'notes'.

[stthomaslouky]

Okay, forget that example. Let me try another one. We have a fund called Special Events and one called Property Rental that captures all one-time contributions, i.e. someone lost a baby and people collected to help defray the funeral costs, youth group trolley hop fee, seder meal contribution, property rental (recording the name of the renter) etc., etc., etc. We don't want to setup a Fund/Contributor everytime a one-time event occurs so I have to write in, on the reports, what the Special Event was. Once I enter all the contributions, I have to go back thru the checks to find memo line entries and hand-write that note on the PowerChurch report that I print. It would be unbelievably helpful to have a note line on the Contribution Entry screen so I can enter this information along with the check.

[Zorak]

We have received suggestions for this in the past and have noted your current suggestion.

[patnap]

I agree with a memo line on the contribution section of PCP. I would however like to have it sort. Example - Fund Raising for Mission Trip memo section that you could customize based on individaul church needs, examples of bake good sales, sub sales, etc...
I would like this to sort in order to quickly know the revenue aquired from each individual fund raising events for the Mission Trip.

[NeilZ]

I agree with a memo line on the contribution section of PCP. I would however like to have it sort. Example - Fund Raising for Mission Trip memo section that you could customize based on individaul church needs, examples of bake good sales, sub sales, etc...
I would like this to sort in order to quickly know the revenue aquired from each individual fund raising events for the Mission Trip.

As a user, and programmer in a former location here are my thoughts:

FWIW ... sorting on a 'free text' field can be a real problem. As you're never quite sure what people have typed in the space, you may not get the exact sort you want.

For instance, if someone entered the following on the memo line:

Activity 1
ACTIVITY 1
activity 1
Activity 2
ACTIVITY 2
activity 2

Depending on the way the sort is implemented (and I've seen this often), what you'd get is this:

activity 1
activity 2
Activity 1
Activity 2
ACTIVITY 1
ACTIVITY 2

Not what you wanted if you wanted all the Activity 1 grouped together.

IMHO ... this is the type of information that is best kept by the Youth Group or Mission Trip fundraiser leader on an Excel spreadsheet with activity name and total collected listed there. This way they always have access to it, and they may not have access to Powerchurch.

As a programmer, I have always felt it is better to use the K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple S...) principle than to add additional features that can cause problems and be of limited use.

You can track this within Powerchurch if you do what my previous church did, create contribution fund areas that are used for posting such income.

[AEDavis]

When I want to show money received for a "special activity" and who from, I first give my activitye a contribution number (222 Teen: Camp Out). My envelope # is always 999 (Adt'l Deposits) so no one person is given "contribution credit" but I'm able to identify who paid by doing the following: Post contributions to the unposted transactions in accounting and pull up the unposted entry & that's where I change the description field to identify who paid. You can just use last names if you had several pay on that posting date or add a new line with other names that wouldn't fit on first line, changing the amounts to fit the line.

Hope this helps.

If may not if you don't want it to show up in accounting??

[Shelly]

stthomaslouky, I am new to PC and just found a way you may be able to place notes on your contribution reports.
Before I print my unposted contributions report I save it in Excel, from there I can print notes and any other documentation I need - then print.
My example is that when someone was paying by check for two people,(mission trip for example) I needed to note the other person as well so we would know exactly who paid.