Archiving names of old givers

[juliejpr]

As I've been reading the forum, I see references to archiving profiles and would like to explore this option. We have many old profiles that are cluttering up the system; for example, someone from out of town who gave a memorial four years ago and is unlikely to give again. If I am searching for a name, all those old profiles are still listed, and it takes much longer to find the names of current givers. Is there a way to remove them from the current list without deleting them from the system? I know I need to still keep them in the system for IRS purposes, I would just like to put them in an "unused" area if possible. Thank you for any help.

[NeilZ]

As I've been reading the forum, I see references to archiving profiles and would like to explore this option. We have many old profiles that are cluttering up the system; for example, someone from out of town who gave a memorial four years ago and is unlikely to give again. If I am searching for a name, all those old profiles are still listed, and it takes much longer to find the names of current givers. Is there a way to remove them from the current list without deleting them from the system? I know I need to still keep them in the system for IRS purposes, I would just like to put them in an "unused" area if possible. Thank you for any help.

Unfortunately, there's no way to actually archive the Membership profiles. You can assign them to a new Mailing List & Personal Profile status of Archived (which you create), then archive the envelope numbers and information by assigning a new number in a range of numbers that will not be used.

We use the 4000 - 4999 range of numbers. This allows you to pull reports and exclude those givers in that envelope range from the reports. If you also change the Profile Statuses to Archived, you can also use that as a filter instead of the envelope range. We just use the envelope range, eliminates a lot of work having to figure out what to archive.

While contributions are not specifically spelled out in the IRS Publication 1828 Tax Guide for Churches & Religious Organizations for retention rules, the IRS recommends that records of Income & Expense be kept for at least 4 years. Since Contributions are income, this would fall under the 4 year rule.

After four years (if they donated in 2010, you can delete that data in 2014) you can delete the Contribution record, and if they have not returned since then, you can probably delete the related Membership info.

[juliejpr]

Our church only uses the finance part of PC so no one has ever filled in those screens. (I do give those people envelope numbers that are well beyond church members for running reports.) If I filled all those in and sorted them as you suggest, would it remove them from the search list? Or is there a way to enter them so that I don't end up with all those names? It's currently a very long list and take a long time to wade through.
Thank you.

[NeilZ]

Our church only uses the finance part of PC so no one has ever filled in those screens. (I do give those people envelope numbers that are well beyond church members for running reports.) If I filled all those in and sorted them as you suggest, would it remove them from the search list? Or is there a way to enter them so that I don't end up with all those names? It's currently a very long list and take a long time to wade through.
Thank you.

Julie ...

The only way you have names with the envelopes, is because you're using more than just the Contributions module. The names are stored in Membership, the only tie between the two, is the envelope number. The only way you can have addresses with the names, is by using the Mailing List profile. The only way to tie the number to the address is by using the Personal Profile. Its the way the system (and the database) is setup.

If you put the ones you want to archive in an envelope number range that is beyond what is normally used for envelopes, then you can filter them out for Contribution reports.

If you change the profile statuses as I mentioned, then you can exclude them from Membership Reports using the status as a filter.

However, the only way to totally clear them out is to delete them from Membership, and you can only do that 4 years after the last contribution due to the IRS rules.

Frankly, because you have to use the Membership area to store information on the name and address, it makes no sense not to use the Membership module to maintain your membership and visitor information. One of the reasons I first started using Powerchurch back in 1998 was because the church we attended at that time kept two (or three) separate programs to maintain information, and they were never in sync.

You'd give the address update to the church secretary, it never got passed on to the contributions secretary, so your statements kept getting sent to the wrong address, or vice versa.

[juliejpr]

That argument has been made and the secretary is NOT buying it!
Thanks for your information.

[NeilZ]

That argument has been made and the secretary is NOT buying it!
Thanks for your information.

FWIW ... she doesn't have to buy it, the church's Pastor and Board are the ones who should be mandating. However, that's my opinion: the church officers mandate what needs to be done and why, the employee should say OK, or look for a new position.

And frankly, I'm also an employee for a church that uses Powerchurch. I'm the one who wants to move forward with using more of the program, and I'm held back by the church officers.