Bundles/Batches¶

Who will have access to see and create batches?

Someone with the Finance role can create, view, or edit batches. If that person also has the FinanceAdmin role they can open previously closed batches. Someone with the FinanceDataEntry role can create and view/edit open batches. Once a batch is closed, they can no longer see it. Previously, a batch created by a FinanceDataEntry user would have the Open For Data Entry status. This status has been removed, so those batches will now have an Open status.

What if I had bundles with pledged and contributions comingled?

Since pledges are not managed in the new batches page in the way they were with Bundles, any comingled bundles will be split into their own batch.

Is there still a total of cash vs checks on the new batch page?

Yes, next to the Actual Amount you will see an icon. When clicked it will give you the breakdown of cash, check, ACH, and/or Card.

How do the new count and amount fields work?

The new Actual Count field totals the number of checks, cash and/or online transactions in a batch. Note that if one of these items is split then the collective splits count as one entry.

Is it possible to still see more information on a donor when entering a gift?

Yes, similar to what existed in the bundles page, when adding or editing an entry there is a checkbox to “Show more information”.

Can I still use the keyboard to tab through data entry?

Yes and we’ve ensured that it is the same or fewer number of clicks if the defaults options are set when creating a new batch.

What is a soft credit?

A soft credit is used to track donations toward a pledge for someone that did not make the original donation.

Can I now scan checks for event payments into TouchPoint?

Yes, with the introduction of Non-Contribution entries in batches it is possible to scan checks from the offering plate or mail in the same batch as payments made to events or other purposes. These checks can be associated with a person in TouchPoint but marked as non-contributions.

Do Non-Contributions appear anywhere on tax statements? What about Non-Tax Deductible?

No, if you begin using the new batches page to record checks for program income these non-contributions will not show on a person’s giving tab or their tax statement. If an entry is added as non-tax deductible then it could show on a person’s statement depending on the settings configured on your church’s database.

Should I add new source items?

We have added several default options for sources but if you’d like to specify additional details like which worship service or that a non-tax deductible gift is a Qualified Charitable Distribution for example, you can add additional sources in the lookup codes.

Has the batch import/upload process changed?

No, this process will continue to work the same. The only difference is that after the import you will use the new batch page to edit the entries.

Do we have to use the new “reconciled” status?

No, however, we think you’ll find it useful in organizing your batches. Since it is possible to mass update previously closed batches it will be relatively easy to mark all prior closed batches as reconciled.

How do we do X9 export and/or Scan & Deposit in the new interface?

X9 exports and Scan & Deposit are now handled on the batch search page. Note that only closed or reconciled batches can be used and that it is now possible to export or deposit multiple batches at the same time.

What is a pending batch?

A pending batch is a new concept that will be introduced in Phase 2 of this project. This is where all unsettled online transactions will be held until they settle. Upon settlement they will be added to a new batch so that the batch total matches the deposit that you expect to receive in your bank account.

How will I reconcile a batch that spans two months or two years?

In Phase 2 when batches match the settlement date it is possible that transactions spanning multiple days (months or years) can be in the same batch. We will have a batch report that can be used that will break out the items by day.

Account Codes¶

Where are account codes managed?

In the old menu, they are located under Administration > Setup > Lookup Codes. In the new menu, they are located under Finance > Setup > Account Codes.

Do I need to do anything to set up our account codes once this goes live?

TouchPoint will take any existing code that has even been used for your church and add it to the list of possible codes in the dropdown in Lookup Codes. You will need to view and clean up this list.

Steps to take:¶

• Standardize the format - Staff might have entered codes different from how you’d like them to be displayed.

• Add a name to the code - Whatever has previously been entered will be copied as the code and the name. You can make these easier to find/use by entering a more user-friendly name. For example - change “23104 - 23104” to “23104 - Wednesday Night Suppers”.

• Merge duplicate codes - If someone entered 05001 and 5001 these will be copied in as separate codes. You can easily merge these by clicking on the “Merge & Delete”

• Add codes Add any codes that should be available but that have not been used in the past.

• Deactivating old or unused codes - This will remove the codes from use moving forward while allowing your historical transactions to still show properly.

Who has access to add or manage account codes?

Users with either the Finance or Admin roles are able to edit the list of account codes.

Can special characters be used in account codes?

Yes, it is possible to format codes using various special characters.

Can I delete an account code that we don’t use anymore?

Since a code could have been used historically, we require you to merge any codes prior to deleting them. That allows the previously used code to be replaced with a new code.

How are account codes sorted?

Account codes in the involvement setting will be sorted alphabetically by the name field. In the batch they will be sorted numerically by the code number.

Pledges¶

Why are pledges no longer in bundles/batches?

We wanted to make the management of pledges easier and since they are not actual gifts, but the intent to make a gift, we found that it makes more sense to manage pledges in a separate location. This will make management and reporting easier.

What is the Pledge Goal? Where do I set it?

In this project we’ve introduced a new concept called the pledge goal. This can be used to visualize how your pledge and giving totals compare to the goal that your church has set for the fund. The pledge goal can be set on the fund management page.

How does the new pledge management screen interact with recurring pledges?

If your church uses managed/recurring pledges, whenever a new pledge is created (at the specified time/frequency in the recurring pledge) then a new pledge entry will automatically be added on the pledges page.

What happened to the pledge report? What about the pledge fulfillment report?

The pledge report has been replaced by a combination of the graphs and blue bar amounts on the pledge management page. This allows you to further filter the pledge report based on date ranges and amounts. The pledge fulfillment report has been moved to the graph and is downloaded when a user clicks on one of the bars in the graph.

Can I see closed pledge funds?

Yes, by default all open pledge funds are checked when you load this page but it is possible to view and run reports on the closed pledge funds as well.

Added information related to soft credits.