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Download Reinstallation/Workstation Installation

Scott Dobovsky — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:13:42 GMT

The Reinstallation and Workstation installation file is approximately 39M in size.

If installing a single product on a single computer/workstation, use "Run this program from its current location", "Open", or "Run" on the following window to download. Follow the instructions. The download installation will automatically run on your computer.

Click Save to save the ReinstallDownload.exe file to a network folder or CD and then double-click the ReinstallDownload.exe file to run and perform Workstation installations on multiple computers on a network without the need to download on each computer.

Read the Network Installation instructions before downloading this Reinstallation/Workstation Installation that is appropriate for your network environment:

Click here to download

Questions? Email us at support@churchmanagementsolutions.com.

Problems setting up Remote Solutions on older versions of Windows

Mary Breault — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:53:15 GMT

Clients attempting to install the CMS Remote Solutions on older versions of Microsoft Windows (Windows 95, Windows 98 and 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000) may have difficulty, as the Remote Desktop Application was not a default application.

Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/rdclientdl.mspx to download and install the RDC Client application.

Export Postings from ParishSOFT Offering & Pledges to ConnectNow Accounting

Mary Breault — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:18:29 GMT

Transfer from ParishSOFT Offering & Pledges Module

Use this process to import contributions that have been posted in the ParishSOFT Offering & Pledges module into the ConnectNow Ledger and Payables system.

We recommend that you import your contributions from the Offering & Pledges module once per week, or, at a minimum, once each month—before you close your month.

Export Contributions from Offering & Pledges

Complete the following steps to export contributions from the Offering & Pledges module to a .txt file.

1. From ParishSOFT’s Offering & Pledges module, click the Utilities menu and choose Export to CMS Fund Accounting.

2. Enter the Start and End Dates for your data export and click OK.

3. The system will create a file that you can import into the ConnectNow system. Note the location of the file, e.g., C:\ProgramFiles\ParishSOFT\Clients\Demo\TSL\CMSFundAccountingExport.TXT

4. Click OK and import using the procedure on the following page.

Import Contributions into ConnectNow Ledger and Payables

1. Click the Process icon > Transfer from ParishSOFT Offering.

2. Click the Browse button.

3. Select your exported .txt file from the location where it has been saved, e.g., C:\ProgramFiles\ParishSOFT\Clients\Demo\TSL\CMSFundAccountingExport.txt).

4. Click the Import button.

5. Map the PSFundDescription for each line item to an Account in your chart of accounts. Your mappings will be saved so the next time you import, you won’t need to

repeat this step.

6. Click the Submit button.

7. Check the Selected box for each line item and click the Submit button.

When the import is complete, the system will notify you with the following message:

Records have been imported!

Posting Dates Must Be in Current Month

If the system detects any posting dates prior to the current period, it will ask you to change the posting date for those transactions.

To change a date, click into the Posting Date field and select a date from the calendar. Click Submit to proceed with your import.

2010 Form 941 Changes for 2nd Quarter

Mary Breault — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:39:40 GMT

The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act, known as the HIRE Act, creates an employer exemption from the employer’s portion of Social Security tax for new, ‘qualified’ employees hired after February 3, 2010. A change was made to the quarterly form 941 to record the exemption. You, as the employer, may elect to not participate in the exemption and, instead, you may be eligible for a Work Opportunity Credit.

See the resources at the end of this article for more information about the exemption, 941 instructions, form W-11 Affidavit, and Form 5884 Work Opportunity Credit. As always, we recommend you seek the assistance of a qualified tax accountant.

1. Install Fund Accounting version 5.320 Update.

2. Identify and check qualified HIRE employees. You may do this at any time before you print the 941 report.

Go to the Emp/Cust tab on the Employee screen. Click Find button to find the employee.

Enter the Employment Date (date of hire). To the right of the Employment Date is the HIRE checkbox. Check the box to indicate the employee is ‘qualified’ according to the IRS instructions found in the resources below. All qualified employees must submit to you a Form W-11.

3. On the 941 report, lines 6a-6e and 12c-12e have been added.

Line 6c will be the current quarter’s amount of Social Security Gross wages of the HIRE employees. 6d is the calculation of the employer’s share of Social Security tax. Your tax is reduced by that amount.

Line 11 should be the actual amount of tax you paid for the quarter which should be greater than Line 10 adjusted tax. You should expect an overpayment on Line 15.

If you had HIRE employees paid between March 19-31, their count, wages and employer Social Security tax will appear on Lines 12c-12e to report and give credit for part of the first quarter as of the date the HIRE Act was signed.

Lines 17, Monthly Summary and the 941 Schedule B reports will report the monthly and daily tax summaries less the HIRE employer’s Social Security share. Their total will match Line 10 of Form 941.

Resources

Form W-11, HIRE Employee Affidavit and instructions: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw11.pdf.
Form 5884 Work Opportunity Credit, form and instructions: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5884.pdf.
Revised Form 941 for 2010 (Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return): http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f941.pdf.
Instructions to revised Form 941 for 2010 (Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return): http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i941.pdf.
IRS's “FAQs About Claiming the Payroll Exemption,” dated May 6, 2010: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=220750,00.html.

Debit or Credit?

Mary Breault — Fri, 21 May 2010 12:52:55 GMT

According to Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures, the CMS Finance and Payables system supports the entry of debits and credits (pluses and minuses) to effect account balances. The effect of a debit or credit on a specific account type is shown in the table below:

*Account Type*	*Typical Account*	*Typical Balance*	*DEBIT Effect*	*CREDIT Effect*
Asset	Checking/Savings	Debit	+ Increase	- Decrease
Liability	Mortgage	Credit	- Decrease	+ Increase
Net Asset	Equity	Credit	- Decrease	+ Increase
Income	Offerings	Credit	- Decrease	+ Increase
Expense	Telephone Charges	Debit	+ Increase	- Decrease
Dedicated	Memorial Fund	Credit	- Decrease	+ Increase

Some common Journal Entry transactions are:

· Bank Account charges.
Account         Debit         Credit         Comments
Checking                          3.00         Bank Charges
Office Expense  3.00                         Bank Charges

· Interest on a savings account.
Account         Debit         Credit         Comments
Savings         125.00                         Interest - July
Interest Income              125.00         Interest - July

· Telephone transfer of money from savings to checking.
Account         Debit         Credit         Comments
Savings                          900.00        Tel. Transfer 9/8
Checking         900.00                        Tel. Transfer 9/8

· Record employer payroll withholding liability.
Account         Debit         Credit         Comments
Payroll Withhold                75.00        Employer FICA
Employer FICA 75.00                        June

How to enter Credit Card Transactions in Ledger & Payables

Mary Breault — Thu, 06 May 2010 12:00:50 GMT

Many churches will attempt to enter their credit card transactions in a single bill after they get the credit card statement in the mail. Depending on the number of credit card transactions you may have, this single bill can get quite long; and you are unable to assign the bill to the correct vendor where the item/service was originally purchased.

There is another option!

You can use the Credit Card Transaction Entry to enter all of the transactions paid for by credit card. When using the the Credit Card Entry process, you assign the vendor where the item/service was purchased. These transactions will then be included on the 1099 form at the end of the year for non-incorporated vendors.

You can also reconcile the credit card statement at the end of each month to verify you've entered all of the transactions; and paying the credit card bill is simplified, as you will use the credit card liabilty account on the bill entry display.

From CMS Ledger & Payables, click Entry | Account Entry.

Create a Liability Account for the Credit Card. If you have multiple credit cards held by mulitple staff members, create one liability account per credit card. Click the checkbox at Credit Card to indicate that this Liability Account is a Credit Card, and the system will turn on the Credit Card Entry and Reconciliation Process for this account. Click Close when complete.

NOTE: We recommend that you enter the credit card transactions as you receive the receipt for the purchase, rather than waiting for the credit card statement at the end of the month, as it is more efficient (and faster in the long run!!) to enter your transactions in this manner.

From the CMS Ledger & Payables Main Menu, click Entry | Credit Cards.

Click the up arrow at Credit Card Account and select the appropriate Credit Card for the charge you are entering.

Select the Vendor, enter the date of the transaction, and enter the appropriate Expense, Dedicated, or Liability Account for the items purchased. Enter a comment if desired. Pay this by by check or electronically as usual!

You can either click the New Charge button to enter another transaction or click Close if you do not have any other credit card tranasctions to enter.

Repeat this process throughout the month to enter all credit card transactions.

When you receive the credit card statement from the credit card company, you'll need to reconcile that statement to the data you've already entered in the system.

From CMS Ledger & Payables, click Process | Reconcile | Credit Cards.

Select the appropriate Credit Card Account. Enter the date on the credit card statement and the ending balance on the credit card statement. Set the Display Transactions option to Uncleared Transactions Only. Click Next.

Click the checkbox next to the transactions that are recorded on the credit card statement.

Once the difference is zero, your credit card statement is reconciled! Click the Reconciliation Report button in the upper right corner and print this report and attach it to your credit card statement.

You should now be ready to pay that credit card bill. From Ledger & Payables, click Enter Bills and create a new bill to your Credit Card Vendor. Use the credit card Liability Account and this will reduce your Liability! Pay the bill as normal.

Errors when doing a Print Screen in CMS

Scott Dobovsky — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:54:28 GMT

PROBLEM: When clicking the Print Screen button in CMS, I'm getting an error message that says PERFECTPRINT ASSERTION - File P:\Service\pfps\Include\pfps.h Line 2220 Expression pIprinter (Retry will break into an active Debugger) Abort Retry Fail

SOLUTION: The Perfect Print component has not yet been registered on your computer. Exit CMS and run the C:\Program Files\Corel\Paradox Runtime\PFREG.EXE file on that workstation.

This process will properly register the PerfectPrint product on your workstation allowing you to Print Screens in CMS without errors. Click Close when complete.

Windows 7 addition

If you are running windows 7, before opening the PFREG.exe file, right click on it, go to properties and select compatibility tab and set it to run in windows XP

How to connect to CMS/ParishSOFT Remote Solutions on a PC

Mary Breault — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:08:37 GMT

From the Start menu on your computer click Run. Type MSTSC and click OK.

The Remote Desktop Connection application will apear. Click the Options button in the lower right corner to display the full RDC options.

In the Computer field type remoteaccess.parishsoft.com.

Refer to the Welcome to RDC documentation that indicated yor username and password for the CMS Remote Solutions. In the User Name field, enter PARISHSOFT10\username.

If you share the computer with others and want to be prompted each time for your CMS Remote Solutions credentials (passwords), click the checkbox at Always ask for credentials.
If you do not share the computer and want the system to remember your credentials (password), remove the checkmark at Always ask for credentials.

Click the Local Resources tab.

Remove the checkmark at Printers and leave the checkmark at Clipboard.

Click the More button, and this will open a new window where you can select Drives.

check the box at Drives. This will make your local drives available to you on the CMS Remote Solutions for backups and copying/exporting reports locally.

NOTE: Depending on the version of your Remote Desktop Connection application you will or will not see the More button.

Click the Display tab. You can adjust the size of your Remote Desktop. If you want the CMS Remote Solutions to display in full screen, drag the slider all the way to the right. If you would like the CMS Remote Solutions to appear as a window on your desktop, make a selection other than full screen. NOTE: You may want to adjust this setting a couple times to find the perfect setting for you.

Click on the General tab and click Save As.

Browse to your desktop on your computer and save the .rdp file as CMS Remote Solutions.RDP. This will create a new icon on your desktop called CMS Remote Solutions that you can simply double click to access your data. This RDP file saves the configuration so you don’t need to check the boxes each time.

At this point either click Connect or double click on the new .rdp file you just saved. Click OK on the Welcome banner. You will be presented with a Windows login screen. Type the credentials (password) you were given to connect. Once you typed in your credentials (password) click the OK button to be logged in.

Contributions to Haiti Earthquake Relief

Mary Breault — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:15:23 GMT

A new tax relief law allows people who contributed in 2010 to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti to take a tax deduction for the contribution on their 2009 tax return instead of their 2010 return. This means you can receive an immediate tax benefit, rather than having to wait until you file next year’s return. Certain requirements apply:

Only cash contributions made to these charities after Jan. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, are eligible. This includes contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card.
The contributions must be made specifically for the relief of victims in areas affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
You may deduct these contributions on either your 2009 or 2010 returns, but not both.

In addition, the general rules about tax deductions for charitable donations apply:

You must itemize your deductions on Schedule A; those claiming the standard deduction, including all short-form filers, are not eligible.
You must keep a record of any deductible donations you make.
- For donations by text message, a telephone bill will meet the requirement if it shows the name of the donee organization and the date and amount of the contribution.
- For cash contributions made by other means, be sure to keep a bank record, such as a cancelled check, or a receipt from the charity showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution.
Contributions to foreign organizations generally are not deductible.

Make sure your contribution goes to a qualified charity. Most organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible donations are listed in a searchable, online database available under Search for Charities. Some organizations, such as churches or governments, may be qualified even though they’re not listed on IRS.gov.

Related Item: Publication 526, Charitable Contributions

Follow these steps to record these donations in your CMS Contribution System.

From CMS Contribution, click Options | Fund Setup. Scroll down and find the next available fund number and click the Add button on the right. Create a new Haiti 1/11/2010 - 3/1/2010 and click OK.

If you receive a message asking if you would like to include this new fund in a Statement that does not include ALL funds, answer "No".

Add an Account Link (Income shortcut number) if you plan to transfer these contributions to the Ledger & Payables system. Click Close.
Enter cash donations only to the Haiti fund given between January 11, 2010 and March 1, 2010 in the CMS Contribution System as normal.

NOTE: If you receive contributions for Haiti March 2, 2010 and later, create a new fund i.e. Haiti 3/2/2010 - 12/31/2010 and enter contributions given after March 1st to that fund.
After posting all contributions received through March 1, 2010, you can create a Contributor Statement for only the Haiti fund. Click Reports | Statements | click the New Report button on the right and give this statement a new name, such as Haiti Donations 1/11/2010 - 3/1/2010 and click OK.
Under Selections on the left, click the Funds button.

Click the Remove All button in the middle and add back over the Haiti 1/11/2010-3/1/2010 fund. Click OK.
Click the Print Funds button on the right side of the Statement Selection display.

Click the Remove All button in the middle and add back over the Haiti 1/11/2010-3/1/2010 fund. Click OK.
Click the Statement Message button in the upper right corner of the Statement Selection display.

Enter a message to your contributors letting them know this will be the only record of their contributions to the Haiti fund this year, and they may use these contributions on their 2009 tax forms. Click OK.
Click Print and print and mail these Contributor Statements.

When printing your End of the Contribution/Calendar Year Statements (December 31, 2010), you'll need to EXCLUDE the Haiti 1/11/2010-3/1/2010 fund.

Click the Print Funds button and remove the Haiti 1/11/2010-3/1/2010 Fund from printing on the End of Year Statements.

Post-Conversion Bank Reconciliation

Mary Breault — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:44:52 GMT

In ConnectNow Ledger & Payables, new features allow you to save and re-report reconciliations. Since these features are not available in the Desktop version of Ledger& Payables, the conversion process will prepare new ‘catch-up’ reconciliations in ConnectNow for each bank account in your chart of accounts and will require you to reconcile them before performing additional reconciliations.

Process, Bank Reconciliation.

These reconciliations will be in an unreconciled state and dated as of the end of the current accounting month. Using your corresponding bank statement’sending balance, reconcile the reconciliation. These special reconciliations will:

· List transactions from prior years along with their clear/uncleared status.

· Include conversion history journal entries.

· Take a little more time than normal to display the list of transactions and clearing or unclearing a transaction due to the number of transactions.

Enter the statement ending balance on the right of the page;the system will adjust the totals. Ifthe difference is other than zero, additional research will be needed to findout why. The difference must be zero toreconcile.

At the end of the list, you may be required to provide selection of Interest Income (Income) and Service Charge (Expense) accounts forthe bank account. Please select accounts for each even though Interest Income and/or Service Charges may have already been recorded in the system or are zero.

Click the Submit button to save changes. Submit when the difference is zero assumes you have reconciled the bank account and will reconcile the reconciliation and will not permit changes although you may view or print the Reconciliation Report for that reconciliation. Once reconciled, you may continue with additional reconciliations.

Uni- Print & Mac common issues

Scott Dobovsky — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:34:35 GMT

With remote solutions -Remote Desktop Connection(RDC) the only print driver option is Uni-Print. In order to use Uni-Print you must down load the Uni-Print client for Mac's Uni-Print Mac client download please also see the install instructions Install Instructions.
Some common issues related to Uni-Print on the Mac include:

1) Make sure the Uni-Print client application is open; it should show up on the dock as an active application. There should be a dot below the iconfor UniPrint Client If not go to the applications folder, find it and launch it. Once it is open on the dock, click and hold so that you get a menu, one of the options on this menu is open at Log-in . Select this option so that Uni-Print launches whenever you start your MAC.

2) In RDC preferences make sure you do not have your local printers shared

also make sure under drives that you share all drives

Before moving on to Uniprint settings - go to file and click save, to make sure you saved your RDC settings.

3) In Uni-Print preferencesmake sure that the default print action is print directly to printer

with this setting the print job should bring up the print dialog box for your local default printer.

Best Practices for Church Financial Internal Controls

Mary Breault — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:52:11 GMT

On a recent trip to Iowa for a few church visits, I spoke at length with Tammy Masson, CFO Diocese of Des Moines, regarding a Manual for Financial Internal Controls she was compiling for her Parishes and Schools. Tammy, a Certified Fraud Investigator, mentioned the need for a “Best Practices” listing for all churches that would help reduce or eliminate theft in church. Much of the article below was taken from the Diocese of Des Moines "Finacial Management and Control Manual for Parishes and Schools".

As I watched CNN over my morning cup of coffee, I saw that yet another church lost thousands of dollars over several years from a trusted church secretary. Tammy is right; the need for this article is now!
Whether your church has a full-time paid staff, or all volunteers, life in a church office can sometimes feel transient. New finance committee members, church council members, volunteers, ushers and even staff members can come and go, and not know exactly what is expected of them.
Administration of church finances is a sacred trust. It is very important for the Pastor to establish a strong system of internal control because he/she has the responsibility for overall stewardship of the Church. (Mason, 2009)
Every church should have an outline of Internal Controls that will help you train new staff, volunteers, finance committee members, and clergy on what is expected of them to maintain the integrity of your organization, and the trust of your supporters. Internal Controls are essential to protect the assets of the church from waste, fraud, and inefficient use. They will also benefit staff and volunteers by showing that you have procedures in place to avoid the appearance of misbehavior, thus protecting their reputation.
We want to believe that those who serve the church are good, honest people. However, there have been numerous recent reports of improprieties in churches and non-profit organizations. Good internal controls can minimize loss.
Because each church is different, and each demonization organization may have a unique set of standards, this article is designed to lay the groundwork for further discussion and definitions of proper financial management by your church.
The following system can be completed by fewer persons, depending on the resources of the church. Use this as a starting off point. You’ll need to determine how much internal control is necessary for your church.
Contribution Collection, Deposits and Data Entry
1.       Encourage Church Members to use Envelopes
a.        Envelopes protect the member’s offerings until they can be counted, it also assist the contribution entry person making their job faster. Then save the envelopes, and you will have a written record for each offering put into the plate.
b.       Encourage Members to write checks or use CMS Online Giving. This makes theft much more difficult, and they will have a receipt if verification of the church records is necessary.
2.       Ushers – Provide your ushers with some procedures to follow, in particular how to properly seal collection bags. Post the procedure and review with new ushers. Let your ushers know how much you appreciate their cooperation in successfully implementing these procedures.
a.        Let the ushers know ahead of time the number of collections in the service and assign tamper resistant, pre-numbered bags for these collections plus an extra bag in the event of bag defect or closing the bag too soon. Defective and extra bags should also be submitted with collections.
b.       DO NOT GIVE OUT CHANGE! The collection should be maintained in its original form, and no change should ever be given from the collected funds.
c.        Bags should be then transported to a secure area for safekeeping prior to delivering to the counting team and if a contribution was missed, place the loose envelope in the pocket of the sealed bag or add to an additional sealed bag and transport to secure area for safekeeping prior to delivering to the counting team.
3.       Counter, Safes and Secured Area
a.        Only a limited number of people should maintain lock combinations and/or custody of keys to church safe(s).
·   Combinations and keys should never be stored in an unlocked desk drawer, hung on a wall, back of a door, or in an unsupervised area where anyone can gain access to them. The safe should be in good working condition at all times and ensure the safe door is not only shut, but also locked.
b.       Limit the amount of funds secured in the safe to a minimum.
c.        Secure the counting area
·   The count area should be free of distractions with no “through traffic” to access a supply closet or bathroom by individuals other than the counters, and limit the number of people, other than counters, in the room; only the counters, clergy overseeing count, and/or someone from the church staff should be in the room. NOTE: Ushers and Parish Staff should NOT be counting the collections.
d.       Provide Counting Supplies
·   Collection worksheets, Bank Deposit Tickets, Tape calculator, and New tamper resistant bags to secure funds to be deposited after the count is complete.
e.       Counters open the bags
·   Assemble the counters (3 or more unrelated people) then the Pastor or designee should deliver the tamper resistant bags containing the collections. Also include any other sources of income received by mail or in person to the church office.
·   Counters must examine the bags for tampering, breaches of the seal, or other irregularities and note the condition of the bag and the bag number on a Bag Tracking Form. Notify the Pastor of any irregularities on any bag.
f.         Counters count the contributions
·   Collections are counted, classified, and recorded by alternating count teams, or duties are rotated amount several count team members. The complete collection is deposited. Don’t keep any cash at the church as convenience cash.
·   Photocopy loose checks and keep with offering envelopes.
·   Cash should be separated by denomination, counted and banded. The amount and the counters initials are recorded on the band. A second counter should open the band, recounts, and records their initials on the band.
·   Run two adding machine tapes to verify the total of the checks, and two adding machine tapes to verify the total of currency and coin.
·   Counters complete the count sheet by documenting currency, coin, and checks. The adding machine tape should be identified by indicated cash or check; initialed and dated. One copy of the tape is attached to the collection worksheet, along with each counter’s initials and date, to provide accountability for the amounts.
·   The counters record the currency and checks on a duplicate bank deposit ticket with all information on the ticket completed. The original bank deposit ticket, along with the adding machine tapes, is sent to the bank and a copy retained at church.
g.        Supporting documentation received at church
·   The empty envelopes and photocopied loose checks are given to contribution entry person who enters data in CMS Contribution System.
·   The count sheet, bank deposit copy, and bag tracking form is retained at church and turned into bookkeeper. Bookkeeper should receive a deposit receipt from the bank in a couple days. Match the deposit receipt to the count sheet and attach. Enter deposit in CMS Ledger & Payables system.
·   If there are overages and shortages between bank count sheet and bank deposit, immediately notify Pastor, and receipt should be reviewed to determine if additional count team members should be recruited or if count duties should be changed.
·   Publish prior week’s collection totals in weekly bulletin/newsletter.
Accounts Payable
1.       Separation of Duties – While oftentimes, those who choose to serve the church think the more they do, the more they serve. This can oftentimes lead to a lack of separation of duties.

There are many churches allowing one person to handle all financial elements within the church. They count the offerings, make the deposit, record the offerings, paid the bills, sign the checks, reconcile the bank account and prepare the financial records.

By allowing one person to perform all of these duties, you are setting them up to conceal wrongdoings. Even an accusation of wrongdoings can damage the reputation of the staff member/volunteer, and the church.

Instead, split up the duties between several staff members and/or volunteers
a.        Secretary/Receptionist
·   Opens the bills and reviews them, then gives them to the Bookkeeper
·   Gives unopened Bank Statements to Pastor and/or Church Administrator
·   Receives and reviews signed checks from Pastor/Treasurer/Authorized Check Signer and vendor remittance stub, seals envelopes and mail
b.       Bookkeeper
·   Enters the bills in CMS, assigning each bill to the appropriate vendor and account
·   A regular schedule, i.e. every Thursday, for issuing checks allows for efficiencies in the business office and helps control the work associated with paying bills.
v Petty cash should not be used to pay vendors, contractors, or employee.
v Petty cash disbursements should also be tracked in the CMS Fund Accounting system and periodically reconciled.
v The use of manually created checks is discouraged.
a.        If a manual check is used, i.e. an authorized check signer takes a check to a retail store; the receipt should be promptly taken to the bookkeeper so the transaction can be reported.
·   Prints the checks in CMS on 3 part check
v Blank check stock should be kept in a locked location, preferably in a safe or fireproof filing cabinet, and access limited to those who are authorized to prepare checks. This helps reduce the risk of stolen or forged checks.
·   Staples church copy of stub of a 3-part check to associated bill and gives to Treasurer/Pastor
·   Before January 31^st, compiles 1099’s for non-incorporated vendors who were paid over $600 in the calendar year
c.        Pastor/Treasurer/Authorized Check Signer
·   Reviews bill and check for accuracy
·   Signs checks
v Two people should be required to sign any check over a pre-determined amount. The amount requiring a second signature can be pre-printed on checks, i.e. “Any check over $2,000 is required to have two signatures”.
v The signature documentation (signature card) held by the bank should also show this restriction.
v The Pastor must be included as an authorized signer on all accounts as administrator of the church and its affiliated organizations. This ensures the Pastor is aware of all accounts in the name of the church. This also protects the misuse of the parish tax ID number.
v Individuals with access to record entries in CMS Fund Accounting who receive and process cash receipts should not be authorized signers. This separates the duties of those with control over cash to insulate the individual from any implication or temptation of wrongdoing.
v Signature stamps should never be used. This way, all cash outflow is properly reviewed and authorized. If you have a signature stamp, it should be kept locked up and used only with authorization from the Pastor for correspondence purposes only.
v NEVER SIGN A BLANK CHECK! Blank or partially blank checks should never be signed. Only sign a check when the payee and dollar amount are filled in and there is supporting documentation.
·   Removes check, vendor copy of stub, vendor remittance stub and provided envelope (unsealed) and hands to secretary for mailing.
v It’s a good practice to hand the signed checks to a third party, not the person preparing the checks, to review and mail. This prevents the vendor remittance stub from being swapped out upon mailing, i.e. someone paying their personal electric bill with a church check.
·   Gives church copy of bill back to bookkeeper for filing.
d.       Pastor/Church Administrator/Finance Board
·   Bank reconciliation
v Bank Statements and cancelled checks should be received directly by the Pastor or Church Administrator, who should:
a.        Open and review to ensure payees are valid and signatures are authentic
b.       Review endorsements and determine if they are genuine
c.        Determine that all transactions have been authorized
d.       Determine the balance appears reasonable.
e.       Then sign and date the bank statement to indicate his/her review.
v Bank Reconciliations should be performed each month within ten days of receiving the bank statement. This can help ensure that any errors can be found and corrected quickly by either the bank or the church.
v Bank Reconciliations should be performed by a third party, one who does not sign the checks, keep the books, or process the receipts. A finance board member, the pastor, or business manager should be reviewing bank reconciliations on a monthly basis, dating and signing off on them.
·   Internet Banking/ACH Transfers/Wire Transfers
v While Internet Banking can be quite convenient, it can also open the church for a great degree of exposure and should always be monitored by the Pastor and/or Church Administrator.
v Any individual who has access to these online transactions literally has an open checkbook.
v It is recommended that only the Pastor and/or Church Administrator that releases the funds and should be the only holder of the administration password.
v Once a transaction has been completed, he/she should generate a bank report that details the transactions, signs and dates it, and forwarded to the bookkeeper for recording in the CMS Fund Accounting system.
v If your church uses the CMS Payroll Direct Deposit feature, or if an outside payroll service is used, the Pastor and/or Church Administrator should be signing off and reviewing every report processed by the bookkeeper.
·   Credit Cards
v Again, another convenience, but can open the church up to more exposure.
v Use the CMS Ledger & Payables Credit Card feature to track the individual expenditures (including vendor, amount, date and related expense account) and reconcile the credit card statement each month.
2.       Bank Accounts
a.       Number of Bank Accounts – The number of accounts should be kept to a minimum. This also helps streamline the accounting process. The separation of funds for different activities or programs can be done using the General Ledger rather than having a separate bank account for each.
b.       Other Church Organizations – Any and all checking, savings and investment accounts must be included on the church general ledger. This helps guarantee that the financial statements are accurate and allows the finance board and the church members to have a complete picture of the finances of the church. It is the responsibility of Pastor to oversee the finances of the parish and require full disclosure of all accounts.
c.        Name of Bank Account and Investment Accounts – Pastors, clergy, deacons, committee members, staff and volunteers should not hold assets in their own name or purchase in their own name any property that rightly belongs to the church. Bank deposits must be made in the name of the institution from which these funds originated.
3.       Other Church Organizations
a.       Organizations associated with the church should be recognized by the church council as a matter of written record and should be subject to the ultimate fiscal control by the Pastor.
b.       An itemized record of receipts and expenditures should be filed in the church office periodically (monthly, quarterly, or annually) and made available upon request of the Pastor.
c.        The church office should be reviewing, signing and dating, or completing the bank reconciliation and reviewing the cancelled checks on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, or annually).
d.       Organizations should only have separate bank accounts based on the approval of the Pastor.
e.       The Pastor should be included as an authorized signer on all affiliated organizations that use the church tax ID number. This ensure the Pastor is aware of all accounts in the name of the church, and prevents an organization from keeping church related assets (bank accounts) out of the control of the Pastor with the ability to close the account or put money in an account the Pastor is not aware or has access to.
4.       Payroll
a.       All church staff should be paid a pre-determined salary and the amounts must be reported on a W-2 annually.
·   Clergy Housing allowance should be voted on in December for the following year.
b.       All Payroll taxes must be paid on time.
c.        941 and W-2’s must be filed on time.

5.       Periodic Audits
a.       Internal Audits
·   Every church should have an internal audit committee in place. They can be church members who have financial, banking and/or business backgrounds.
·   Periodically throughout the year, they should review the financial records for discrepancies and ensure the church is in compliance with the law.
b.       External Audits
·   Every church should hire a CPA firm to review the financial records of the church annually.
6.       Other Best Practices
a.       Create an organizational chart which outlines the role of each staff member/volunteer. This can clarify the responsibilities of each position, and can eliminate confusion and overlapping of duties.

·   This can also help should a junior member of the staff who may spot a problem, go to the right staff member to voice a concern.
b.       Have a check request form in place that must be filled out each time a check is needed. This form can be reviewed and approved before the check is written. This also allows for a paper trail and the check writing procedure would have some internal controls in place to keep everyone honest.
c.        Accounting records should be safeguarded at all times. It’s important that the financial records remain at the church and not at a member’s home. This is confidential information and should not be carelessly shared with anyone. If the financial data (or checks/deposit slips) are taken off site, there is a greater possibility that the information could be destroyed, stolen or lost.
d.       Personnel

·   Most embezzlers are repeat offenders. Screen potential new employees carefully, and contact personal and professional references, and former supervisors.
·   Remember that all of the checks and balances you implement will always have flaws. If you hire a skilled embezzler whose sole intent is to steal from the church, you may not find out about it until a large amount of money goes missing. (Henrickson, 2006)
·   Bond your employees. Blanket bonds are popular with churches because all employees may be covered. Check with your church insurance policy for this coverage. (Fifty Internal Control Practices for Every Church)
·   Train new employees and volunteers!

v Provide them with a copy of your internal controls manual.
v If the new employee will be working in the CMS People Products or CMS Fund Accounting, utilize the CMS TeleTraining offerings to get them started on the right foot.

REFERENCES
Mason, T. (2009). CFO Diocese of Des Moines. Financial Management and Control Manual for Parishes and Schools , 2.
Fifty Internal Control Practices for Every Church. (n.d.). Retrieved from Dicoese of the West: http://dowoca.org/files/treasurer/Internal_Control_Practices_.pdf
Henrickson, K. P. (2006, September). Financial Management in the Church. Retrieved from http://home.comcast.net/~kphenrickson/interncontr.htm#_ftn2

The Current Period Changes in the Beginning Balance Column on the Statement of Financial Position is not zero

Mary Breault — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:49:52 GMT
PROBLEM: The Current Period Changes in the Beginning Balance Column on the Statement of Financial Position is not zero.

SOLUTION: Print the Statement of Financial Position Report to get a hard copy of the report. Make a note of the Shortcut Number of the Net Asset account (300 in the example below), and you'll need to know the amount in the Beginning Balance column under Current Period Changes (-$97.12 in the example below).

Make sure you have a recent backup of your system before you begin this process.

From CMS Ledger, click File | Utilities | File Editor.
Click OK at the warning message.
Click Select Table to Edit and open ACCOUNTS.DB.

With your mouse, right-click the first number under the Shortcut Number column and choose Filter.
At Filter for Shortcut Number, type the shortcut number of your Net Asset account, our example was 300, and click OK.
Now you should only see your Net Asset Account number. Scroll to the right until you see the columns Carry Forward Balance, Beg Bal Last Month and Beginning Balance.
Click the Edit button at the top of the display.

If the Current Period Changes amount in the Beginning Balance Column was a Negative amount, subtract that amount from the totals in the Carry Forward Balance, Beg Bal Last Month and Beginning Balance.

If the Current Period Changes amount in the Beginning Balance Column was a Positive amount, add that amount from the totals in the Carry Forward Balance, Beg Bal Last Month and Beginning Balance.

In our example, the Current Period Changes was a negative, so we're going to subtract $97.12 from the totals, and in our example we'll:
Change the Carry Forward Balance from $34,589.11 to $34,491.99 (we’re subtracting out the $97.12).
Change the Beg Bal Last Month from $31,011.54 to $30,914.42.
Change the Beginning Balance from $31,011.54 to $30,914.42.
You'll need to refer to your Statement of Financial Position Report and calculate the correct amounts for your church based on the amount in the Current Period Changes in the Beginning Balance column and the amounts displayed in your Net Asset account.

Click Close.

Click File | Utilities | Recalculate Year | Finish.

Come back into CMS Ledger and click Process | Calculate Balances | Finish.
Now reprint your Statement of Financial Position Report and you should no longer see an amount in for the Current Period Changes in the Beginning Balance column, and the YTD Change column should now be the correct amount!

Facility Scheduler Request Form

Mary Breault — Tue, 26 May 2009 10:02:38 GMT

For clients who have activated their ChristianChurchesOnline.com or ParishesOnline.com web site, and who would like to use the free Facility Scheduler, fill out the Facility Scheduler Request Form and click the Submit By Email link.

ParishSOFT/CMS sets up your list of resources. Complete this form with a list of the resources you need to have added to your website.

Resources allow you to schedule events using specific rooms or equipment on your facility scheduler. You will want to define several resources based on the needs of your church and school. Be sure to include rooms, equipment, and other resources that can be rented, occupied or otherwise promised.

Here are a few examples that may apply: Room 102, Library, Chapel, Training Room, Conference Room A, Church Hall, Church Basement, School Gym, Nursery, Van/Bus

You have the option of displaying the events from your Facility Scheduler on your Main Church Calendar. This is helpful if you want to limit access to the facility scheduler, but allow all church members to view the Main Church Calendar, including resource events.

If you would like the Resource events to display on the Main Church Calendar, check the box provided and include an (up to 10 character) Resource abbreviation that will display next to the event.

Click here to download
Facility Scheduler Request Form

Room names must be no longer than 25 characters and may not contain spaces (use an underscore _ instead of a space). If you need additional rooms, please complete a second form.

How to Backup your data in CMS

Mary Breault — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:33:12 GMT

"I forgot."
"It takes too much time."
"I thought someone else was backing up."
Just talk to someone whose computer crashed, or whose laptop computer "grew legs" and walked out the front door, or whose network tape backup really wasn't working after all, or whose church office burned to the ground... and you'll understand why making a backup is a must!
Think of how long it would take to re-enter all of the data you have in your CMS System... all of the names and addresses of your members, all of their contribution and pledge information, all of their attendance records for the last several years!
Or worse yet, attempting to reconstruct the bills you've paid, the deposits you've entered, the checks you've cut... and re-doing all of those bank reconciliations!
How much work do you mind re-doing if the worst happened?
Now think of how little time it truly takes to make a backup of your data. It's really not that bad!
And CMS gives you so many choices when backing up your data! You can backup to:
3 1/2 floppy diskette
Zip Drive
Flash/Thumb drive
External Hard Drive
CD-R/CD-RW
Online Backup
From CMS People Products or CMS Fund Accounting, click File | Backup.
You can make a simple backup. Just insert a diskette, USB Flash Drive, Zip Drive, etc. and make a backup to the root of drive. If you do not have Windows XP, you can backup to a formatted CD-R/CD-RW.
NOTE: If you want to backup to a CD-R/CD-RW drive and have Windows XP, use the CD backup option below.
The backup name for CMS People Products is CMS4WIN.ZIP, and the backup name for CMS Fund Accounting is FIN4WIN.ZIP.
You can make a custom backup. This will allow you a bit more control over the location and file name of your backup.
The Online Backup (previously labeled FTP Backup) allows you to transmit your data over the internet (using 512 bit encryption) to CMS Servers that will house your backups.
CMS will store the date, time, file size and data version of your backup file names. We recommend that you alternate your backups each week.
Finally, you can make a backup to a CD-R/CD-RW drive using Windows XP ability to write to a non-formatted CD.

You can set up a Backup Reminder to remind you to make a backup of your data periodically. Check the box at Remind me to backup every XX days and select the number of day's you'd like to be reminded. Click the Save Reminder Settings button.

New Address Requirements from US Post Office

Mary Breault — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:35:19 GMT

In today’s economic environment everyone is looking for ways to save money. The U.S. Post Office is no different.
At this time the Post Office is planning on some form of rate evaluation or increase each year. In an effort to minimize the need for rate increases they have determined where they are currently spending their money, and system changes that will allow them to improve their service level while being fiscally responsible.
One such area is the staggering amount of Undeliverable as Addressed (UAA) mail. In other words, mail that is entered into the system with bad or incorrect addresses.
When a UAA piece of mail is sent the Post Office has to forward it, if the correct address is in the system, return it to sender, (If it is First Class mail) or destroy it.
All of these processes are expensive. When you consider that 5 out of every 100 pieces of mail is Undeliverable as Addressed that means that over 9.7 billion pieces of mail require special handling. This equates to a cost of $1.856 billion dollars each year. On top of these staggering statistics, consider the lost time, expense and mail delay on the part of you the mailer due to incorrect addresses.
To address this problem the Post Office is implementing revised Move Update requirements that go into effect November 23, 2008.
At that time the Post Office will require all mailers that mail at discounted postal rates to implement one of several methods to ensure their mailing list contains up to date information. Some of the options that would be applicable to small to mid size mailers include:
Mail is addressed to an individual – “Or Current Occupant”
Appropriate Ancillary Service Endorsement
- Such as “Address Service Requested”
NCOALink® Processing
Modify the Top Address Line
Using this method your top address line would be modified by adding the text: “/Or Current Resident”.
Example:
John and Mary Doe/Or Current Resident
123 North Main Street
Anytown, MN, 55501
By using this format the mail piece is effectively being delivered to an address not an individual(s). Depending on the intention of the mail piece this may or may not be appropriate.
Advantage:
No additional Cost
Disadvantage:
The mail would go to who ever resides at that address not necessarily the intended recipient.
You don’t get the updated information for the individual(s) that may have moved. Any subsequent mailings would be misdelivered.
Wasted time, material and postage costs.
Appropriate Ancillary Service Endorsement
This is a line of text that must be printed ¼” below the return address on the front of the mail piece. The list of endorsements and services include:
Address Service Requested
Full Service: Forwarding, Return, & New Address Notification Provided
If Forwarded, A Separate COA Notification Is Provided
If Returned, New Address Or Reason For Nondelivery Is Provided
Return Service Requested
Mail Is NOT Forwarded
Mail piece is returned to sender with new address or reason for non-delivery provided.
Temp-Return Service Requested (First-Class Mail® only)
If Temporary COA – Mail piece is forwarded without temporary address provided.
If Permanent COA – Mail piece is returned with new address provided
Advantage:
No additional up front charges
Disadvantage:
Substantial additional fees are charged for each piece forwarded or returned by the Post Office
Delay in getting the mail to recipient.
Wasted time, material and postage costs.
You must update your data base manually
NCOALink® Processing (National Change of Address)
This process updates your data base prior to sending any mail piece. Your mailing list is processed against the Post Office data base that contains the most up to date address records for each person. Their master file is maintained daily from change of address information submitted online or at the Post Office by the individuals living at that address.
To use this process simply export your data base records from the CMS system using the same procedure used for CASS Certification. Email the file with the order form to Cyberex Marketing Inc. They will contact you and process your file within 24 to 48 hours.
When you receive the updated file it should be imported into the CMS system, again using the same procedure as you would use with a CASS Certified file.
Advantage:
Easy processing
Proactive database updates your mail so it gets to the intended recipient now
Automatically update your database records
Saves time, material and postage costs
Disadvantage:
The cost for this service is $80.00
The file must be updated every 95 days to meet the Post Office requirements.
If the Post Office determines that your list does not meet these standards your mail could be rejected and you would be required to pay the full First Class postage rate on each piece. This could result in substantial postage costs increases to you.
Note: CASS Certification is still necessary to receive postal discounts and does not meet the new Move Update requirements. CASS Certification validates and provides automation information regarding a specific address not who resides at that address.

How Can I Email a File to the Envelope Company?

Mary Breault — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:34:07 GMT
You can easily use CMS to email a listing of names, addresses and envelope numbers to your envelope company. You’ll need to do just a bit of setup the first time you send the disk, then every time after, you’ll just need to re-output the process.
From CMS Contribution System, click Process | Merge Export File | New Report | give it a name, such as Disk for Envelope Company and click OK.

From the Merge File Selection Screen, click the down arrow at File Type and choose the Envelope Company you use. If you don't see your envelope company listed, choose Envelope Mailing - Generic.
Click the Person Additional Selections button located in the lower left side of the screen.
Click the checkbox at Envelope Number, located in the upper right side of the screen and type in the desired envelope number range or leave the default 1 thru 999999 to pick up everyone with an envelope number. Click OK.

Click the checkbox at Field Names in First Record in the lower left corner of the screen.

Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express Users:
Click the View File button located on the right side of the screen to print the report to screen. Once the report is on screen, click the Export button at the top of the screen (envelope with red arrow).
Click the down arrow at Format and choose Comma Separated Values (CSV).
Click the down arrow at Destination and choose Microsoft Mail (MAPI).

Click OK.
This will bring up a Send Mail screen.

Type in the Envelope Company’s email address in the TO: field and remember to include your church name, address and account information in the subject and/or message field. Click Send.
You may receive a notice from Microsoft notifying you that another application is attempting to send mail on your behalf and do you want to allow access. Answer Yes to allow CMS to send this email on your behalf.

All other email applications:
The default location of the File Destination is the CMS4WIN folder on your local hard drive or network drive letter. If you would like to change the file location of the data, click the Browse button and enter the correct file name and location.
Once complete, exit CMS and open your email application.
Create a new mail message to your envelope company. Click the Attachment button.
Click the down arrow at Look In and choose the location of the saved file. Choose the CMSENV.TXT file and click Attach.
Don't forget to include your Church Name, Address and Account information in the message box of the email.
Click Send.

CASS Certification Information Export/Import

Mary Breault — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:33:45 GMT

While you can Export your addresses and have any mailing company CASS Certify your CMS database, only Cybertex Marketing, formerly AMTI, Applied Mailing Technology, is certified to give you the option of Importing the completed CASS Certification information and updated address list back into your CMS System.
Exporting Addresses for CASS Certification
You must create a file that can be emailed, uploaded, or mailed to Cybertex Marketing. From CMS People Products, click File | Utilities | CASS Certification | Export.
Insert a diskette, jump drive, zip drive, formatted CD-R/CD-RW and change the To Diskette Drive letter to the appropriate drive. Or just click into the To Diskette Drive field and type in your local disk C: drive. Click OK.
This will prepare a file of all of the households entered in your CMS People Products.
Once the file has been successfully created, fill out the CMS Cass Certification Order Form and fax, email, or mail the form and upload the data to Cybertex Marketing.
Importing Addresses for CASS Certification
When you receive the file back from Cybertex Marketing, from CMS click File | Cass Certification | Import.
Type in the drive letter of the diskette, jump drive, zip drive, formatted CD-R, or hard disk C: where the files are located.
You can choose to Replace Addresses in upper and lower case, as CMS will allow you to choose to print your labels in Upper and Lower, or all Upper case.
Be sure to check the box at Replace Carrier Route.
Click OK and follow the instructions on screen.

How to create Christmas Bonus Checks?

Mary Breault — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:16:27 GMT
You can create a bonus check at the end of the year for employees using CMS Payroll.
Prepare a list of all employees and the bonus they are to receive.
Be sure that all previous payrolls have been posted. Bonus paychecks will be prepared using all the procedures for a normal payroll cycle.
From CMS Payroll, click Enter/Edit Timecards and choose the Create Bonus Pay button.
Click the up arrow at Pay Item and choose the appropriate Pay Item,

or create a new Pay Item (Bonus). Click Select.

The Bonus Gross Pay Calculator will help you calculate the Gross Pay Amount for timecard items.
Check mark only the taxes to be withheld.

Note: Use the Deduction/Benefit selection button during the calculation of the payroll to deselect taxes you do not wish to withhold.
The federal supplemental withholding percentage will be used if selected.

The state supplemental withholding percentage being used will be that of the church's state for all employees, if selected.

To use a local tax supplemental withholding percentage, create a local tax called "BONUS" and specify a supplemental withholding percentage. The system will use that percentage for all bonus pay.

To produce a net check of a certain amount, click on "Enter Desired Net Check Amount" and enter the net check amount. The Gross Bonus Amount will be calculated.
To pay a Gross Bonus Amount, you may select "Enter Desired Gross Bonus Amount" and enter the amount. The system will calculate the approximate Net Check amount.
Note: The Bonus Gross Pay for employees not subject to taxes (clergy) needs to be entered as the bonus net pay amount.

Payroll Gross Pay Account to Use:
Use the same account as the employee's regular pay (the system will use the shortcut of the first regular pay item).
To use a common expense account for the bonus pay, choose "Specific Shortcut" and enter the shortcut number to use. The account must already be set up as a Payroll Gross Pay Account.
Click the Select Employees button...

and choose the employees receiving this bonus Click OK.
Click OK on the Create Timecard for Bonus window. The system will enter the gross pay amount on each selected employee's timecard.
Repeat the Create Bonus Pay for different bonus amounts.
Calculate the Payroll.
Click on the Deduction/Benefit button and check only the taxes to be withheld from the bonus check.
Print and review the Paycycle Reports (Current Earnings, Payroll Summary, and Finance Distribution).
Prepare the bonus checks. Click on Process | Paychecks and under Payment Method, choose Print Checks.
If you have employees participating in direct deposit (ACH), you will be asked if you wish to print checks for those employee. Clicking Yes will cause the system to override the direct deposit designation for the employee and print a physical bonus check instead.
If you wish to create a direct deposit file instead, answer No to the question. The system will only print checks for non-direct deposit employees. Repeat the Paychecks process selecting the ACH Payment Method for a direct deposit bonus check file.
Print final copies of the Paycycle Reports.
Post the payroll as normal. The gross pay amount will be included in each person's taxable wages. The Current Pay Period counter does not advance for a bonus payroll.

How to create Contributor Statements

Mary Breault — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:36:27 GMT

You can create a Contributor Statement that can be printed and mailed out to your contributors each month, quarter, mid-year, or yearly.
You can choose from a variety of formats, printing options, and sorts.
From the CMS Contribution System menu, click the Statements button.
If you have never created Contributor Statements before, or would like to start from scratch, click the New Report button on the right side of the screen and give your statements a name, such as Contributor Statements with Pledge Detail and click OK.
This will display the Contributor Statements Selection Screen.
First things first, you'll want to determine WHO will get a statement.
The default selections will include anyone with either:
An Envelope Number, or
A YTD Contribution greater than zero, or
A Total Pledge greater than zero
But you can choose to limit that even further. Take a look at the Selections section on the left side of the screen.
For example, you may choose to not send a statement to those people who have passed away or moved away. Click the Member Status button and remove your codes for Deceased and Transferred/Moved. Click OK.
Or, you may choose to not send a statement to those people who have an envelope number, but who have not contributed or pledged this year. Click the Additional Button.
Click the dot at People With Pledges or Contributions.
In general, you will not check any of the boxes under Additional Limits.
This is used if you ONLY want those people who have a Pledge to a particular fund, or if you ONLY want people with a Balance Due on a Pledge.
The IRS rules for Contributor Statements states that anyone who contributes $250 needs a "contemporaneous written acknowledgement" (see http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96102,00.html for complete details).

If you ONLY want to send to those people who have given you $250, click the Single Contribution checkbox and the range $250 thru $9,999,999.99 will appear.
However, most churches will send statements to contributors, regardless of the amount given in a single contribution.
Additional Limits is a SELECTION for WHO will get a statement, not for WHAT will Print on the statement. Click OK.
Now that you've determined WHO will get a statement, let's look at how the statement will appear!
Click the Change Statement Format button.
There are seven different styles of Contributor Statements you can choose from. Each Statement can be printed at any time in the year.
So just because it says it's a "Yearly Detail", doesn't mean you can't print it on October 13th! You can print them anytime you want!
Each Statement format appears a bit different to the contributor:
Quarterly - The Quarterly Statement will print only the Pledgeable and/or Major funds you have entered in your system. All of the Special Funds will be lumped into a Special Funds column. If you have five or fewer Pledgeable/Major funds, the statement will always fit on one page. This statement is IRS Compliant only if you print and mail it four times each year.
Quarterly (dot matrix) - Similar Contributor Statement for those churches who still use a dot matrix printer, rather than a laser/ink jet printer. You can set up a Generic/Text Only printer driver and this statement format will print to your dot matrix printer very fast!
- Similar Contributor Statement for those churches who still use a dot matrix printer, rather than a laser/ink jet printer. You can set up a Generic/Text Only printer driver and this statement format will print to your dot matrix printer very fast!
Monthly Summary - This statement will print only a summary of each month for the Pledgeable/Major funds and combine your Special Funds into a Special Funds column. This statement is NOT IRS compliant for those people who have given $250 single contribution.
Yearly Detail A - This statement format is our most popular statement format (and IS completely IRS compliant!). This statement will print only the funds to which each contributor has activity (pledge and/or contributions), and will print each individual date of the contribution and amount given to that fund in four columns across the page. The pledge information displayed is complete and easy to understand, as it is listed in a columnar format.
Yearly Detail B - Laid out similarly to the Yearly Detail A, this statement handles the pledge status information in a paragraph form.
Yearly Detail C - This statement is again very similar to the Yearly Detail A format. However, instead of the contribution detail laid out in four columns across the page, it is listed one line per down the left column of the page. This statement will also print the Check Number, Contribution Type, and Description (if applicable) of each contribution per date per fund.
Fees & Payments - This statement is laid out as the Yearly Detail C format, however the phrasing on the statement uses Fees & Payments terminology instead of Pledges & Contributions. You can use this statement for Religious Education or School tuition.
Select the statement format you prefer and click OK.
If you are choosing to Bulk Mail your statements, you can choose to sort either by Alpha, Carrier Route, or Zip Code.
NOTE: If you choose the Zip Code sort, you will get a Zip Code Count report after printing and closing the statements.
If you are tracking non-deductible items, such as Religious Education or School Tuition, you may not want to include them on your End of Year Contributor Statement. The Yearly Detail and Fees & Payments formats will allow you to choose the funds to print.
Click the Print Funds button and remove any non-deductible funds. Click OK.
You may want to add your own Statement Message to the bottom of each statement. Click the Statement Message button on the right side of the Statement Selection screen.
The "Only intangible religious benefits were provided" (or a variation of) is the IRS Compliant statement that should be somewhere on your statement.
If you are choosing to bulk mail your statements, you will need a message soliciting future contributions, i.e. "Thank you for your continued support".
You may also want to include a message indicating name and phone number of the person the contributor should contact if they have any problems or questions on their statement. Click OK.
If you would prefer a phrase other than "Pledge" i.e. Commitment, Promise, etc. on the statement, click the Rename Headings button on the left. You can change the words Pledge and Balance to another phrase as needed. Click OK.
Click the Print Items button to determine what pieces information that you want to print on the statement.
For example, if you are printing the statement on church letterhead, you may want to remove the checkmark at Church Name and Address.
Only print the Contributor Postal Bar Code if you have been CASS Certified. See CASS Certification Information and Order Form for more information.
If you are using the Self Sealing Mailers, you can print the Postal Permit information directly on the piece. Click the Edit Postal Permit button to enter your churches bulk mail permit information. Click OK.
You can control the Pledge Status Calculation sections on the Yearly Detail A, C, and Fees & Payments Statement formats.
If you leave the YTD Pledge, Total Pledge and Balance Due items checked, the statement pledge information will appear as follows:
The Year To Date Pledge is the Current Pledge Status Calculation on the left side of the page. If you want the contributor to view their pledge as of a certain date in time, you'll want to be sure this item is checked.
If you remove the checkmark at YTD Pledge and leave the Total Pledge checked, it will appear as:
The Total Pledge checkbox controls the Total Pledge Status Calculation. Leave the YTD Pledge checked and remove the checkbox and it will appear as:
And the Balance Due checkbox controls the "math". If you check both the YTD Pledge and Total Pledge, but remove the checkmark at Balance Due, it will appear as:
Click OK.
Click Print.
The statements will fit beautifully in a #9 single window envelope (you can use the same envelope that your checks fit into from Ledgers & Payroll!).

End of Contribution Year Checklist

Mary Breault — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:35:47 GMT

There are several steps to completing the End of Contribution Year in CMS.
1. Enter and Post all Contributions for the current contribution year.
Make sure you have entered and posted all contributions for the year. Make any adjustment entries that you are aware of.
2. Calculate Pledge Balances and Set Statement Date.
From CMS Contribution, click Process | Calculate Pledge Balances/Set Statement Date. Type the last date of the current Contribution Year and click the Calculate button.
Even if your church does not utilize pledges, you must run this process to set the correct date for the Contributor Statements.
3. Run a CMS Database Backup
From CMS, choose File | Backup. Label and save these diskettes, CD-R, Zip disk, etc. DO NOT OVERWRITE THIS BACKUP! Store them off-site or in a safe place.
You may also choose to make an End of Year Backup to the CMS FTP Backup Site.
Click the dot at FTP Backup and click the up arrow at File Name. The system will access your backup history.
At the FTP Backup File Name display, click the Add button on the right and add a new file and give it a name, such as
2006 End of Year Database Backup
and click OK.
Highlight this new backup file name and click Select | OK and follow the instructions on screen.
Do not overwrite this backup as you make your daily/weekly backups in the future.
4. Archive CMS for Windows
From CMS, click File | Utilities | Archive CMS.
This process will automatically create a copy of your CMS system and create a shortcut on the desktop. This can be accessed at anytime in the future to print reports and reprint statements as needed.
You WILL NOT run End of Year on the Archived copy.
NOTE: Norton AntiVirus software may detect the creation of the archive shortcut with the message "Alert: Malicious Script Detected" and the request "What do you want to do?". Choose Authorize This Script and click OK to continue.
If you accept the default at this message, the shortcut will not be created and you will need re-run the process to create the Archive shortcut only.
You can also run the Archive process to create the Archive Shortcut Only in a network environment, if the archive process has already been run from another computer and you want to create a shortcut only to access that Archive from this computer.
5. Print End of Year Reports
Alpha/Envelope Reference - Choose Reports | Envelope Number Listing | Alpha/Envelope Reference. This report will display a simple listing of your current year contributors.
Click Reports | Congregation Weekly Summary | Print to your printer. This report will display totals of how much was contributed each week to each fund.
Go to the last page of the report and make note of the YTD Total To All Funds.
Click Reports | Pledge & Contribution Summaries | All Contributors | Print to your printer.  This report will display how much each contributor has pledged and/or contributed so far this year.
Go to the last page of the report and compare the Total Contributions to All Funds to the YTD Total to All Funds on the Congregation Weekly Summary report you printed in Step #1.
These two numbers add up different things in CMS, but when printing the report for all people and all funds, they should always match!
NOTE: If your totals don't match, follow the steps in Contributor Statement - Detail doesn't add up to Totals to correct.
6. Pint Contributor Statements
From CMS Contribution System menu, click Statements. If you have not previously created Contributor Statements, click New Report on the right and give it the name Contributor Statements. If you have a report named Contributor Statements listed, you can simply select that report.
You can follow the steps in How To Create Contributor Statements for complete instructions.
7. Run End of Year
From the CMS Contribution System menu, click Process | End of Contribution Year | Continue | Continue.
The End of Contribution Year process will prepare your pledges and contributions for the next twelve months. It will analyze the data already entered to assist you in making the correct Year End Pledge Process choice for each fund.
Review the Year End Pledge Process options for each fund to ensure the pledges will handled correctly in the next, new year.
Advance Pledge Dates One Year - Choose this options only if you wish to use the CURRENT PLEDGES for the next year also. DO NOT choose this option if you have entered pledges for this fund in the Next Year Pledge entry process.
Clear Pledges - Choose this option if the pledge is completed, or has not been entered.
Replace with Next Year Pledges - Choose this option if you have already entered your pledges for the next year.
Active Multi Year Pledge - Choose this option if the current pledge will be active next year and/or if you're in the middle of a multi year pledge.

Click Process after you have entered your Year End Pledge Process for each fund.
If you have entered Next Year Envelope numbers, those numbers will be made the envelope numbers for the next, new year.
Batches already entered for the next, new year will be automatically renumbered starting at batch #1.

How do I use Speed Update to enter a code for many people?

Mary Breault — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:11:48 GMT

PROBLEM: You have a code that you need to assign to several people, what's the quickest way of doing this?
SOLUTION: You can use CMS Speed Update to quickly code many fields in CMS!
From CMS Membership, click People | Speed Update.
You can choose to update
Activity Codes
Class Codes
Household Fields
Person Fields
Baptism Fields
Confirmation Fields
Communion Fields

In this example, we will assign an Occupation Code of Accountant to all of the Accountants in the database.
Be sure you have a current backup of your system before beginning this process!
From CMS Membership, click People | Speed Update | Person.
Click the down arrow at Fields and choose the field you wish to update. In our example, we will choose Occupation Code.
Click the up arrow at Value and choose the value you want to assign to that field. In our example, we will choose Accountants.
Click Select Names.
You may enter the data with your mouse, by scrolling down to the appropriate name and click the checkbox next to the person's name.
or
You may enter the data with your keyboard, by typing the first few characters of the last name to "jump" to that family. Press the Enter key on the keyboard to place a checkmark next to their name.
When you have everyone coded, click OK | Update and that code will now be assigned to that person!
Speed Update Person Fields include:
Person Custom Code 1
Person Custom Code 2
Person Custom Number 1
Person Custom Number 2
Person Custom Text 1
Person Custom Text 2
Person Custom Text 3
Person Custom Text 4
Person Custom Date 1
Person Custom Date 2
Person Custom Date 3
Person Custom Long Text
Education Level
Employer
Grade Level
Last Attendance
Last Participation
Marriage Status
Member Date
Member Status
Member Title
Occupation Code
Occupation Type
Participation Status
Record Status
School Code
Suffix
Sunday School
Speed Update Household Fields include:
Country
House Custom Code 1
House Custom Code 2
House Custom Number 1
House Custom Number 2
House Custom Text 1
House Custom Text 2
House Custom Text 3
House Custom Text 4
House Custom Date 1
House Custom Date 2
House Custom Date 3
House Custom Long Text 1
House Custom Long Text 2
Group Code
Record Status
Title
Unit Type
Speed Update Activity Display:
Speed Update Class Display:
Speed Update Baptism Display:
Speed Update Confirmation Display:
Speed Update Communion Display:

How to Email Groups of People

Mary Breault — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:11:20 GMT

You can use your CMS Membership System and Microsoft Outlook/Outlook Express to email groups of people who have email addresses entered in CMS.
Any group of people that you can create labels, you can send an email instead!
From your CMS Membership System, click Labels/Letter-Mailer.
These are all of the label reports you have already set up. You can use any of these label report to send those recipients an email instead of a label. Or you can create a new set of labels (see Creating Labels for selection instructions). This example will use an existing set of labels.
Just highlight the group you want to email and click Select.
Then from the Label Selection Screen, click the Email/Mailing button in the upper right corner of the screen, just under the Print button.
This will start your Email/Mailing Wizard! We'll follow along with the steps.
First, you'll want to decide if you want to send an email to the Household, Personal, and/or Business email address, or any combination therein.
For example, you may have members who do not wish any church communication to come to their Business email address. In this case, just remove the checkmark at Business Email!
Click Next.
You can choose to print a listing of those people who have been selected for labels/emails. The listing will show you who will receive an email, and those who will receive a label (people who do not have an email address entered).
If you would like to confirm your selections, or see who does not have an email address entered, click the Print List button.
This report will show you those people who do and who do not have an email address entered.
Click Next.
You can now choose to send your email! Click the Send Email button in the upper right corner of the screen.
This will compile your email addresses and copy them into your Windows Clipboard.
If you are working with a small group of people, a new mail message box will open and your email addresses will automatically be inserted into the TO: field. You can type in your subject and message and click Send!
If you are working with a larger group of people, you may get a message that states:

"The email addresses cannot automatically be inserted in the email message due to a limitation in the number of addresses. These addresses have been copied into Windows Clipboard.

You may paste these addresses into your email message by clicking on the 'To' field and click Edit, Paste or press Ctrl+V on your keyboard."
CLick OK at this message.
When the new mail message comes up, right click into the TO: field, or better yet, the BCC: (Blind Carbon Copy) field and choose Paste.
All of your email addresses should pop right into place and you can now type your subject and message and click Send!
NOTE: Blind Carbon Copy is a function of your Email Editing Software. If you insert the email addresses into the Blind Carbon Copy field, the recipient's name(s) and email address(es) are not visible to other recipients of the message.
To Turn On The BCC field:
Outlook Express - From a New Mail Message, click View | and check the All Headers box.
Microsoft Outlook - From a New Mail Message, click View | BCC: Field.
From a New Mail Message, click View | BCC: Field.
Microsoft Outlook Word Editor - If you are using Microsoft Word as your email editor, from a New Mail Message, click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Options button, and click BCC:.
If you are using Microsoft Word as your email editor, from a New Mail Message, click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Options button, and click BCC:.
Microsoft Outlook 2007 or greater - Click the Options tab and choose Show BCC.
Click the Options tab and choose Show BCC.
Once you've sent your email message, the system will return you to your Email/Mailing Wizard in CMS. Click Next.
If you are expecting labels and want to print them, click Labels.

And the system will print up the labels for those people who did not have an email address entered!

Ledger & Payables End of Year Checklist

Mary Breault — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:39:10 GMT

The End of Year processing deletes prior year transaction data, moves new budgets into place, and sets the beginning balances of all accounts to their proper value for the beginning of the new year.
Ensure that deposits, journal entries, and credit card charges dated in this month and bills that have been paid in this month are complete and accurate. Those transactions cannot be changed after the month is closed. Bills that have not been paid are not included in account balances and they can be changed at any time.
Before processing the End of Year, print the Deposit Register, Journal Entry, Check Register, Bill List, Statement of Activities, Statement of Financial Position, and Dedicated Accounts, and General Ledger. Verify that all of the month's transactions have been entered correctly.
Since you can continue to enter bills, checks, deposits and journal entries for the following month, you may decide to reconcile your bank account prior to running end of year to ensure all transactions have been entered correctly.
1. Run the Finance Data Integrity Check.
This process will perform a check of your finance data for possible problems including: missing check records, mismatched bill and check data, unbalanced journal entries, etc.
From CMS Ledger & Payables, click File | Utilities | Finance Data Integrity | OK to exit Ledger & Payables. Click Process.

If the process finds any problems, you will need to correct those issues before completing End of Fiscal Year.
Problems with Missing Bill Items
Problems with Missing Deposit Items
Problems with Missing Journal Entry Items
Problems with Missing Beginning Balance Items
If the process completes without errors, you can continue!
2. Calculate Balances
From CMS Ledger & Payables, click Process | Calculate Balances | Finish.
This process updates account and vendor balances with all of the transactions entered during the month.
3. Print End of Year Reports
There are several reports you will need to print each month: Deposit Register, Journal Entry, Check Register, Bill List, Statement of Activities, Statement of Financial Position, and Dedicated Accounts, and General Ledger, as well as any other reports requested by others in your church. Print the end of Month reports for the last month of your Fiscal Year.
If you have not yet established the Print Queue for the Month End Reports, click here for instructions to create the Month End Print Queue.
There are also several reports that should be printed at the End of Year:
Statement of Financial Position for each fund and for all funds.
Statement of Activities for each fund and for all funds.
Statement of Dedicated Accounts for each fund and for all funds.
Click here to find out how funds transfer to Net Assets.
In addition, you may want to print the following optional reports:
General Ledger for the entire year
Vendor List NOTE: if your fiscal year is not the calendar year, be sure to print this report for the entire fiscal year and for the calendar year.
Vendor 1099 Forms (if applicable)
Annual Report Statement
Statement of Cash Flow
Monthly Budget/History
Vendor Audit for all or particular vendors
4. Make a backup
Make a backup of your data prior to running the End of Month Process. You may choose to store the End of Month backup sets in a different location than your daily backups. Click here to find out more information on backing up in CMS.
5. Archive CMS Fund Accounting Data for the Year
At the end of the fiscal year, financial statements are prepared and the end of year processing is completed to prepare the system for the new fiscal year. It's not unusual that investment reports and accounting adjustments are not available until several weeks or months into the new Fiscal Year. If you need to wait for that information before completing the end of year processing, it is inconvenient or difficult to obtain monthly financial statements for months in the new year.

Most CMS clients want the ability to review vendor and account transactions in the past year(s) to compare costs, adjust budgets, prepare 1099 and Payroll W-2 forms, and print other analysis reports.
CMS Fund Accounting solves the situations described above by making a copy of the system in a new folder on your computer after the normal transaction data has been entered for the current year (deposits, checks, credit card charges). The copy contains all the transactions for the year.

Adjusting entries based on the final investment reports and accounting decisions can be entered in the copy before printing the final financial statement.
This process makes a copy of the folder containing the CMS Fund Accounting data and programs (normally FIN4WIN) and creates a shortcut to access that copy.
It copies all the files for Finance and Payables, Payroll, Fixed Assets, and any other accounting modules. The Archive copy and the shortcut to access it are normally named FINxxxx where xxxx is the fiscal year you are ending. Examples are seen below.
Note: An option to change those names is provided within the Archive Fund Accounting Utility.
Click File | Utilities | Archive Fund Acct. | click OK.
NOTE: Norton AntiVirus software may detect the creation of the archive shortcut with a message "Malicious Script Detected" and the request "What do you want to do?". Choose "Authorize this script" and click OK to continue.
Do not rename the CMS Fund Accounting shortcut to your new fiscal year. Renaming the CMS Fund Accounting shortcut may cause failure of the archive function next year. The shortcut "CMS Fund Accounting" will always be the current fiscal year.
6. Run End of Year
From CMS Ledger & Payables System, click Process | End of Period | End of Fiscal Year.
The system will ask if you've printed the checklist and are ready to proceed. If you have already completed all steps, click Next.

The system will perform the Finance Data Integrity Process. Since you ran this previously, it should run through without errors.

The system will ask if you have printed all your reports, performed a backup, and completed the Archive process. If you have already completed these steps, check each box and click Next.
The system will ask you to assign a Net Asset account for each fund to record the difference between income and expense. The system will insert the Net Asset account used in prior years. Enter the correct shortcut number and click Next.
You can select the appropriate choice for your budget data:
Budget data is not used or available at this time. Set the budget data to zero.
Budget data for XXXX has not been entered. Set the XXXX (next year) budget the same as XXXX (this year) budget.
Budget data for XXXX (next year) has been entered, make it active and set the XXXX (following year) budget data the same as the XXXX (next year) budget data.
Budget data for XXXX (next year) has been entered, make it active and set the XXXX (following year) budget to zero.
Click Next.
The system will now process the End of Fiscal Year. Click Finish.
Once complete, you must exit CMS Fund Accounting (you do not need to restart the computer).
7. Prepare for Next Year
When you come back into CMS Ledger & Payables, click Process | Calculate Balances | Finish.
Add and/or Delete Accounts, if applicable.
Enter new budget data, if applicable.
Delete Vendors no longer being used.
Print the Statement of Financial Position for each and for all funds. NOTE: For Asset and Liability Accounts, verify that beginning balances are the same as the ending balances at the end of the last fiscal year.
Print the Statement of Activities. NOTE: For Income and Expense Accounts, verify that the account balances are zero or equal to the transactions entered for the new year, and that the budget numbers are correct.
Print the Statement of Dedicated Accounts. NOTE: Verify that beginning balances are the same as ending balances at the end of last fiscal year.
End of Fiscal Year is now complete!

Combining Duplicate Vendors

Mary Breault — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:38:50 GMT

The Combine Vendor function combines vendors and all of their transactions and history onto one single vendor. This can be used, for example, if the vendor was entered twice in the system.
From the Entry menu, choose Vendor Entry. The Vendor dialog will display.
Click the Combine Vendor button on the side-bar. The Combine Vendors dialog will display.

Select vendors on the list of all vendors on the left by scrolling down or typing letters for the vendor’s name. Highlight the duplicate vendor and click the Copy From button to select that duplicate vendor.
Select vendors on the list of all vendors on the left by scrolling down or typing letters for the vendor’s name. Highlight the vendor record that should be retained and click the Copy To button to select that correct vendor record.
Click the Combine button.
Click Yes at the Combine Vendor Confirmation dialog to combine the vendors. Click No to cancel the Combine Vendor process.

A Delete Vendor dialog will display. If you would like to delete the duplicate vendor after the copy process has completed, click Yes. If you would like to retain the duplicate vendor’s record, click No.