Short-Cuts for Year-End Check Batching

Rachel Buller

Hi data entry specialists, 

I'm seeking suggestions for time-saving procedures when batching year-end check payments. From November through March, my time is completely devoted to gift processing (which is a joyous thing for my organization and is approached on my end with the dogged determination of a slightly out of shape runner in training for a marathon). My organization receives a pdf file of scanned checks from the bank, which I scroll through each day and enter one by one into a check batch before committing and printing thank you letters. The bank also provides an Excel file with the following information: check date, number, name, and amount, which our CFO enters into our check log. Within my department, appeal codes are an oft-used tracking device to monitor overall success as well as to pinpoint which issues resonate most with our donors. It’s my job to enter appeal codes in the check batches and make note of any premium requests as indicated on specific appeal reply forms. Normally, this is a very manageable task for one person, but during year-end giving season it piles up quickly. So I’d like to know: do you use any short-cuts for check batching? If your organization has changed the way it handles check processing, what did you learn about data entry options in RE in the process? What are the pros and cons of your current system, especially during the year-end giving season? Answers to any of these questions would be deeply appreciated on my end.


Thank you!

 

Megan Thoms 2

Hello. My organization processes gifts in the same way, and I, like you, is in charge of data entry. The shortcuts I have created are as follows:

• batch templates for each type of gift (check entry, credit cards, efts, gifts received through the front door, online gifts, etc.) - In these templates, I have defaults saved like payment method (check), and fields hidden that I do not need to see.
• Order of data fields in batch templates - I have re-ordered the data fields in the templates to make data entry as efficient as possible.
• Re-named Letters - I renamed all acknowledgement letters that we use in RE, so that when I'm entering that information in the batch, it is very efficient. For example, for all renewal donors, we send the same letter, so I renamed the letter Renewal, and made sure no other letters have a name that begins with R. That way, when I'm entering that letter, I only have to type R, and the letter pops up.
• Implemented digital process - Previously, we would keep paper copies of all the batch commit reports, in addition to digital copies. I stopped this practice and made sure we just kept the digital copies.
• Double checks - I created queries in RE for the sole purpose of double checking data entry. That way it's very easy to find any mistakes and fix them.

I think that's all. Good luck!

JoAnn Strommen

Like Megan posted, utilize batch templates and defaults whenever possible. One other thing I've done is sort out gifts for records already in RE and those for new donors. After adding all those donors using a constituent batch, I can then use Tools > Group Add Constituents to Batch and pull in all these donors.

Cathleen Mai

Rachel Buller:
Hi data entry specialists, 

I'm seeking suggestions for time-saving procedures when batching year-end check payments. From November through March, my time is completely devoted to gift processing (which is a joyous thing for my organization and is approached on my end with the dogged determination of a slightly out of shape runner in training for a marathon). My organization receives a pdf file of scanned checks from the bank, which I scroll through each day and enter one by one into a check batch before committing and printing thank you letters. The bank also provides an Excel file with the following information: check date, number, name, and amount, which our CFO enters into our check log. Within my department, appeal codes are an oft-used tracking device to monitor overall success as well as to pinpoint which issues resonate most with our donors. It’s my job to enter appeal codes in the check batches and make note of any premium requests as indicated on specific appeal reply forms. Normally, this is a very manageable task for one person, but during year-end giving season it piles up quickly. So I’d like to know: do you use any short-cuts for check batching? If your organization has changed the way it handles check processing, what did you learn about data entry options in RE in the process? What are the pros and cons of your current system, especially during the year-end giving season? Answers to any of these questions would be deeply appreciated on my end.


Thank you!

Since you have most of the batch data already in Excel you might like Zeidmans Importacular Plugin (free for Gift imports):

http://www.zeidman.info/project/importacular/
You can match up your excel data fields once and reuse that template over and over again. After you approve that the Constituents actually match or need to be addded, it pulls the gifts directly into a batch.  From there you can review, add more data if necessary and commit.

Rachel Buller

Cathleen Mai:

Since you have most of the batch data already in Excel you might like Zeidmans Importacular Plugin (free for Gift imports):

http://www.zeidman.info/project/importacular/
You can match up your excel data fields once and reuse that template over and over again. After you approve that the Constituents actually match or need to be addded, it pulls the gifts directly into a batch.  From there you can review, add more data if necessary and commit.

 

Thank you, Cathleen! I've been exploring this option and it seems like it might really help me to save time - amazing! I truly appreciate your helpful advice.

-Rachel

Cathleen Mai

Great, you're welcome.

Rob Price

We are going to start using a lockbox at the bank for our next appeal. The bank will provide us with a CSV that will include Constituent ID, Appeal, and package that is included on the remit form. Each CSV will have the default campaign and fund. We are going to import these gifts directly into  the record without batching.

We'll also have a PDF scan of all the checks so we can make changes to the gifts as needed depending on special notes from the donor.

The one things I'm not sure how to handle yet is how to record somewhere on the gift record, maybe an attribute, an identfiyer that groups all the gifts together that were processed from that one CSV.


Good luck!

Heather MacKenzie

Rachel Buller:
Hi data entry specialists, 

I'm seeking suggestions for time-saving procedures when batching year-end check payments. From November through March, my time is completely devoted to gift processing (which is a joyous thing for my organization and is approached on my end with the dogged determination of a slightly out of shape runner in training for a marathon). My organization receives a pdf file of scanned checks from the bank, which I scroll through each day and enter one by one into a check batch before committing and printing thank you letters. The bank also provides an Excel file with the following information: check date, number, name, and amount, which our CFO enters into our check log. Within my department, appeal codes are an oft-used tracking device to monitor overall success as well as to pinpoint which issues resonate most with our donors. It’s my job to enter appeal codes in the check batches and make note of any premium requests as indicated on specific appeal reply forms. Normally, this is a very manageable task for one person, but during year-end giving season it piles up quickly. So I’d like to know: do you use any short-cuts for check batching? If your organization has changed the way it handles check processing, what did you learn about data entry options in RE in the process? What are the pros and cons of your current system, especially during the year-end giving season? Answers to any of these questions would be deeply appreciated on my end.


Thank you!

 

1. Batch Templates - you could create for cheques vs. credit card, or for different kinds of appeals, or whatever you need - we have them for gift types only

2. Using default information in the default fields while creating new batches - which can be changed as neede throughout the entry process - start off with "year end appeal," for example, and then switch to "year end email" halfway through if needed.

3.  Our gift entry person does "assembly line" processing - enter or update all constituent records first, then use batch template to set up new batch for gift entry, using the template and whatever defaults are possible, then the gift entry goes more quickly


Check with your Accounting people/person prior to considering the import process.  Our accounting peeps match each batch to a deposit, and if we used import, this would disappear.


Good luck!

 

Cathleen Mai

All good advice, but what do mean by "Our accounting peeps match each batch to a deposit, and if we used import, this would disappear." Do you mean there will be no batch or what is it that diappears?

Brittany Ivey

JoAnn Strommen:

Like Megan posted, utilize batch templates and defaults whenever possible. One other thing I've done is sort out gifts for records already in RE and those for new donors. After adding all those donors using a constituent batch, I can then use Tools > Group Add Constituents to Batch and pull in all these donors.

Hi JoAnn! What mechanism do you use to quickly/easily sort out records already in RE vs not in RE? Anything other than typing them into a consitituent search? Sorry if this is an obvious question, I'm a newbie and have been lurking on these boards to absorb knowledge!

Katherine Fritz

Rachel Buller:
Hi data entry specialists, 

I'm seeking suggestions for time-saving procedures when batching year-end check payments. From November through March, my time is completely devoted to gift processing (which is a joyous thing for my organization and is approached on my end with the dogged determination of a slightly out of shape runner in training for a marathon). My organization receives a pdf file of scanned checks from the bank, which I scroll through each day and enter one by one into a check batch before committing and printing thank you letters. The bank also provides an Excel file with the following information: check date, number, name, and amount, which our CFO enters into our check log. Within my department, appeal codes are an oft-used tracking device to monitor overall success as well as to pinpoint which issues resonate most with our donors. It’s my job to enter appeal codes in the check batches and make note of any premium requests as indicated on specific appeal reply forms. Normally, this is a very manageable task for one person, but during year-end giving season it piles up quickly. So I’d like to know: do you use any short-cuts for check batching? If your organization has changed the way it handles check processing, what did you learn about data entry options in RE in the process? What are the pros and cons of your current system, especially during the year-end giving season? Answers to any of these questions would be deeply appreciated on my end.


Thank you!


 

Having read through this thread, I don't see any mention of the reply slip that presumably came back with the check. Doesn't the bank provide you with scanned copies of those as well?  Or do they include the codes from the slip in the Excel file?  


best regards,

Katie

JoAnn Strommen

While it works for me it may not be the most efficient for others. With our preschool Swim-a-thon 80-95% of donors are already in our database. Our yearend mailing goes to names in RE plus our membership. Part of it is that I know my database. We're under 10K records, community based and I have a strange mind that remembers names.  So, a lot of it is just checking manually by search for the unfamiliar names. For swim event I receive handwritten pledge sheets, so to me it's easier than putting all the data in excel to create an import and check for duplicates. If my data came in Excel, I'd consider doing an import checking for dups that way. This year for yearend mailing I'm trying to get an ID code on response slip. That's a standard for most orgs but not something we've done before.


Not necessarily an obvious question. Yes, lurking here has taught me a lot about other ways to do things, tips and tricks.

Susan Chomsky

Rob Price:

We are going to start using a lockbox at the bank for our next appeal. The bank will provide us with a CSV that will include Constituent ID, Appeal, and package that is included on the remit form. Each CSV will have the default campaign and fund. We are going to import these gifts directly into  the record without batching.

We'll also have a PDF scan of all the checks so we can make changes to the gifts as needed depending on special notes from the donor.

The one things I'm not sure how to handle yet is how to record somewhere on the gift record, maybe an attribute, an identfiyer that groups all the gifts together that were processed from that one CSV.


Good luck!

We import from the bank CSV also. I add a reference note LB111017-111717 for gifts received and imported that week. You can query the reference to then batch the acknowledgements as well. 

Heather MacKenzie

Cathleen Mai:


All good advice, but what do mean by "Our accounting peeps match each batch to a deposit, and if we used import, this would disappear." Do you mean there will be no batch or what is it that diappears?

There would be no batch number, because whenever I've used Import, at least, there's no way to import the data into a batch. It just is imported directly into the record, which our accounting office can no longer query on.

JoAnn Strommen

They wouldn't be able to query based on batch # but there are certainly other options. If using Admin>Import there's the option for creating an output query. Obviously you could query by date.  Gift IDs are system generated and sequential - they might be a good option for query.

Just some thoughts.

Jen Claudy

If you Import using Zeidman's Importacular (free for Constituent & Gift Imports...if you're Hosted, it should already appear in Plug-Ins), you'll get a Batch of all the Gifts in the Import...which you can then review and commit.  I just started looking at Importacular a couple months ago for a client, and am really impressed...and finding all sorts of posts to mention it on!

Cathleen Mai

Yes, Importacular would solve your problem.

Heather MacKenzie

JoAnn, Jen, and Cathleen, I will certainly look into this!  There are a few times each year that I'd love to be able to import gifts rather than slog through any data entry on them, and as I'm learning more about importing in general this year, I'm thinking there are some more things I should investigate.  Thanks for the info!

Lynn ShordayAppelbaum

@Megan Thoms
Hi and thanks for sharing your tips!

Could you please give more detail about these to tips:

• Implemented digital process - Previously, we would keep paper copies of all the batch commit reports, in addition to digital copies. I stopped this practice and made sure we just kept the digital copies. Exactly what do you keep in the digital file?
• Double checks - I created queries in RE for the sole purpose of double checking data entry. That way it's very easy to find any mistakes and fix them. Can you explain how you wrote your query?

Thanks! Lynn