How to change GL numbers on multiple funds in RE?

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Rodney Young
Rodney Young
Eighth Anniversary 10 Comments Photogenic 5 Likes
in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT®: General Discussion
Hello all!


My institution is changing bank accounts, so I need to change 12 debit GL account numbers on every fund (1,424) in our database. According to this KB (https://kb.blackbaud.com/articles/Article/41593), you can NOT globally change the Fund GL distribution account numbers (they're not available in Admin > Globally Change Records. I chatted with another BB rep earlier, and they confirmed that there is no way to do this globally by any method it, and it would have to be done on a per basis account. Does anyone know if there are there any other tools to help this process? I know you can "copy from" another fund. Is there a way to "copy from" but only certain numbers on the debit side? Just trying to figure out a way for this task not to be completely manual and greuling.


Thanks!

Rodney
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  • Aaron Rothberg
    Aaron Rothberg
    Eighth Anniversary 500 Likes 100 Comments Name Dropper
    Hi Rodney-


    There is a Blackbaud tool that can do this, but we don't have access to it. When Blackbaud was migrating my database at a previous organization from our in-house system to a hosted database, our conversion analyst was able to take a spreadsheet we provided for 640 funds with GLs for all gift types. He populated these fields on the first test conversion, but then our accounting office decided to change the structure of the GL codes. Our accounting folks sent us a new spreadsheet for all 640 funds and our conversion analyst was able to update all GLs for the next test run in our conversion. It was made clear to us at the time that we needed to settle on our GL codes immediately because once the final conversion was done, as you've discovered, there is no way to globally update these values.


    Not a helpful answer, I know, but Blackbaud does have in-house tools to do this, at least they did four years ago during our data conversion. I'm sure they could do this with consulting hours ($$$), but I do not believe you are going to find a free solution or any solution outside of Blackbaud's resources.
  • Rodney Young
    Rodney Young
    Eighth Anniversary 10 Comments Photogenic 5 Likes

    Thanks Aaron!  Yes, Blackbaud support
    indicated they could do it, and it would cost.  Otherwise,
    there seems to be no other way, so my team and I have split up the
    funds and will go at it.

     

  • Rodney Young
    Rodney Young
    Eighth Anniversary 10 Comments Photogenic 5 Likes

    Hahaha!  I understand Ryan!

     

  • Karen Kaas
    Karen Kaas
    Eighth Anniversary 10 Comments
    I have run into the same problem.  We are using a new GL code for one gift type and it needs to be changed on 506 funds.  I just cannot believe Blackbaud does not have the GL Distribution table in the Global change data.  I cannot believe it would be that hard to add. At least I know I am not the only one struggling with this.  Thanks!

     

     
  • Tom Klimchak
    Tom Klimchak
    Tenth Anniversary 500 Likes 100 Comments Name Dropper
    Oy, we've had the same problem, but we usually work out compromises to work around things.  We have over 4,000 funds....  Here are two solutions we've looked at:


    1. Look at some of the third party importing software tools.  Even contact them directly... their costs might be less than Blackbaud's contract rate.


    2. If you're NOT hosted you can actually go poking around in the SQL database to find these numbers.  Before we moved to hosting we were looking at running some processes on the SQL side to replicate and change fund distribution numbers... We never actually pulled the trigger though...


    If it really comes down to manually changing them then at least try to prioritize: change the funds that were used most recently and work backwards... Good luck!
  • Graham Getty
    Graham Getty
    Ancient Membership 100 Comments 100 Likes Name Dropper
    Why can’t you just set up a new fake fund with all the correct GL codes called something like “New Fund Codes” then open each existing fund and use the copy from fund function to update?


    It’s not a global change but it is pretty fast. I can do 6 funds in a minute - just build a fund query, double click a fund description in output to open, click copy from, save and close, repeat. 
  • Alan Mackenzie
    Alan Mackenzie
    Tenth Anniversary 10 Comments Photogenic Name Dropper

    Rodney Young:

    Thanks Aaron!  Yes, Blackbaud support indicated they could do it, and it would cost.  Otherwise, there seems to be no other way, so my team and I have split up the funds and will go at it.

     

    That is absolutely reprehensible conduct from Blackbaud. It should be made available to all for free. 


    I'm currently in process of trying for figure it out with the VBA Module. 

     

  • Kylea Johnson
    Kylea Johnson
    Seventh Anniversary 250 Likes 100 Comments Photogenic

    Graham Getty:

    Why can’t you just set up a new fake fund with all the correct GL codes called something like “New Fund Codes” then open each existing fund and use the copy from fund function to update?


    It’s not a global change but it is pretty fast. I can do 6 funds in a minute - just build a fund query, double click a fund description in output to open, click copy from, save and close, repeat. 

    This is how I did our 700 funds. Didn't really take me all that long but it wasn't the most "fun" I've ever had at work!

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