home

PDS

RealmRealm AccountingMinistryPlatformeGivingPDSACSConnectShepherdGrowth MethodHeadMasterRefresh WebsitesTrust CenterGo MethodMissionInsite
RealmRealm AccountingMinistryPlatformeGivingPDSACSConnectShepherdGrowth MethodHeadMasterRefresh WebsitesTrust CenterGo MethodMissionInsite

What would you like to know more about?

Show Contents

Show Page Sections

thumbnailPDS

Get Ready for the New Year

Start the Financial Year

Before you set up and start the new financial year, make sure you closed the financial year. Also, if you use multiple fund payments (2 or more accounts per family), we strongly recommend that you process all Vanco eGiving payments for 2024 before running the New Year Fund Setup process.

There are a few things you need to do to start the financial year.

Back up your data

  1. On the File menu in your PDS program, click Backup / Restore / Archive > Backup Data.
  2. Click Backup Data.
  3. Enter a reason for the backup, such as "Backup before starting the financial year".
  4. Select a backup method, and enter or select any relevant information.
  5. Click Start Backup.
  6. After your data is backed up, you can print the backup information for your reference.
CAUTION: All other users must exit the program before you continue.

If you do not have eGiving information or pledges/terms and rates from the prior year...

You can set up fund periods for the new donation year and tuition.

  1. On the Administration tab, click Fund Setup.
  2. Locate the fund you want to add to the new year.
  3. Above the Fund Periods grid, click the add icon green plus sign. Click No to using the New Year Fund Setup since you don't have eGiving or pledge/terms and rates from last year.
  4. If needed, edit the date range. Optionally, enter a goal. Click Save.
  5. To add the new fund period to all families, click Add to Fams.
    Note: If you add the fund to all families now, some contribution reports display 0 givers unless you filter to those who have paid/pledged.
  6. Select whether you want to add the fund to inactive families.
  7. Repeat this process for all funds you want to add for the new year.

Fund Setup screen showing the fund period for the new year

If you have eGiving information or pledges/terms and rates from the prior year...

You can set up the details of a new fund period using your existing funds.

  1. On the Information tab, click Tuition & Fees > Processes > New Year Fund Setup.
  2. Back up your data.
  3. Select the fund to base your new fund on. (You can set up multiple funds for the new year, but you'll work with one fund at a time in this process.)
  4. The new fund identifier and date range are filled in automatically. Verify that the information is correct or make any necessary changes.
  5. If you'd like to be guided step by step through this process, click Assist Me and follow the prompts. Instead of seeing all the options at once, each step asks you one question and provides details about what it means. You'll have a chance to review everything before processing the data. Once you complete the wizard, you can skip to the last step of these instructions.
  6. If you ran this process last year and typically select the same options for a new year, you can click Use Values From: <date> to pull those values from last time. You'll have a chance to review and make changes before processing the data. Once the values display, you can skip to the last step of these instructions.
    Note: This feature relies on data from the last time you ran the process using version 11.1 B or higher. So, the button will not display unless you've run the process at least once after updating to 11.1 B.
  7. Select which families to transfer to the new fund. This only refers to active families.
  8. Select whether to transfer inactive families, fund keywords, and billing addresses.
  9. Select the transfer/change rates. You can set up new rates based on existing rates or based on member criteria, such as the number of children in a family.
  10. If you select to set up new terms or rates, click New Rates.
  11. Select whether to include special rates in the transfer.
  12. Select whether to transfer current billing periods. If you decide not to, enter the new billing period within the new fund period. Select whether to preserve billing day from the previous fund.
  13. Select whether to transfer eGiving (credit card and account) information. If you currently use eGiving, we recommend selecting Yes to transfer the information.
    • If Use Family ID is set to No in the EFT Info window, the eGiving account information is moved from one fund year to the next. If it's set to Yes, the account shows for the current fund year and the next fund year.
    Note: If you use Vanco and have families with multiple payment methods, wait until all of this year's eGiving has been sent before continuing. You can send transactions a few weeks early if needed.
  14. Select how to handle the last period. It can be deleted, combined, or left unchanged.
    • If you delete it, it's removed from the Fund Setup window and from all family fund windows.
    • If you combine the two oldest into a single fund period, no information is deleted.
  15. Double-check all your selections. When you're ready to create the new fund period, click Process. Repeat this process for all the funds you want to add for the new year.

example of the New Year Fund Setup process

Watch & Learn

Learn how to set up new fund periods for existing funds in your Office program. 6 min 31 sec

It may take a minute for the video to display. To watch in full screen mode, click the expand icon in the video player.

To watch more videos, visit the PDS Video Library.

Carry forward balances, prepayments, over-payments, and precharges

Here are some examples of when you might need to do this:
  • If a family overpaid tuition, you can apply that to next year's tuition.
  • If a family prepaid for registration, apply that to the registration due in the next fund period.
  • If a family didn't pay in full, apply the outstanding balance to next year's tuition.
  1. On the Information tab, click Tuition & Fees > Processes > Carry Forward Balances and Prepayments.
  2. Select the fund you want to use.
  3. Select the fund group(s) and activities you want to carry forward.
  4. Print the worksheet for the fund. This helps in later steps.
  5. Click Next.
  6. Select the old fund period, and enter a date to post the new entries.
  7. Select whether to include inactive families.
  8. Select whether to open a new fund period for families who don't have a balance or prepayment.
  9. Click a group title, and select how to carry it forward. Refer to your printed worksheet. Repeat this for each group in the grid.
    • If you select Balance, select which charge type activity to put the balance in.
    • If you select Balance & Overpayment, select which charge type activity to put the balance in and which payment or credit activity to put overpayments in.
    • If you select Prepayment, select which payment or credit activity to put prepayments in.
    • If you select Prepayment & Precharge, select which payment or credit activity to put prepayments in and which charge type activity to put precharges in.
  10. Verify the information in the grid, then click Next.
  11. To post the information, click Finish.

example of the process for carrying forward balances and prepayments

Post terms for payments, rates, and billing periods

Tip: If you have a Vanco eGiving account, click EFT Info in the Tuition & Fees Rates/History/Keywds window to enter terms and rates on the Vanco website.
  1. On the Information tab, click Tuition & Fees > Quick Posting > Terms and Rates Entry.
  2. Select Use the Automatic Updating method to select a group of families, and click Next.
  3. Filter the list of families to post terms and rates for, then click Next.
  4. To assign different terms and rates to each family in your list, select the first option. To assign the same terms/rates to your entire list, select the second option, and enter the information. Click Next.
  5. If needed, add or edit any terms and rates information in the grid.
  6. When you're ready to post for the selected families, click Next.
  7. If you want to export your batch totals to PDS Ledger or QuickBooks, make your selections and enter a path for the export file.
  8. To post the terms and rates, click Finish.

example of the Terms and Rates Entry process

Post family and/or student fees

  1. On the Information tab, click Tuition & Fees > Quick Posting.
  2. To post family fees, click Post Family Fees. To post student fees, click Post Student Fees.
  3. Select Use the Automatic Updating method to select a group, and click Next.
  4. Filter the list of families/students to post fees for, then click Next.
    Tip: To post a late fee, add a new condition. Select Fund > Total Balance. Select is greater than, and enter 0. Add another condition. Select Fund > Fund Identifier. Select is equal to, and enter the fund number you want to post to.
  5. To assign different fees to each family/student in your list, select the first option. To assign the same fee to your entire list, select the second option, and enter the information. Click Next.
  6. If needed, add or edit any fee information.
  7. When you're ready to post on the selected records, click Next.
  8. If you want to export your batch totals to PDS Ledger or QuickBooks, make your selections and enter a path for the export file.
  9. To post the fees, click Finish.

example of the family fees quick posting

Church_Office
Formation_Office

Last updated: November 4, 2024