Help – Training – Explanations – Hints

This is the HELP TEXT narrative for “Using the Type of Contribution” on the Add Contribution screen and on the Modify Contribution screen. This will provide information about how to enter the correct contribution type, and how to “lock it” to use the same type for several transactions.



There are slight differences depending upon whether you are posting a new contribution or modifying (updating) an existing contribution. In this case, about the only difference is the Add Contribution screen will be blank and the Modify Contribution screen will already have a Type of Contribution displayed. If you want to change the Type, just follow the same procedures described below.



There are two main sections of information here, and you will want to review them both!



How to use the “Type of Contribution” pull-down menu :

On the Add Contribution screen, “Check” will be showing as the default choice. On the Modify Contribution screen, “Type” will be whatever was used previously when the transaction was posted.



How to use the “Lock this Type” Checkbox:



This will only appear and be functional on the Add Contribution screen. There would be no need to lock the Type when you are updating an individual, previously-posted transaction.



Section 1 – Type of Contribution:



After selecting a donor and optionally entering a check number, you can specify what “type” of contribution applies to this donation.



The choices are:

- Check (personal check, cashier’s check, etc.)

- Cash (includes loose change in the plate)

- ACH (electronic, donation given online)

- M/O (money order)



“Check” is the default entry at the top of the choices in the Type of Contribution box. If you are posting a check, you can skip this entry and go to the next item which is selecting the Fund. You do not have to select “Check”, it will be the default if you do not select something different.



If you are posting something other than a check, click the arrow on the right side of the “Type of Contribution” entry box. Then click on one of the choices to select the proper donation type from the drop-down list of choices. This will be the type of donation for this contribution you are posting, and the “Type of Contribution” entry box will show your choice as the current entry.



Section 2 – Lock this Type (Add screen only):



This section applies only when you “Add” or post a new Contribution. This feature is not available when you are updating a previously posted donation. There is no need to lock the Contribution Type when updating a donation already posted.



When you “Add” a new donation, “Check” is the default entry at the top of the choices in the “Type of Contribution” box. If you change and select one of the other options for a transaction, the default “Check” will return for the next transaction.



However, if you want to post several transactions to a type other than the “Check” default, you can click on the “Lock this Type” Checkbox. After this transaction is posted, the “Type” you locked will be at the top of the list until you change it again.



The purpose of this feature is to speed the posting process and make the donation posting process go more quickly for you. It lets you have something other than “Check” as the default so that you can skip over this entry when posting other types of donations and reduce your labor time.



Important:

The actual locking process doesn’t take place until you press the [Add Contribution] button. The system expects that you have selected the donor BEFORE you enter or change the Type of Contribution and lock it with the Checkbox.



If you select a donor AFTER locking the Type of Contribution but before clicking the [Add Contribution] button, the attempt to lock the Type of Contribution will be aborted.



At any time you can change the Type of Contribution again, lock it again, and that will remain as the posting type – until you change it to a different Type of Contribution again, and so forth.



When you logout of MemberLink®, the next time you login the Type of Contribution will be reset to the default “Check”.

"CAA Product Help" from CAA Ministries at Support@CAAsoftware.com or 404-551-4230