CAA Product Help

(HELP ?) circles provide narratives on Training, Explanations, and Hints. These can be related to the overall screen, or to specific items on the screen.

** Note: Refer to the Circle (NAVIGATION HELP ?) on the Information Bar of MemberLink immediately after logging into it to see the screen sections and layouts used by all the CAA Products.

Section 1 - Overview

This Circle (HELP ?) narrative is for the Screen CONTRIBUTION REPORTS SELECTION or the Display Panel REPORTS in the ContributionLink Module. This screen is used to select parameters and create contribution reports for viewing or exporting. There is also an option for creating IRS Tax Contribution Statements.

To create and view a contribution report, print a report, or export the report data to a .CSV File (spreadsheet format), follow these next steps.

Section 2: Report Parameters & Buttons

Step 1 - Select the Fund:

At the left side of the report selection form, there is a column that displays all of the defined Funds. At the top of the list, the first Fund shown will be "All Funds". The remainder of the Funds defined for your church will be listed one at a time under the "All Funds" selection at the top of the list.

To the left of each Fund name, you will see a Checkbox. The "All Funds" Checkbox will be turned on (checked) as the default. Using the "All Funds" setting, the report you view or export will include all the transactions from all the Funds defined for your church (all these Funds will be on the list below the All Funds selection).

If you want to run a report for one or more Funds, but not all of them, uncheck the "All Funds" item. Then click the Checkbox next to each Fund name you want to include in the report or export. You can click more than one "" just go down the list turning on the Checkboxes for each of the Funds you want on a report.

After you select the Fund(s) you want on the report, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2 - Select the Date:

Next, you need to select a Date Range for the posted donation transactions you want to include on your report or export. You will see a starting date (with a default date of about one month earlier than today's date), and an ending date (with a default date of "today").

When you click on either of the Date Range boxes, a Date Widget will open.
1. First, select a year;
2. Second, select the month;
3. Third, select the day of the month.

When you click on a day of the month, the Date Widget will automatically close.

The widget also includes a Button CLEAR and a Button CLOSE for your convenience.

** Note: When using the Date Widget, you MUST follow the sequence in the specified order: year first, month next, day of month last.

After you select the Date Range you want included on the report, proceed to Step 3.

** Hint: If you want a Contribution report for the entire year, for example, use something like 01/01/2018 to 12/31/2018. If you want it for a single quarter, for example, use something like 01/01/2018 to 03/31/2018. And if you want it for a single month, for example, use something like 03/01/2018 to 03/31/2018.

Step 3 - Select the Action Button:

After you have selected a Fund and Date Range, you have three reporting options.
- You can "view" the report on your screen (and print it if needed)
- You can "export" the report to a spreadsheet
- You can "create tax reports" in a PDF for viewing and printing.

Button VIEW THE REPORT
Click this button to display the report on your screen. It takes you to the Screen CONTRIBUTIONS REPORT VIEW.

That screen has its own Circle (HELP ?) narrative explaining the format and contents and sorting options.

Button EXPORT REPORT
Click this button to send the report data directly into a .CSV (comma separated values) spreadsheet-type file.

Depending upon how your computer and Browser are set to react, it may open a Window and give you the option to "Save File" or an option to immediately "Open With". So depending upon how your computer is configured, you can save the file and then open it with Excel or just open it immediately with Excel.

** Note: Excel can open .CSV files as spreadsheets, and can save spreadsheets as .CSV files.

The data will be inserted into the spreadsheet rows and columns to match as closely as possible with the report that would have been displayed on the Screen CONTRIBUTIONS REPORT VIEW.

Button GET TAX REPORT(S)
Click this button to create downloadable "tax reports" for each person who has been included on this report for this Fund and Date Range. It takes you to the Display Panel TAX REPORTS. That screen has its own Circle (HELP ?) narratives explaining the format and contents and sorting options.

** Tax Report Special Note: The IRS Tax Contribution Statements (tax reports) contain a Memo statement that prints at the bottom of the reports. On the right side of this Screen CONTRIBUTION REPORTS SELECTION is a Memo box that contains the text for the tax report Memo. Please be sure it is correct BEFORE you create the tax reports. After the reports are created for download, it is too late to change the Memo statement. You would have to delete the tax reports and then create them again with your new Memo wording.

Make the Memo statement update, if needed, in the box provided. Then click the Button SAVE MEMO before you click the Button GET TAX REPORT(S).

Section 3 - Navigation Panel Options

Navigation Panel VIEW TAX REPORTS
Clicking this hyperlink takes you directly to the Display Panel TAX REPORTS. From there, you can view the tax reports that have already been created. This is the only way to get to that screen without creating a new set of tax reports.

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