End-of-Year Instructions

End-of-Year Instructions Please pass along to the appropriate persons! Systems Administrator Pastoral Staff Secretarial Staff Contribution Person(s) Financial Person(s) Attendance Entry Person(s) www.churchwindows.com Install Payroll Version 2009 Update Before Running Payroll W-2s Version 2009 Payroll Update will be mailed before the end of the year. It contains 2009 Federal and State tax tables plus the 2008 W-2 and other forms. This update is automatically mailed to everyone on the Update and Support program. If you are not on support, you may purchase it for $75. You must install it before running W-2s, W-3s, etc., and before running your first pay for 2009. Office Hours and Holiday Schedules All hours are Eastern Standard Time. Normal Business Hours: Monday through Thursday: 9 am – 6 pm Friday: 9 am – 5 pm January 2009 Hours: Because of the increased volume of calls in January, we will be extending our support hours. Every effort is made to return your calls in a timely manner. Thank you for your patience. Monday through Thursday: 9 am – 8 pm Friday: 9 am – 5 pm Saturday: 10 am – 1 pm Note: The office will be open January 2nd, 9 am – 5 pm and January 3rd, 10 am – 1 pm. Closed for: Thanksgiving – November 27th – 28th Christmas – December 24th - closed at 1pm, closed Dec 25th – 26th New Years – January 1st, 2009 Reminder – If you try to run W-2s before installing the update, they will say 2007! Also note – installing your 2009 update is not the same thing as performing your end-of-year procedure to get the program into the 2009 year. You must do both! Before April, a Payroll Service Release (SR) will be issued that will include the W-4 and 941 forms for 2009. These forms are not available to us in time to include them in the end of the year release. ChurchWindows Computer Helper Publishing, Inc. P.O. Box 30191, Columbus, Ohio 43230-0191 1.800.533.5227 www.churchwindows.com Back Up Your Data – Please! Fires burn buildings. Tornados and hurricanes demolish them. People break into them and steal or damage computers. Mechanical systems fail. Short End-of-Year Steps Follow these easy steps for completing the end-of-year procedures. If you have questions on any of these steps, or if you want to see the list of tasks to perform ahead of time, please go to the website – www.churchwindows.com. On the Home page, look at News and Events and click the link. You can also click the Support tab, scroll down to the Other Downloads table, and click on Church Windows 2008 Endof-Year Detailed Instructions. Note: To perform the end-of-year procedures in the various modules, you must be the only person on the network in Church Windows. Membership: To change the year forward for Attendance: 1. Membership, Special Functions, Membership Profile. 2. Key in the new year’s date in the Attendance box. 3. Click OK. Contribution: After entries have been completed for the last Sunday of the year: 1. Perform Database Maintenance in System Administration. 2. Back up your data in System Administration. 3. Perform End-of-Year: Contribution, Special Functions, End-of-Year Procedure. Accounting: 1. Back up your data in System Administration. 2. Create the new Accounting Year: a) Open Accounting. b) Click Special Functions, Manage Years, Setup new Accounting Year. c) Click Create Next Accounting Year. d) Copy Chart of Accounts from ____ (current year) including budgets if you wish. To re-do the Chart of Accounts, select the option Create empty Chart of Accounts. 3. Enter or adjust budget figures if you wish. Click Budgets. Note: It is very important to update the beginning balances in 2009 after making any changes to 2008. Open Accounting, Special Functions, Manage Years, and click on Update beginning balances from prior Accounting Year ending balances. Financial: 1. Back up your data in System Administration. 2. Change the year to 2009: Financial, Special Functions, Financial Profile. Type 012009 and 122009. Click OK. If asked to initialize, answer Yes. 3. Copy your chart of accounts forward (including budget figures if you wish): Financial, Account Setup, Chart of Accounts, Copy COA button, type in 01/2008. 4. Put in budget figures if you wish: Financial, Account Setup, Chart of Accounts, Budget tab. Note: It is very important to update the beginning balances in 2009 after making any changes to the 2008 year. 1. Back up the data. Click System Administration, Backup Data. Exit the program and reopen it. 2. Click Financial, Account Setup, Chart of Accounts. Click Update Beg Bal and click OK that you have backed up the data. Key in 01/2008 and click OK. 3. Rebuild the Financial balances after updating the beginning balances by going to System Administration, Database Maintenance, and clicking OK. Payroll: 1. Install Payroll 2009 when received. OK to install it in December, but definitely before the first pay of 2009. 2. Make a backup of payroll data: Sys Admin, Backup Data. 3. Perform End-of-Year: Sys Admin, End of Year Procedure. One of the most difficult support calls any of us here at Church Windows has to take is the call from someone who has lost their data due to a disaster at the church, a hard drive crash, or a stolen or damaged computer. Our first question to these people is always, “When did you make your last backup?” It always amazes and saddens us when someone says, “We don’t have one.” or “Last December.” We also get responses like, “Oh, our systems person or office manager does that; I don’t have to worry about it.” Please, please, please – protect yourself! If data is destroyed or damaged and you do not have a recent backup, we are unable to retrieve it for you. You will have to reenter all of the lost data – and that might include multiple years of data. It only takes seconds to back up the data using the Church Windows built-in backup program. Click on System Administration and Backup Data. Select the modules you’d like to back up and the location where you’d like the backup to be copied. We recommend that you back up to a flash drive. It is easy then to pop the flash drive into your pocket or purse to be taken home with you. This means you always have the most recent copy of the data! There’s a saying we like: “Backups are for pessimists.” In regards to your data, we think everyone should be a pessimist! page 2 ChurchWindows Accounting Workbooks To make your transition to the new program easier, go to our website – www. churchwindows.com - and click the Support tab. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the document Financial to Accounting Transition. Print or download the document. We recomend printing the two-page Quick Start Guide. Following the Quick Start Guide is a workbook offering step-by-step instructions in setting up and beginning to use the new module. This workbook is free. When you need more advanced information on the module, look at the topics in the Accounting II workbook, located on the Training page. It can be ordered from the website or by calling 800.533.5227. Emails and Tech Tips Every month we put on our website a helpful article called Tech Tips which contains information that can be of use in different areas of the program. We send an email to all of our clients who have given us their email address to notify them that the Tech Tips for the current month is on the website and to provide a link to the article. In addition to the current month, all previous Tech Tips are available on the website. Go to www.churchwindows.com, click on Support and click on Read Church Windows Tech Tips. Throughout the year, we also send out emails to inform everyone that new service releases are available to download into Church Windows. It is important that we have your email address so that you can receive this helpful information. If you are not receiving emails, or if you need to update your email address, send an email to support@churchwindows.com or call us at 1.800.533.5227. Also, if you have given us your email address and yet are not receiving any from us, make sure that you do not have a blocker set up which is prohibiting our email from coming through. Pre-paid Pledges Step #1 – Enter the contribution with the regular Sunday’s batch (probably to a giving account called “Pre-paid Pledges” which is not a pledge account). December Gifts Toward Next Year’s Pledge As 2008 ends, many churches will have contributors giving toward their 2009 pledge in order to get the additional deduction on their 2008 taxes. These gifts need to show on their 2008 giving statement from the church, but for church reporting purposes may be considered income for 2009. Tracking this money is a two-step process in the Contribution module. Step #2 – Click on Contribution, Enter/Edit Pledges, bring up the person’s record and click on the “Next Year” tab. Enter the amount of the pre-paid gift into the column titled “Prepaid.” When the Contribution End-of-Year Procedure is performed, the system will automatically roll this pre-paid amount over to the current year tab. If you forget to enter these on the next year tab before doing the End-of-Year, you can still enter them on the Current Year tab in the new year. The 2008 and the 2009 giving statements will reflect the pre-paid donation. Note: This money can flow from Contribution to the Accounting/Financial module into a liability account (that begins with a “2”) called Pre-paid Pledges. In the new year, a journal entry will move it from the liability account into an income account. Good Growth for Church Windows Way to grow, Church Windows! From humble 1987 beginnings of 2 employees and approximately 100 churches, Church Windows now has a staff of 31 dedicated people serving over 10,600 customers. Happy Holidays! page 3 User friendly. Friendly support. Church Windows. 2009 Regional Training – Budget Now Regional Training in 2009 will provide two different tracks: Basic classes for those who are new or inexperienced in any or all of the Church Windows modules and Advanced classes for those who use the Accounting module. • • The cost for each half-day class for those on the Update and Support Program will be $85, with a full day costing $170. Now is the time to budget for sending people to these helpful classes. We will offer two full days of training called The Basics of …. : Tuesday will cover Membership (morning session) and Contribution (afternoon session); Wednesday will cover Accounting (morning session) and Payroll (afternoon session). These classes will assist you in setting up Church Windows or in beginning to use the program if you are a new user. They are a wonderful choice for the church who just purchased Church Windows or for the staff member new to Church Windows. Thursday will be devoted to Intermediate Accounting and Advanced Accounting. Intermediate Accounting (morning session) will offer in-depth discussion of all transaction types and correcting mistakes. Advanced Accounting (afternoon session) will focus on information on bank reconciliation, exporting data and creating and using reports. These two classes are ideal for the person who has been using Church Windows or for the new user who wants to learn more about the entire Accounting module. Tentative 2009 Regional Training Class Locations Classes will be held in the vicinity of the following locations. Our training schedule usually runs from April through November. Check our website starting in February to see information on the format and schedule for each location and to print a registration form. Remember … sign up early to reserve your spot in the class. If you have questions, please call us at 800.533.5227. AZ – Phoenix CA – Bay Area CO – Denver CT – Hartford FL – Orlando GA – Atlanta IA – Quad Cities IL – Chicago IN – Indianapolis MN – Minneapolis MO – Kansas City NC – Greensboro NY – Buffalo OH – Columbus PA – Eastern TX – Dallas/Ft. Worth VA – Richmond WA – Seattle WI – Appleton • Other Training Options Other training options are discussed on our website. Go to www.churchwindows. com and click on Training. Consider these options: Live Web Training, On-site Training, Hands-on Training, and Individual Customer Training. Be advised that we do not offer any training during January. Contributions – In by 12/31! Many churches put an article in their newsletter or bulletins in December to let people know this rule: To be included on 2008 Giving Statements, contributions for the 2008 tax year must be in the church office by December 31st or must have been mailed to the church with a postmark of December 31st or before. It is our understanding that there is no “grace period” on this with the IRS. page 4 ChurchWindows New Accounting Feature – Close Accounting Year (Prevents further changes to Accounting Year) Church Windows Accounting allows you to switch between years so that you can post, correct, or even reverse transactions. If you want to prevent any of these changes from taking place in an accounting year that has been established in the software and is now finished, you may “close the year.” You cannot make any changes to the data in a closed year, but you are able to view and print transactions and reports. If you plan to have an audit done on the year, we recommend that you do NOT close the year until after the audit is done in case the auditor recommends additional entries. To close a year: • Click Special Functions, Manage Years. • Click to select Close Accounting Year (Prevents further changes to Accounting Year). • The Close Accounting Year screen opens. If the desired accounting year does not show in the Select Accounting Year to Close box, click the drop-down arrow and select the desired year to close. • Click OK. • The system will display the following message: You will not be able to add or change accounts, budgets, or transactions to this year after it is closed. Are you sure you wish to close Account Year XX/XX/XXXX thru XX/XX/XXXX? • Click Yes to close the accounting year; click No to cancel the closing. • Make a back up of the data after closing the year. Church Windows Accounting: a future worth the change Those who use Church Windows Accounting have found the transition from Financial to be worthwhile. The improved flexibility and intuitive design is a positive change. Church Windows Trainers, when asked to list the Accounting features that training class attendees appreciated most, noted (in no particular order): • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Chart of Accounts Wizard Ordering subtotals as preferred Budgeting for subtotals Requiring a balanced Balance Sheet Enhanced Bank Reconciliation Sub accounts and sub funds Better defined transaction types User interface screen Check Designer Posting Credit Memos Drag/Drop columns for sorting in Browse Transactions Refined Security for Accounting, including the notation of who entered a transaction Correcting a transaction Payroll template for customers not using the Payroll module Asset Adjustment transactions Search feature on transactions and accounts Export feature for reports Customization of all reports Many of those who have moved into Accounting have come forward with some impressive praise: • • • • “I am enjoying the Accounting 2008. It’s fun going through and figuring everything out. [It is] quite easy to follow, just a little different.” – Lisa, Seaford, DE “We use Church Windows [Accounting] here in Washington: the program is fantastic and does everything but make my coffee in the morning.” Mary Lee, Lacey WA “I can … see [that] this system is one that will allow us to handle our finances a long time into the future.” Ken, Waban, MA First of all, THANK YOU! A complete re-write of this magnitude is no small task, and, especially for a first version, you folks have done a fantastic job! …The ability to add sub accounts is fantastic and I am already making use of that since we just started a new fiscal year. I used to have a few spreadsheets to track certain accounts and now I am able to do that with sub accounts and Custom Groups – wonderful!!! The Quick Pay feature is great. The search feature when paying bills is really well-implemented. Also, the Correct feature [for transactions] and the ability to export to PDF … are great additions. Kudos to all the designers and programmers. But the BEST thing is what has NOT changed – the fantastic support!” John, Orchard Park, NY Does your church pay year-end bonuses? Church Windows Payroll can make processing or entering those bonuses easy. You’ll only need to let the system know a few basic pieces of information and then it will be able to post the proper amounts in the payroll program. Call us at 800.533.5227 and let us assist you with this useful feature. Employee Year-end Bonuses info box page 5 User friendly. Friendly support. Church Windows. Welcome New Computer Helper Team Members! We would like to introduce four new members of the Computer Helper team. Pam Henderson is a recent addition to our administrative department. Pam has worked as an Executive Assistant for a property management company and at a local church which used Church Windows daily – how cool for us. Pam and her husband, Brian, have two daughters. She loves to read, cook, and walk her two yellow labs. She does a great job working with host churches and getting materials and trainers to our training classes! Jim VanSickle joins our Technical Support Team. Jim first got interested in the computer field in high school. After a stint in the U.S. Air Force, he worked in a computer repair shop for 11 years. He and his wife, Mailyn, have a son who is a senior in high school; they raise Pembroke Welsh Corgis. Jim is definitely a handyman around the house; we’re all curious if he will do repairs for co-workers! Mike Wygant is the last of the Wygant family to join the company full-time. After graduating from college, he moved to Colorado to find mountains. His computer experience in the business world includes working on hardware and data for everything from data storage units to brain surgery technology to snow and ice data from around the world. He and his wife, Erin, have one-year old Hayden who, of course, is the cutest baby in the world. When not helping Church Windows customers, he enjoys hiking, snowboarding, golfing, and just about anything he can do with his new son. Jeff Larcomb has joined the programming department. He has fifteen years of varied development experience that has already proven extremely valuable. Jeff and his wife, Trish, have 2 boys, one in college and one in elementary school – how fun! Jeff enjoys music, day lilies, photography and rowing. His all-time favorite hero is Peter Pan. ChurchWindows P.O. Box 30191 Columbus, Ohio 43230-0191 End-of-Year Newsletter