Missing Missionary from Online Donation Dropdown

Discussions about the Online Donation system.
mrmeilstrup
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Missing Missionary from Online Donation Dropdown

#1

Post by mrmeilstrup »

We have two sons who will be serving missions this year. The first was set apart today, and the other will be set apart in about a month. About a month ago, we noticed that both of them appeared in the online donation dropdown. Today, we went to actually begin the donations for the one who will start next month, but his name no longer appears in the dropdown. Can anyone provide any help on what needs to be done to get his name back on the dropdown list. (I am the Assistant Clerk over Finance, and went to Leader and Clerk Resources and see that his name still appears in the Ward Missionary Fund section, which makes this issue all the more puzzling.)
rmrichesjr
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Re: Missing Missionary from Online Donation Dropdown

#2

Post by rmrichesjr »

I currently serve as assistant ward clerk over membership. By interesting coincidence, leadership of my ward noticed about a week ago that a missionary just starting full-time service was not in the ward's drop-down list. I had seen this missionary in the list a few weeks earlier. Last I had heard, our ward leaders had not yet contacted support or the GSD to ask about the situation.
eblood66
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Re: Missing Missionary from Online Donation Dropdown

#3

Post by eblood66 »

I don't have an answer either but you're definitely not alone. My son showed up a month ago but doesn't now. He doesn't leave for another 2 months though. But he does have a sub-category. Maybe they are trying to hide names for missionaries that don't start in the immediate future.
russellhltn
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Re: Missing Missionary from Online Donation Dropdown

#4

Post by russellhltn »

eblood66 wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 8:59 pm But he does have a sub-category. Maybe they are trying to hide names for missionaries that don't start in the immediate future.
That's a possibility. I think the church discourages pre-payment. If something happens that the missionary isn't able to serve, or comes home early, it creates hard feelings as the donations are non-refundable.

I'm not sure what details the stake sees, but if there's too much money in the Ward Missionary account, they might want to the ward to share. The ward is then put into the position of justifying the balance as not being an excess.

Bottom line, paying more than a month in advance can lead to problems.
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tiger
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Re: Missing Missionary from Online Donation Dropdown

#5

Post by tiger »

In rmrichesjr's case, the missionary already stated in home MTC on May 2nd and will be going to the Provo MTC this week. So there is a need to enable payment since the missionary is actively serving.
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sbradshaw
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Re: Missing Missionary from Online Donation Dropdown

#6

Post by sbradshaw »

Do the missing missionaries already have a good balance in their accounts? Maybe the system hides missionaries who already have enough funding for more than a month ahead, to prevent it from getting too far ahead.
Samuel Bradshaw • If you desire to serve God, you are called to the work.
eblood66
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Re: Missing Missionary from Online Donation Dropdown

#7

Post by eblood66 »

russellhltn wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 9:53 pm I'm not sure what details the stake sees, but if there's too much money in the Ward Missionary account, they might want to the ward to share. The ward is then put into the position of justifying the balance as not being an excess.
The stake has a full view of everything related to ward missionary accounts except who each donation is made by. But I know this isn't coming from the stake level because I'd be the one who would do that in our stake if it were possible :). And in this case I know that our ward does not have an excess.

We have at least 3 other missionaries who haven't entered the field who do show up on the donation drop down but I'm not sure of exactly when they start their missions. But I'm pretty sure they don't all start within the next month. So it seems a bit haphazard if it's intentional.
russellhltn
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Re: Missing Missionary from Online Donation Dropdown

#8

Post by russellhltn »

eblood66 wrote: Mon May 16, 2022 1:54 pm So it seems a bit haphazard if it's intentional.
I find sbradshaw's theory interesting. It might explain things.
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eblood66
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Re: Missing Missionary from Online Donation Dropdown

#9

Post by eblood66 »

russellhltn wrote: Mon May 16, 2022 2:56 pm
eblood66 wrote: Mon May 16, 2022 1:54 pm So it seems a bit haphazard if it's intentional.
I find sbradshaw's theory interesting. It might explain things.
All of our missionaries who are in the field show up even though 2 of them have a substantial positive balance (>3 months). Of those with a call who have not entered the MTC yet, 3 show up and 3 do not. The 3 who do not show up got their calls before the last week of February and the other 3 got their calls at the very end of February or in April. I only know when 2 of them enter the MTC but one, who does not show up, enters in mid-July and the other, who does show up, enters in August.

So I don't think any theory so far fits with what I'm seeing.
russellhltn
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Re: Missing Missionary from Online Donation Dropdown

#10

Post by russellhltn »

At this point it sounds like "have the clerk call support" issue.
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