Discontinuation of AMFA categories

Discuss questions around local unit policies for budgeting, reconciling, etc. This forum should not contain specific financial or membership information.
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mkmurray
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Re: Discontinuation of AMFA categories

#21

Post by mkmurray »

russellhltn wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 11:08 pm I like kjheinz's the idea of keeping them separate and not a sub-account of YM/YW/Primary.
Clarifying question on that:
I wasn't aware top-level budget categories could be created. Is that what is being suggested? For example, a top-level budget category called AMFA as a peer to YM, YW, Bishopric, Primary, Misc, etc.?

If that's the case, I'd definitely prefer to do that instead of the sub-category method I have done currently. It would help everyone involved carefully remember the separate procedures and policies surrounding these funds compared to normal budget funds. I mean, unless we're supposed to view and treat these funds the same as budget funds...but I don't believe that's the case.
russellhltn
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Re: Discontinuation of AMFA categories

#22

Post by russellhltn »

mkmurray wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 11:41 pm I wasn't aware top-level budget categories could be created. Is that what is being suggested?
I'm not sure of the answer to that question. The way I read his post, he's going to add these under "Misc Account". I assume there's such a category at the top level.
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eblood66
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Re: Discontinuation of AMFA categories

#23

Post by eblood66 »

mkmurray wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 11:41 pm I wasn't aware top-level budget categories could be created. Is that what is being suggested?
He suggested making them sub-categories of Misc. You can't create top-level categories.
eblood66
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Re: Discontinuation of AMFA categories

#24

Post by eblood66 »

larry19810 wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:45 pmBut the online donation slip no longer has an 'Other category' and there never was a 'budget' category or a 'local' category.
Payments for camps must be made with a physical check or cash in an envelope, not online. This hasn't changed.
larry19810 wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:45 pmEven if they give me a paper check (97% of our ward no longer do checks), I don't see how I can accept them in our donation processing stream. We only have access to the same categories that show on the donation slip online.
You can deposit to a budget category in LCR but those don't show up as an option for members on the Donations page.
kjheinz
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Re: Discontinuation of AMFA categories

#25

Post by kjheinz »

eblood66 wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 5:12 am
mkmurray wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 11:41 pm I wasn't aware top-level budget categories could be created. Is that what is being suggested?
He suggested making them sub-categories of Misc. You can't create top-level categories.
You are correct, you can't create a top-level category; however, in each of my wards their is a "Miscellaneous" top-level category. My suggestion was to add all your camps as sub level accounts under this "Miscellaneous" category if you wish to keep them separate from the organizations budget accounts. Either way the wards/organizations would learn to review their budgets with proper training.

From a Stake perspective, I have many accounts that would not necessarilly fall under a specific organization as the are Multi-Stake activities such as "Multi-Stake Single Adults" and "Coordinating Council Communications" and what ever other activity they may assign our Stake as the lead Stake in our area.

I hope this clarifies my suggestion.
lajackson
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Re: Discontinuation of AMFA categories

#26

Post by lajackson »

Is it possible that a Local category is going to appear under the Budget category, and that we will be able to do everything under Local that we used to do under Other:AMFA?

If that were to happen, and if Local were also to appear at the Online Donation site, I would be in Heaven. Oooh, the possibilities are endless. Am I dreaming? If so, I hope I do not wake up anytime soon.

EDIT: Having read the instructions at the Help Center again, I believe it is safe to ignore this post, even if it actually is a nice idea.
russellhltn
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Re: Discontinuation of AMFA categories

#27

Post by russellhltn »

lajackson wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:03 pm Is it possible that a Local category is going to appear under the Budget category, and that we will be able to do everything under Local that we used to do under Other:AMFA?
Could be. It could also be this is a transition for ending all fundraising for camps. Maybe that's why they never added "Other" to on-line donations - because they knew it would be going away soon.

At this point both are speculation. But I'm easily entertained by speculation. :)
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lajackson
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Re: Discontinuation of AMFA categories

#28

Post by lajackson »

I just went back and read the instructions at the Help Center again. Everything is to transfer from AMFA to one of the Budget categories. And if you do not like a category that is already in Budget, you may create your own custom sub-category under one of the standard Budget categories.

I have not been in Finances recently enough to know what the standard Budget categories currently are, but I think one of them is Miscellaneous (thank you kjheinz). That might be the place to recreate the old AMFA subcategories that do not fit under one of the other existing Budget sub-categories.

I know that reading the Help Center instructions is a dangerous thing to do, but it sounds pretty simple to me.
russellhltn
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Re: Discontinuation of AMFA categories

#29

Post by russellhltn »

lajackson wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 8:29 pm That might be the place to recreate the old AMFA subcategories that do not fit under one of the other existing Budget sub-categories.
I'm pretty sure there's a Primary, YM, and YW category. So there's no problem of making Primary Camp, YM Camp, and YW Camp fit. (Reading the Handbook 20.6, it seems questionable if there should be any other AMFA category - at least at the ward level.)

The question is does it become to confusing by having each category's general activity budget with their camp funding. That's why I think putting them all under Miscellaneous is a better idea.
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sdespain
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Re: Discontinuation of AMFA categories

#30

Post by sdespain »

russellhltn wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:16 pm
eblood66 wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 2:54 pm The audit forms no longer have any question related to the Other or AFMA accounts, nor do they have anything about camp payments or fundraisers.
Interesting. However, it's probably too soon to add guidance relating to new "camp within the budget", just removing what no longer applies.

But I'm starting to wonder if this isn't a transition to something else.
I am thinking it is transitioning to elimination of fund raisers in general. I think the days of doing an annual fund raiser that raised a lot of money to fund camps for 3+ years is gone. I think the intent really has always been that the "OTHER" account should have been a temporary use account within the budget year. You raise money for the event and spend all raised for the event, in the same year. If you raised to much, the message should be to scale back your fundraising activities. This change puts more focus back on activities of the church should be covered by budget allocations, which the handbook clearly states as the preferred way of funding activities.
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