I would like to know how other organizations handle actual "live" check gift entry. The majority of our gifts go through our lockbox but we also get people who send them direct. As it stands, one person from our office (can't be me or the AF director) has to go pick up the mail from another building where it's sorted. Then that person gives the mail to our director of annual fund who opens the mail with checks, fills out a daily receipt form and gives them to me. I enter and acknowledge them, fill out the R1 and send all of these to the AF director. She then goes over the letters before they go to our department head to sign. I usually go by the bank on my way home at night so I then bring the receipt back the next morning. The AF director then verifies that the amount deposited is the same as the receipt log and signs off before I can send copies to the business office. This is all new and I do understand that their has to be certain processes in place when handling checks, but does anyone else think there are a lot of unnecessary steps to this?

What does that do to your turn around times? Our mail gets delivered to our building on campus. I open it and we (gift entry folks & myself)process them immediatley. We have campus security pick up our locked bank bag everyday and they make the deposits and bring back our receipt. It sounds like this may have been an audit suggestion from years ago due to some kind of money-handling issue at your work place? (That's why I have seen this done before) but I haven't known any orgs personally that have done this for at least 10 yrs now. Now - I am new (3 years & counting) to the RE crowd so their experiences may be different. Laurel Quaintance Friends of Bassett Manager,Fund Development Services Cooperstown, NY 13326 [Email Removed]

We have two network hospitals and a community service program, but most of the donations are sent to our address at the hospital, is sorted, and delivered to us. The executive assistant opens the mail, deposits the checks through a check scanner that connects to our bank, creates a check log, and gives it all to me to enter in RE and file in a locked cabinet. Any cash is counted by the assistant and another coworker and recorded on the log before it is walked to the hospital cashier who deposits it in our account. Any donations that are sent directly to our community service programs are recorded in a log by them and then walked over to us, where our assistant counts and signs off on their log before depositing.

It does add to our turn around time. We had our system streamlined but it seems like we're having to backtrack with having so many people sign off. The thing of it is, I've been here almost 19 years and we have never had a problem. We don't get many checks in the mail - only when we have a constituent pass away and we receive memorials or at the end of our year. Like this week - 3 checks received the whole week. Thanks for your input. Melinda

Hi! My name is Susan Lange. I am the Gifts Processing Manager at Redwood Gospel Mission. Our processes are similar if not a bit more involved possibly -so I know what you are asking. It was explained to me the need to have certain checks and balances in place for auditing purposes. We get anywhere from 15 - 300+ donations a day (the latter is during the holiday season). We go through a very similar process as you and we are required to have checks and balances in place as well as Quality Control. Mail is opened and sorted by appeal and amount. Documentation on the checks is made that allows us to know why we received the check (i.e. what appeal they responded to or if it is just a "white" (JW, FW ... monthly whites - which represent a general donation). Photocopies of the checks are taken. A Batch Sheet is initiated for all processes to be signed off on. Totals of the checks/cash/CC are tallied (adding machine tape) Totals of the photo copies of the same are tallied (adding machine tape) These totals (which should be "matching") are documented and the tapes attached to the Batch Sheet. A smaller tally sheet is completed that notes any special assignments of funds and to annotate gifts from churches, businesses and individuals (information the bookkeeper needs to enter the amounts separately from each of these groups). These are given to the bookkeeper. A tape is prepared by the bookkeeper to take to the bank. Since we then have the "matching data" (photocopies) the checks/cash/CC are available to go to the bank and the receipt from the bank is attached to the small tally sheet for the bookkeeper's records. From the Batch Sheet (where any notes and the photo copies are attached) we are able to enter the data in to a donor database (Raiser's Edge). Data is entered A second person does QC on the data entered. Reports are generated w/in the Raiser's Edge program "Thank you" receipt letters are generated (differing dependent on the to which appeal they responded). The data in the letters (names,salutations, addresses and donation amount) are then checked against the database and the photo copied checks. Letters are sent out. Any special notes are made on the Batch Sheet. This is a simplified review of what we do. There are more details involved. This may be of some assistance to you. If I can help in any way or explain anything - please feel free to contact me Susan P. Lange Redwood Gospel Mission (707) 578-1830 slange@srmission.org