I've been given the assignment to research the Grant Module, and Transaction Codes for our system (2 features we currently don't use but we are looking into starting to use now that we are receiving some grant funding), and I just want to make sure that what I'm understand is how it works. So if you use Transaction Codes, Can you let me know if this is true or false?

How I understand them to work:

You are limited to 5 Transaction Codes, but I think of this more as 5 categories. For each Transaction Code there is a Table that you create further details (or additional codes like our attribute tables)  to break down the information with in the Transaction Code Category.

For instance, if one Transaction Code is called Grants, we could make a list in the table for that Transaction Code listing the Grants for that Transaction code.

Then when you go to make entries relating to the Grants, you can select the Grant Transaction code and specify which Grant in the table it is for giving that much extra detail. Transaction codes first tell you that its a Grant, but can also tell you which grant its applied to.

 Hi Jamie,

We use Transaction Codes as well, but not for tracking Grants/Funding.  For that, we use a field called Project ID.  We use/abuse/misuse the transaction codes as tags to allows us to track actuals to budget/forecast below line-item.  For example, in our chart of accounts, we have Food, but when our staff code to Food, there's no way to track back Food to specific events or conferences; it all just rolls up into Food.  So we use Transaction Codes to get us that detail.  Of course, the data is only as good as you tag it; also if you mistag it, then our accounting department has to do a recode (reversing transaction) to clean it up; i.e. you can't modify it once it's been posted. 

I don't know what Blackbaud's design intentions were, but I could see 5 transaction codes being a very powerful way to drill down below line item if you develop a logical ordinal system for your needs.  I.e. TC1 could be type of event, TC2 could be geo-region, and so on.  

 The way we actually use it is as a single tag; so there's never multiple TC input for one line item... i.e. we use TC1, TC2, and TC3 but never simultaneously. 

 To answer you question, I think your statements are all True.  Just make sure the system you develop is logical and able to withstand growth/change over time.  We didn't do that, and now our TC tables are a complete mess. 

 Good luck

Glen