Writeoff Utility

This utility is launched through the Millennium Reporter. It uses an export worktable that is generated from the run of a set of criteria. That criteria must specify this utility in the Format/Utility option text box.

The Writeoff utility is used to create a set of transactions that write off the pledge balances in a set of pledge transactions. The pledge transactions may be located in either the Dues table or the Giving table. The desired set of pledges are identified by creating appropriate criteria and running it using the Millennium Reporter. The utility is launched as part of the run of the criteria. It automatically uses the resulting generic export worktable and creates a linked Writeoff transaction for every qualifying transaction shown in the worktable. To qualify, a transaction must have a Type of: pledge, pledge potential, match pledge, match potential, or expectancy, and have a balance greater than zero.

Utility Classification

This utility alters existing data and creates new data rows and is classified as a system administrator Utility.

Using the Writeoff Utility

Before you embark on the mechanics of using the Writeoff utility, you must make a determination as an institution as to the characteristics which will identify those pledges, match pledges, potential pledges, potential match pledges, or expectancies that you no longer expect to be fulfilled. These transactions must be definable using criteria statements in the Millennium Reporter. For example, you may want to select all pledges that were made in response to a particular solicitation, that are associated with a particular campaign or campaign year, or any other criteria that you want to construct that selects the specific transactions that you want to write off. The utility will verify that the selected rows are of the appropriate types (pledge, pledge potential, match pledge, match pledge potential, or expectancy) and that the amount/balance is greater than zero (they aren't paid off), but you may also want to include selection criteria that ensures that those are the only transactions in the worktable, for the sake of efficiency.

The key table in the criteria must be the Giving or the Dues tables. If you use criteria groups, the key table for each group must be either the Giving or Dues table. If you want, a single set of criteria could include a group that selects the desired Giving rows and a group that selects the desired Dues rows.

When the report criteria have been created and saved, and the report options are set for the Writeoff utility, you must save the report criteria and then you may run it. After setting the Run options, the system will automatically prompt you with a form used to enter the prototype data for the writeoff transactions you will be creating. All transactions will conform to the information that you enter on this form, though other data in the new writeoff row will be copied from the original pledge to which it is linked. The fields for which you may enter data as the prototype for the new transactions are:

Batch - You must be sure that you are entering a valid Batch Number from the Gift Batch Numbers and/or Dues Batch Numbers lookup table. (The utility form does not utilize the Batch Numbers lookup form.)

Comment - This text box will hold any free text comment that you want to associate with each of the writeoff transactions created by the utility.

Effective Date - You may use the standard date data entry techniques to enter an Effective Date for the writeoff transactions - either using the calendar or typing in the date using the format appropriate to your system (SQL or Oracle).

Process Date - You may use the standard date data entry techniques to enter an Effective Date for the writeoff transactions - either using the calendar or typing in the date using the format appropriate to your system (SQL or Oracle).

For example, the Comment on each writeoff row that is created by the utility will contain the Comment information that you enter on the prototype form during the run of the utility. But each will contain a different amount - one that is equal to the balance amount on the pledge, match pledge or expectancy to which it is linked, and each will show the Account, Campaign, Solicitation, etc. from the original transaction.

Writeoff Utility Instructions

The following instructions assume that you are familiar with the use of the Millennium Reporter.

Use the following steps to create a writeoff report using the Writeoff Utility:

1. Make and verify a backup of your database.
2. Use the Millennium Explorer to navigate to the Millennium Reporter and access a Report Form via the item New Criteria, and then the item Custom, or via one of the standard report library templates.
3. In the Report Form, click on Options>Report. In the resulting form, the following items are significant for the run of this utility.

The Output List should be set to Utilities.

The Salutation check box should be unchecked.

The Address option should be set to None.

Remove Spouses should be set to No.

The Worktable format should be set to Generic.

4. Click OK. You will be returned to the Report Form.
5. The Formats/Utilities list should now show the utility names. Select the item, Writeoff Utility.
6. Create a name for your report and type it into the Report Name text box. The report name can be up to 50 characters in length. Avoid using punctuation, except for the underscore character, in the report name.
7. Set up the Report Options. You should use Do not combine spouse names, and Accept duplicates. Deceased options may be set as you want but would probably be set to Include deceased.
8. Create criteria statements that will identify the specific transactions that will be written off. The key table must be either Giving or Dues. If you use criteria Groups, the key table for each Group must be either Giving or Dues (the same criteria may use both the Giving and Dues as the key. table as long as they are used in different Groups.)
9. When all elements of the report criteria have been set and created, click on the Save As button. Select a report library and assign a name to the report. When that has been successful, click that completion message to return to the report form.
10. Click the Run button. You will be given a Run Options form.

Choose the User ID for whom the criteria will be run. (Remember that this user must have Insert and Update permissions on the Giving and/or Dues table, and that user's security Views on any data tables referenced in the criteria will affect the selection results.

Select the Queue you want to use for the run of the report.

Set Format Names to No.

The Save Export option may be set as you want, although we suggest that you might want to save the file and print out a list of the Constituent ID's that were affected.

The Print Criteria option may be set as you want, although we suggest that you print and save the criteria in a notebook as a log.

You may set the run Priority as you want.

When all options are set as desired, click on OK. The system will present a Utility Options form.

11. In the utility option form, there are four data elements that you may specify. These elements will become the prototype for ALL of the Writeoff transactions that are created. These elements are:

Batch - Enter a valid Batch Number. Note that if you are using the utility to process both Gift and Dues writeoffs in the same run, the Batch Number you specify must be valid in both the Gift Batch Numbers and Dues Batch Numbers lookup tables. Also note that this form accepts any entry you type for this data. If you use a Batch Number that does not exist in the lookup table, the utility will give an error message.

Comment - Enter any free text comment you want.

Process Date - Use the calendar or type in a date using standard datetime data entry techniques.

Effective Date - Use the calendar or type in a date using standard datetime data entry techniques.

12. When all data appears in the form as you want, click on Finished. The report will immediately be sent to the Queue, where it will be launched in accordance with the Run Options you specified. You may check on its progress via the Queue Management item in the Millennium Explorer. If no errors are encountered (such as an invalid Batch Number), the process will run to completion.

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