Bulk Editing Payment Batch ID Number
Some organizations have a bookkeeper on staff, while others coordinate with an outside vendor. In either case, it can be tricky if the person who is entering donations into Donor Wrangler is not the same as the person who enters donations into the accounting software (such as Quickbooks) you use. Batch ID numbers can help with this issue.
Previously, we added an optional Payment Batch ID field for donation entry that would allow you to store and track this ID number your bookkeeper provided as a way of reconciling the two systems. However, this only works if the entry into Donor Wrangler comes after the entry into the accounting software. But what if you enter your gifts into Donor Wrangler first, and enter the gifts into accounting software second?
Using Placeholder ID Numbers
The key is to use “placeholder” ID numbers that can quickly be changed later. Here’s a scenario with an example of placeholder numbers to demonstrate their use:
You enter donations into Donor Wrangler daily, and into your accounting software on Friday every week: In this case, you will need at least 2 placeholder numbers for alternating weeks.
- Friday through Thursday of Week 1: 1001
- Friday through Thursday of Week 2: 1002
Once you hand week 1’s donations to the bookkeeper and receive the actual Batch ID number used, you will be able to input the correct Batch ID number in the system. Use the Bulk Edit function in reports to change the 1001 placeholder to the actual number used. To do this, add the Payment Batch ID Filter via the Change Filters button in the upper right of the report.
Once you’ve filtered for all of the gifts with the 1001 placeholder, click the Bulk Actions button. Then, select Change Batch ID Number to update them to the correct value.
Input the correct number, and give the bulk action a name. We recommend using the time frame that the gifts were given during so you have a point of reference and can easily find the right time range to undo if necessary.
Once you click edit, the change is made, and all of those gifts will have the new, correct ID number. There are, of course, a number of ways you could utilize placeholder numbers. It will depend on your organization’s policies and habits. Regardless, you will likely be able to come up with a system that will work for you.