Skipping processing donations for the week?

[klhansen]

While the handbook states that donations should be processed the same day they are received whenever possible, what are justified delays to this ?
-Sunday falls on December 25th. Delay one day but not a whole week in order to process in the same year?
-MLS completely non-functional on Sunday. Delay absolutely minimal amount of time or bump out to the next Sunday out of convenience?
-Donations received during Stake Conference. Process the same day or delay until the following Sunday out of convenience?

[aebrown]

While the handbook states that donations should be processed the same day they are received whenever possible,

I'm not aware of any statement in the handbook that says this. Handbook 1, section 14.6.3 says that funds are to be deposited the same day they are opened and verified, but that's quite different from simply receiving donations. A bishop could conceivably receive donations every single day of the week. Does that mean he needs to go in to the church every single day of the week? Of course that would be an unreasonable burden.

what are justified delays to this ?
-Sunday falls on December 25th. Delay one day but not a whole week in order to process in the same year?
-MLS completely non-functional on Sunday. Delay absolutely minimal amount of time or bump out to the next Sunday out of convenience?
-Donations received during Stake Conference. Process the same day or delay until the following Sunday out of convenience?

Any of those are reasonable delays. The one scenario you mentioned that does require special attention is donations around the end of the year. Wards are required to process donations in the year that they are officially received (and note that in most places, a donation mailed and postmarked in one year is officially received in that year, even if it doesn't arrive at the bishop's mailbox until the next year -- but it is possible and even required to process such donations in a batch dated for the year they were officially received).

[gregwanderson]

It might be worth noting that during the time of Tithing Settlment (like, right now) batches are expected to be processed on any day of the week corresponding to the days that the Bishop is meeting with members. Otherwise, my understanding is that opening and verifying donations should only be done on Sundays. (Is that still the policy?) So if there is a reasonable delay you'd have to wait until another Sunday.

Incidentally, in all the years I've been involved in ward leadership the thought hasn't even crossed our minds that we should process donations on the day of Stake Conference. It's just one of those days that "ward business" is skipped, like when we have General Conference.

That reminds me. Shouldn't MLS be programmed to NOT nag us about not processing any financial stuff on the weekend of General Conference? In fact, I wonder why MLS does such nagging at all. If people are in the habit of skipping financial duties then that's kind of big deal, not one that you should be in the habit of dismissing with a click. And, for those who skip financial stuff for legitimate reasons at least 4 times a year for conferences, why the slap on the wrist from MLS as if we've been "slothful"?

[russellhltn]

That reminds me. Shouldn't MLS be programmed to NOT nag us about not processing any financial stuff on the weekend of General Conference?

That would require somehow communicating to MLS what weekend GC falls on. Keep in mind that due to time zone changes, in some parts of the world, they watch it on a different day.

What's more, unless CG is carried on cable, the congregation may meet in the chapel - which means there may well be donations to process.

That seems like some complex programming for something that's only used for two weeks a year. And it wouldn't fix issues with Stake Conference.