Tech Forum

I am the branch clerk for a newly formed YSA branch. The bishopric's records aren't in our branch because I was told they should stay in their home ward. Members from the bishopric are paying tithing to our branch. Are we supposed to take their tithing or do they need to do it in their home ward. I created a temporary new donor for him. Is there someway I can connect it to his record if he keeps paying in our branch? Thank you

While his records should stay in his home ward, he should have a out-of-unit record for your ward.

Anyone may donate in any ward they choose, no matter where their membership records are. Fill in all the donor record information you can when adding them as donors in MLS.

mkeamo wrote:I created a temporary new donor for him. Is there someway I can connect it to his record if he keeps paying in our branch?

There should be a temporary (out of unit) record for each of the out of unit leaders in the ward as russellhltn stated. If there is a properly recorded out of unit leader record for each member of the bishopric then their names will be available to add to the donor list when the name does not appear after typing it in the "Donor:" text box on the donation screen.

[Disclaimer: The following was tested using the test data rather than actual data.]

If a member's name, or in this case an out of unit leader name, does not appear on the donor list, it can be added. This is done by clicking the magnifying glass icon next to the "Donor:" text box and then clicking the "Add" button on the "Select the donor" pop-up. There will be a pop-up asking "Is the new donor a member of your unit?". Click the "Yes" button. The "Select the individual" pop-up will display a list of ward members that should include all out of unit leaders properly entered into MLS. This is also a quick way of adding member children to the donor list for their first donation while processing donations.

How did you create the temporary new donor record? If the temporary donor record was created as either "Member of another unit", "Another unit", or "Not a member/Miscellaneous", then you should merge the temporary record with the out of unit member record. An out-of-unit donor record and out of unit member record are two different records. An out of unit member record will appear as though the out of unit leader is a ward member in the finance section of MLS. As such it can be handled like any other ward member for whom you have membership records for the purpose of creating a donor record.

mrrad wrote:Anyone may donate in any ward they choose, no matter where their membership records are. Fill in all the donor record information you can when adding them as donors in MLS.

This is correct. However, they should be added as "Member of another unit". MLS does not currently have provision for entering the MRN for a member of another unit. But out of unit leaders will have their MRN recorded in their out of unit member record. That is why they should be added as "Member of unit".

I said it was a member of another unit and I filled out the information. Thank you I just wanted to make sure before I continued to accept it that it was okay to do. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience.

In our student ward, the Bishop's records were in his Home Ward also. He paid his tithing to his home ward.

mkeamo wrote:I said it was a member of another unit and I filled out the information. Thank you I just wanted to make sure before I continued to accept it that it was okay to do.

It's certainly fine to accept his tithing donations in the YSA branch. But note that he will still be attending tithing settlement in his home ward, since that's where his records are. That's not a problem -- people often make donations in multiple wards because they moved in the middle of the year, or for other reasons. But tithing settlement always takes place in the ward where the membership records are at the end of the year.