Distribution Services

Discuss questions around local unit policies for budgeting, reconciling, etc. This forum should not contain specific financial or membership information.
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sgtbrown26-p40
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Distribution Services

#1

Post by sgtbrown26-p40 »

I was asked to order five new YW Camp Manuals this week, so I went to use the LDS Distribution Services Website, but I can't find how to log in as a unit and make the order. What must I do to login as a unit and place the order for my unit.
jonesrk
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#2

Post by jonesrk »

You will need a login for your unit. The user name will be the unit number. If you don't have a password you will need to call 1-800-453-3860, ext. 20043

see here for more info.
sgtbrown26-p40
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#3

Post by sgtbrown26-p40 »

Thanks Ryan for the quick response. I will give them a call and get a password.

:)

v/r

Richard
greggo
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#4

Post by greggo »

There's also an electronic version at http://www.lds.org/languages/youthmater ... 0_2006.pdf

I hadn't remembered such a thing as a manual for YW camp (shows how much attention I paid for the 4 times that my daughter has gone). But looking at the cover, I realize I've seen it before.
sgtbrown26-p40
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#5

Post by sgtbrown26-p40 »

Greggo wrote:There's also an electronic version at http://www.lds.org/languages/youthmater ... 0_2006.pdf

I hadn't remembered such a thing as a manual for YW camp (shows how much attention I paid for the 4 times that my daughter has gone). But looking at the cover, I realize I've seen it before.


That's the manual. I ordered 5 of them yesterday. They were only $4.15 a piece. Thanks for sharing the digital copy. I will save it and send it to the YW president so she can have a copy.
allenjpl
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#6

Post by allenjpl »

What do I do to make a paper trail for online distribution orders?

It seems that the distribution orders would need to be authorized like any other expense, but I've never had an auditor ask to look at them. In the past, I've treated them the same as the missionary payments, and simply gone ahead and inputted them as an expense when I reconcile the statements. I file the order forms separate from the fast offerings and other expenses. Should I be filling out an expense request form for each order? I don't actually order the supplies, the ward clerk does, so generally the first time I find out about the order is when someone hands me the shipping manifest that came with the box of supplies.
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aebrown
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#7

Post by aebrown »

LVAllen wrote:What do I do to make a paper trail for online distribution orders?

It seems that the distribution orders would need to be authorized like any other expense, but I've never had an auditor ask to look at them. In the past, I've treated them the same as the missionary payments, and simply gone ahead and inputted them as an expense when I reconcile the statements. I file the order forms separate from the fast offerings and other expenses. Should I be filling out an expense request form for each order? I don't actually order the supplies, the ward clerk does, so generally the first time I find out about the order is when someone hands me the shipping manifest that came with the box of supplies.
The shipping manifest doesn't have prices. But the bishop (or stake president) will receive in the mail an invoice for each order from Distribution Services. I just take that invoice, attach an expense authorization form, and have the bishop (or stake president) sign it.

This does two things:
  1. It creates a paper trail for an audit. I too have never had an auditor ask to see such a receipt, but the audit instructions say that auditors are to ask for documentation on expenses -- they are not limited to checks. So it could happen.
  2. It gives me an additional reminder to enter the expense in MLS so that my Budget category accurately reflects the remaining budget allowance.
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Mikerowaved
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#8

Post by Mikerowaved »

LVAllen wrote:What do I do to make a paper trail for online distribution orders?
Very good question. What I would do is since the invoices get mailed to the bishop, I would have him sign and date the front of the invoice and indicate which budget category would get the expense before he put them in my in-box for processing. This took a lot of the guesswork out of my hands and left a paper trail that got filed for the required time period.
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sgtbrown26-p40
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#9

Post by sgtbrown26-p40 »

That's a great idea, to have the bishop sign, date, and write what budget category the funds will come out of on the invoice. I have found the more detailed that your records are the easier it is to track expenses. This makes it easy for the clerk who may have to go back a few years and look at the financial records. I have asked past clerks questions about expenses that they took care of and they can't remember and the records don't have adequate details to refresh their memory either.
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mfmohlma
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#10

Post by mfmohlma »

Mikerowaved wrote:Very good question. What I would do is since the invoices get mailed to the bishop, I would have him sign and date the front of the invoice and indicate which budget category would get the expense before he put them in my in-box for processing. This took a lot of the guesswork out of my hands and left a paper trail that got filed for the required time period.
Another method we have used that seems to work even better for us (as it gets to me earlier) is that my bishop prints out the confirmation email that he gets when someone orders using the ward account. Since he's printed it out from his email, I take that as implicit permission for the expense. Probably not perfect and I eventually get (some of) the invoices as well, but it seems to work for me (and my auditors).
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