Let’s get you going with your new money management system!
Peruse this page for answers to FAQ as well as set up information to make the entire process quick and painless, promise.
Help Topics Covered:
- Set Up Guidance
- Using the Program in Excel
- Customizing the Budget Tracker
- Transaction Register
- Reports
- End of the Year Procedures
- Using Google Sheets
- License Information
Set Up Guidance
Watch this video to learn how to set up the Treasurer’s Finance Manager:
I added an additional category and now the program isn’t working OR I need additional categories.
The system is only set up for 50 expense (and income) categories, so any additional categories will not get pulled into the Transaction Register, Budget Tracker or any of the reports.
The system is designed for similar expenses to be grouped as categories- for example instead of listing out stamps, envelopes and checks as three separate things, group all under the one category of Treasurer Supplies.
If you find that you’re running out of categories, look to see what can be grouped together.
You can add the detail of what the combined category includes in the Budget Notes section to lessen confusion and increase transparency simultaneously.
Information added to the Notes section for the category will transfer over to the Activity Report.
Can I use the same name for both an income and an expense category?
No. They system isn’t set up to handle matching names.
Instead of just using “Concessions” as a category, use “Concessions Income” and “Concessions Expenses” or some name variation that makes sense to you.
Where do I add the starting bank balance?
Head to the Register and look for the yellow boxes at the top.
Add the date of the beginning balance in the left box and then the starting balance amount in the box on the right.
Using the Treasurer’s Finance Manager in Excel
The current version of the Treasurer’s Finance Manager is only available in a Google Sheets format.
Some of the key programmed cells will break if the Sheets version is opened and converted into a Excel spreadsheet.
This is because Excel and Sheets don’t translate 100% to each other, so unfortunately, you cannot use the program in Excel.
Customizing the Budget Tracker
Can I turn off the Budget rounding?
Yes! Highlight the column > Format > Number > Currency Rounded
I don’t need all the categories. Can I hide the unused categories?
Yes! You can hide the unused categories for a cleaner presentation of the Budget.
On the Budget Tracker page, hide the unused categories by clicking on the Row Numbers, then right click on “Hide Row”.
To reveal hidden rows, hover near the hidden row numbers with your pointer, right click and then choose the unhide menu option.
The Budget Tracker is adding expenses instead of subtracting them
Double check that all expenses have been entered as a negative with a minus sign (-) before the dollar amount.
How do I set up a Budget?
Give this video a watch for the walkthrough. Note that the video features a prior version of the Treasurer’s Finance Manager, but it works largely the same.
Transaction Register
I can’t select a category in the Transaction Register. I see a spinning wheel.
Check to make sure you’re not using the Excel version in Sheets.
If you’re using the Sheets version, you’ll see “Sheets Version” in the title.
If you see “xlxs” then that’s the Excel version and the source of the problem.
Excel and Sheets aren’t 1:1 translations and formulas will break if the one version is used in the other program.
Numbers aren’t adding up in the Transaction Register and/or Budget. It’s adding when it should be subtracting.
Check to make sure all expenses are entered with a negative (-) sign and entered under the expense column.
Reports
The Treasurer’s Finance Manager Features four different reports for all of your reporting needs:
Monthly Statement, Year to Date Statement, Activity Report and an End of Year Report.
Can I use the Treasurer’s Finance Manager to make a Monthly Report?
Yes! The program now automagically creates monthly statements to form the basis of your Monthly Treasurer Report.
Navigate to the Monthly Report tab, select your date range and watch as the report is generated right before your eyes.
You’ll want to print a copy of the Budget Tracker too to complete your report.
The numbers aren’t adding up correctly in the reports and/or budget.
Check your income and expense category names.
Are there any that have identical names?
The program isn’t designed to have matching category names.
Rename any matching category names by adding “income” or “expense” to the end of the category name.
Having distinct category names also ensures the correct category is selected in the Transaction Register.
How do I run multiple Activity Reports?
For the Activity Reports, you run one at a time and just fill in the new information as needed.
Any information added to the Notes section on the Budget page will get pulled into the Activity Report when that category is selected.
Nothing is showing on the Monthly Report.
First, make sure that dates entered in the Register have been entered as 9/30/2023 (using slashes) and not 9-30-2023 or 9.30.2023.
Next, type in the desired date range for the report in the same Month/Day/Year format.
The program will then pull all of the transactions entered into the Register in the specified time period.
End of Year Procedure
Do I need to purchase a new copy of the Treasurer’s Finance Manager to use each year?
Nope! Make a copy of the file, update the dates and budget info and clear out the info you don’t need (like the transactions register) and begin anew!
What do I do at the end of the year?
Either start fresh with a new download or make a copy of your file by updating the dates and budget information and clearing out the transactions register.
Keep a copy of last year’s system for use by the auditor and in accordance with the IRS record retention policy.
Using Google Sheets
New to Google Sheets and feeling a little lost? Give this video a watch for some good pointers:
How to share the program with fellow PTO Officers?
Sharing the program is super easy! Click the blue “Share” button, and either copy the link and send out to whomever you wish to be able to see the information or type their email addresses in the box that pops up.
How to save the link to your PTO Drive or Dropbox?
Copy the link to the file that you get when clicking on the blue “Share” button, making sure to select the sharing options for “anyone with the link” and put it in a document file. Then upload that file into Dropbox.
License Information
A friend in another organization needs this program too. Can I share the file or link with them?
No. Your purchase of the program gives you a non-exclusive license to use the program with one organization only.
If a friend in another PTA/PTO, Booster Club or organization etc. wishes to use the program, please ask them to purchase their own copy here: https://ptoanswers.com/treasurers-finance-manager/.
Additionally, you may not edit, alter or otherwise modify any portion of the program to share, sell or transfer it, in part or whole, to another organization or individual outside of your organization.
Have another question not addressed here?
Don’t hesitate to contact us at christina@ptoanswers.com.