The Association Budget screen provides comprehensive budget management capabilities for associations, including budget creation, modification, approval processes, and export functionality. Users can manage multiple fiscal years and funds, add general ledger codes, and export budget data in various formats for external use or import workflows.

Important: Before using the Budget screen, ensure that your association's fiscal year parameters and fund structures are properly configured in the system.

Contents

• Accessing the Budget Screen
• Budget Screen
• Budget Management Notes

Accessing the Budget Screen

To access an association's budget:

1. Navigate to Accounting > Budget.
2. To select a different association, click Association Name to choose from the available associations list.

Budget Screen

The Budget screen provides key functions organized into logical groups, selection and navigation, budget status and approval, data management, and export options:

 

The menu contains:



 

• New GL: Add a new GL code line item to the budget.
• Save Changes: Save any changes made to amounts, GLs codes, or other budget elements.
• Cancel Changes: Cancel any draft or error changes made to the selected budget.
• Fund: Select the fund for the association's budget to view or edit (e.g. Operating, Reserve, etc.)
• Fiscal Year: Select the fiscal year budget to view or edit.
  • Note: Vantaca fiscal year budgets are determined by the starting month of the budget. For example, a budget starting in June 2024 = 2024 Fiscal Year.
• Status: Indicates the budget status as either Approved or Proposed.
• Approve Budget: Click to approve the budget in its current form. This button changes to Unapprove Budget when the budget is in an approved status.
• Copy [Previous Fiscal Year] Notes: Copies existing notes from previous year's budget to the current budget.
  Note: You have the option to overwrite current budget year information with last year's notes.
• Refresh Actuals: Refreshes the Actuals information displayed in the grid.
• Export: Click to open a screen with the following options:
  • Export without Totals: Exports the budget data excluding the Totals information.
  • Export to Excel: Export the complete budget data to Excel.
  • Export for Import: Exports the budget data in a format that matches the import template structure so you can modify exported data and reimport it. For example, you can export budget data using "Export for Import," modify the exported file externally, and then reimport the modified data back into the system.

How do I include zero-dollar GL accounts in a budget?

You don't need to include zero-dollar GL accounts in your budget. The Vantaca budget screen requires actual dollar values for entries.

If transactions occur on non-budgeted GL accounts during the year, they'll still post normally and appear on your income statement. This allows you to maintain a clean budget while ensuring all financial activity is properly tracked and reported.

Budget Management Notes

• Automatic Rollover: Budgets automatically roll over year to year.
• Monthly Allocation: If a budget line item is not allocated equally across all months, leave zero in the annual column and enter the specific desired amounts in each month.
• Error Messaging: If you encounter the error "The GL Account you are attempting to add is already in use.", locate the duplicate GL account in your budget and click the "Delete" button on the far right of its line. Once deleted, click "Save changes" at the top of the screen.

Budget Reports

Can't find a specific report? Your system administrator will need to grant access by adding it to your role.

FAQ

Q: How do I edit an approved budget?

A: To edit an approved budget you will need to unapprove it first. If the Unapprove Budget button is not present at the top of the Budget screen, you will need the "Open Budget" permission enabled for your role. Follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Settings > Roles
2. Locate your role and click the caret ▶ to the left of the role name to view the Security tab
3. Scroll down to the Association section
4. Locate Budget and click Edit
5. Select Open Budget
6. Click Save changes

Once this permission is enabled, the Unapprove Budget button will appear at the top of the Accounting > Budget screen.