> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.projectzoe.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Finance Tutorial
> Three complete worked examples showing the full reconciliation workflow from import to distribution.
## Tutorial overview
This tutorial walks through **three real scenarios** from start to finish. By the end you'll understand how to use every part of the system.
| Scenario | Covers |
| -------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **1. Central receives Sunday mobile money** | Import, reconcile (auto + manual), calculate Central distribution |
| **2. Location receives cash and sends to Central** | Branch import, cash collections, location distribution rules |
| **3. January Arise & Build campaign** | Keyword auto-categorization, company donors, building-fund distribution |
Complete the one-time setup (accounts and category rules) before running through these scenarios. See [Initial setup](#initial-setup) below.
***
## Initial setup
### Create your financial accounts
Go to **Admin → Financial Management → Accounts** and create these nine accounts:
| Account Name | Type | Account Number | Owner |
| ---------------------------- | ------------ | -------------- | ----------------- |
| Central Mobile Money MTN | Mobile Money | 0752000111 | (blank — Central) |
| Central Bank - Centenary | Bank | 3001234567 | (blank — Central) |
| Kampala Branch - Centenary | Bank | 3009876543 | Kampala Branch |
| Entebbe Branch - Centenary | Bank | 3009876544 | Entebbe Branch |
| Other Ministries - Centenary | Bank | 3001111111 | (blank — Central) |
| Operations - Centenary | Bank | 3002222222 | (blank — Central) |
| Donations - Centenary | Bank | 3003333333 | (blank — Central) |
| Projects - Centenary | Bank | 3004444444 | (blank — Central) |
| Welfare - Centenary | Bank | 3005555555 | (blank — Central) |
### Create your category rules
Go to **Admin → Financial Management → Category Rules** and create three rules:
```
Name: Sunday Service Offerings
Category: Offering
Priority: 5
Accounts: ☑ Central Mobile Money MTN
Days: ☑ Sunday
Time: 09:00 – 12:00
```
```
Name: January Arise & Build Campaign
Category: Arise & Build
Priority: 10
Keywords: arise, build, project, building
Date Range: January 1 – January 31 (☑ Apply every year)
```
```
Name: Donation Keywords
Category: Donation
Priority: 3
Keywords: donation, donate, gift, contribution
```
***
## Scenario 1: Central receives Sunday mobile money offerings
**Situation:** It's Monday 15 January 2024. Members sent mobile money during Sunday's service. You need to import the statement, match transactions to members, and calculate distributions.
### 1.1 Prepare the CSV file
Save this as `central_mm_jan15.csv`:
```csv theme={null}
Date,Amount,Name,Phone,Reference
2024-01-15 09:30,500000,John Doe,0772123456,Tithe Jan
2024-01-15 10:15,300000,Mary Ssempa,0756789012,Offering
2024-01-15 10:45,750000,Peter Kato,0701234567,Monthly tithe
2024-01-15 11:20,200000,Grace Nakato,0772555666,Offering Sunday
2024-01-15 11:50,1000000,David Mugisha,0756111222,Tithe
2024-01-14 18:00,400000,Sarah Nambi,0772999888,Tithe
2024-01-15 09:05,150000,Unknown Sender,0701777888,
```
### 1.2 Import the statement
Go to **Import Transactions** and configure:
```
Account: Central Mobile Money MTN
Default Category: Tithe
☑ Apply service time rules
```
Upload the file and click **Preview Import**. You'll see:
| Date | Amount | Name | Category | Why |
| ------------- | --------- | -------------- | ------------ | --------------------------- |
| Jan 15, 09:30 | 500,000 | John Doe | **Offering** | Sunday 9–12 rule |
| Jan 15, 10:15 | 300,000 | Mary Ssempa | **Offering** | Sunday 9–12 rule |
| Jan 15, 10:45 | 750,000 | Peter Kato | **Offering** | Sunday 9–12 rule |
| Jan 15, 11:20 | 200,000 | Grace Nakato | **Offering** | Sunday 9–12 rule |
| Jan 15, 11:50 | 1,000,000 | David Mugisha | **Offering** | Sunday 9–12 rule |
| Jan 14, 18:00 | 400,000 | Sarah Nambi | **Tithe** | Saturday — rule didn't fire |
| Jan 15, 09:05 | 150,000 | Unknown Sender | **Offering** | Sunday 9–12 rule |
**Total: 7 transactions — 3,300,000 UGX**
Click **Import Transactions**.
### 1.3 Reconcile
Go to **Financial Management → Reconciliation**.
System shows: *Phone exact match · Kampala Branch*
**Action: Click Approve.**
System shows: *Phone exact match · Entebbe Branch*
**Action: Click Approve.**
System shows Peter Kato at 88% (phone exact match) and Peter Kateregga at 65% (name similar, no phone match).
**Action: Click Approve on the first suggestion — Peter Kato.**
System finds Grace Nakato (78%) but her saved phone `0772555777` differs from this transaction's `0772555666`.
**Action: Click Edit.**
In the modal:
* Contact: Grace Nakato ✓
* Tick **Add 0772555666 as new payment method** → Provider: MTN
* Location: Kampala Branch ✓
* Category: Offering ✓
* Click **Save Match**
Grace now has two saved phone numbers — future transactions from either will score 95%+.
System shows: *Phone exact match · Entebbe Branch*
**Action: Click Approve.**
Category shows **Tithe** (correct — she sent Saturday evening, not during service).
**Action: Click Approve.**
You call the number and find out it's a visitor: James Okello.
**Action: Click Manual Match.**
In the modal:
1. Type "James Okello" — not found
2. Click **+ Create New Contact: James Okello**
3. Fill in the quick form:
```
First Name: James
Last Name: Okello
Phone: 0701777888 (auto-filled)
Location: Kampala Branch
```
4. Click **Create & Match**
James is added to contacts, 0701777888 is saved as his payment method, and the transaction is matched.
### 1.3b Bulk approve (faster method)
Instead of approving transactions one by one:
1. Tick the boxes next to **John, Mary, Peter, David, and Sarah** (all ≥90% confidence)
2. Click **Approve All High Confidence**
3. The system approves all 5 at once
4. You only need to handle **Grace** (new phone) and the **Unknown Sender** individually
This saves significant time when processing a large week of transactions.
### 1.4 Calculate distributions
Go to **Distributions → + New Distribution Batch**:
```
Name: Week 3 January 2024
Period Type: Weekly
Date Range: Jan 15 – Jan 21, 2024
☑ Approved matches only
```
Click **Calculate Distributions**. The system applies Central's rules:
#### Offerings — 2,900,000 UGX
*(John 500k + Mary 300k + Peter 750k + Grace 200k + David 1M + James 150k)*
| Destination | Rule | Amount |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------- | ------- |
| Other Ministries | 10% | 290,000 |
| Operations | 30% | 870,000 |
| Kampala Branch | 60% × Kampala share (1,600k / 2,900k) | 960,000 |
| Entebbe Branch | 60% × Entebbe share (1,300k / 2,900k) | 780,000 |
#### Tithe — 400,000 UGX
*(Sarah — Kampala Branch)*
| Destination | Rule | Amount |
| ---------------- | ---- | ------- |
| Other Ministries | 10% | 40,000 |
| Operations | 30% | 120,000 |
| Kampala Branch | 60% | 240,000 |
**Total distributed: 3,300,000 UGX ✓**
Click **Submit for Approval**.
### 1.5 Execute transfers (after approval)
Once leadership approves, go to the batch and mark each transfer as you complete it in your bank:
| Transfer | Amount | Enter reference |
| ----------------------------- | --------- | --------------- |
| Central MM → Other Ministries | 330,000 | TXN123456 |
| Central MM → Operations | 990,000 | TXN123457 |
| Central MM → Kampala Branch | 1,200,000 | TXN123458 |
| Central MM → Entebbe Branch | 780,000 | TXN123459 |
Each line shows "Executed" with the date once saved.
### 1.6 View the report
Go to **Financial Management → Reports**, select **Reconciliation Summary**, and set the date range to Jan 15 – Jan 21, 2024.
| | Count | Amount |
| -------------- | -------------- | -------------------- |
| Total Imported | 7 transactions | 3,300,000 UGX |
| Matched | 7 transactions | 3,300,000 UGX (100%) |
| Pending | 0 | 0 UGX |
| Disputed | 0 | 0 UGX |
**Match Rate: 100% ✓**
By category: Offering — 6 transactions (2,900,000 UGX) · Tithe — 1 transaction (400,000 UGX)
Click **Export to Excel** to download.
***
## Scenario 2: Location receives cash and sends to Central
**Situation:** It's Monday 22 January 2024. Kampala Branch collected cash during Sunday's service and has one direct bank deposit. They need to reconcile and calculate their distribution.
### 2.1 Prepare the CSV
Save as `kampala_branch_jan22.csv`:
```csv theme={null}
Date,Amount,Name,Reference
2024-01-22 11:00,800000,Cash Collection Sunday,Morning Service
2024-01-22 11:00,300000,Cash Collection Sunday,Evening Service
2024-01-20 14:00,250000,Direct Bank Deposit,Timothy Wasswa - Tithe
```
### 2.2 Import to the branch account
```
Account: Kampala Branch - Centenary
Default Category: Tithe
☑ Apply service time rules
```
Preview shows all three rows. The two Sunday collections are auto-marked **Offering**; Timothy's weekday deposit stays **Tithe**.
**Total: 1,350,000 UGX** — Click **Import Transactions**.
### 2.3 Reconcile
**Cash collections** don't match to individuals — they represent aggregated Sunday giving.
For each cash collection row:
* The system shows a **Location** field (auto-filled to Kampala Branch) and **Category**
* Click **Approve as Cash Collection**
**Timothy's deposit** matches by name from the narration (82% confidence, Kampala Branch):
* Click **Approve**
All three transactions reconciled.
### 2.4 Calculate Kampala Branch distributions
```
Name: Kampala Branch – Week 4 January 2024
Period Type: Weekly
Date Range: Jan 22 – Jan 28, 2024
```
The system applies **location rules** (same rule applies to both Tithe and Offering):
| Destination | Rule | Amount |
| ---------------- | ---- | ------- |
| Send to Central | 40% | 540,000 |
| Send to Welfare | 30% | 405,000 |
| Retain at branch | 30% | 405,000 |
**Total: 1,350,000 UGX ✓**
Submit for approval, then execute:
1. Transfer 540,000 from Kampala Branch to Central Bank → mark as transferred
2. Transfer 405,000 from Kampala Branch to Welfare → mark as transferred
3. The 405,000 retention stays in the branch account — mark the retention line as complete
***
## Scenario 3: January Arise & Build campaign
**Situation:** It's Monday 29 January 2024. Members have been giving to the building fund throughout January. You need to process these special transactions.
### 3.1 Prepare the CSV
Save as `arise_build_jan29.csv`:
```csv theme={null}
Date,Amount,Name,Phone,Reference
2024-01-28 10:30,2000000,Joseph Mukasa,0772333444,Arise and Build Project
2024-01-28 14:00,5000000,Company Donation Ltd,,Building Fund January
2024-01-29 09:00,1500000,Rebecca Nakalema,0756777888,For the new church building
2024-01-29 11:00,750000,Samuel Okoth,0701222333,Project donation
```
### 3.2 Import
```
Account: Central Bank - Centenary
Default Category: Tithe
```
Preview shows all four rows auto-categorized as **Arise & Build** — the keyword rule matched each narration ("Arise and Build", "Building Fund", "building", "Project").
**Total: 9,250,000 UGX** — Click **Import Transactions**.
### 3.3 Reconcile
Phone exact match. **Click Approve.**
This is an organization, not a person. **Click Manual Match.**
In the modal:
1. Search "Company Donation Ltd" — not found
2. Click **+ Create New Contact**
3. Set contact type to **Company**
4. Fill in:
```
Company Name: Company Donation Ltd
Location: (blank — external donor)
```
5. Click **Create & Match**
Phone exact match. **Click Approve.**
Phone exact match. **Click Approve.**
### 3.4 Calculate Arise & Build distributions
```
Name: Arise & Build – January 2024
Period Type: Custom
Date Range: Jan 1 – Jan 31, 2024
```
Central's rules for Arise & Build:
| Destination | Rule | Amount |
| ---------------- | ---- | --------- |
| Other Ministries | 10% | 925,000 |
| Projects Account | 90% | 8,325,000 |
**Total: 9,250,000 UGX ✓**
Submit for approval and execute the two transfers.
### 3.5 What about regular donations?
The Arise & Build rules don't apply to regular **Donation** transactions. If you have those in the same import, the distribution rules differ:
```
Donation Total: 1,000,000 UGX
→ Tithe (10%): 100,000 UGX → Other Ministries
→ Donations Account (90%): 900,000 UGX → Donations Account
```
```
Donation Total: 500,000 UGX
→ Tithe to Central (10%): 50,000 UGX → Central Bank
→ Retain (90%): 450,000 UGX → Keep at location
```
***
## Quick reference
### Distribution rules at a glance
| Category | Other Ministries | Operations | Locations |
| ------------- | ---------------- | ---------- | ----------------------- |
| Tithe | 10% | 30% | 60% |
| Offering | 10% | 30% | 60% |
| Donation | 10% | — | 90% → Donations Account |
| Arise & Build | 10% | — | 90% → Projects Account |
*Location split is proportional to how much members of each branch contributed.*
| Category | To Central | To Welfare | Retained |
| ------------- | --------------- | ---------- | -------- |
| Tithe | 40% | 30% | 30% |
| Offering | 40% | 30% | 30% |
| Donation | 10% | — | 90% |
| Arise & Build | 100% → Projects | — | — |
### Common CSV formats
```csv theme={null}
Date,Amount,Sender Name,Phone Number,Reference
2024-01-15 09:30,500000,John Doe,0772123456,Tithe
```
```csv theme={null}
Transaction Date,Amount,Account Name,Account Number,Description
15/01/2024,500000,John Doe,3001234567,Tithe January
```
```csv theme={null}
Date,Amount,Description,Notes
22/01/2024,800000,Sunday Service Collection,Morning
```
The system recognizes all three formats — it searches for Date, Amount, and Name/Description columns automatically.
***
## Pro tips
### Typical weekly time investment
| Task | Time |
| --------------------------------- | ------ |
| Download statements | 5 min |
| Import to system | 5 min |
| Approve high-confidence matches | 10 min |
| Manually match uncertain ones | 10 min |
| Calculate and submit distribution | 5 min |
| Execute transfers (Tuesday) | 15 min |
| Mark as transferred in system | 5 min |
**Total: \~55 minutes per week.**
### Auto-match accuracy grows over time
The system learns phone numbers with every approved match. Expect \~60% in week one, climbing to 95%+ after three months.
**To speed up this learning curve:**
* Always approve correct matches (don't skip them)
* Add the new payment method when editing a match with a different phone number
* Keep contact records and locations up to date
### Handling common edge cases
| Situation | What to do |
| ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Multiple people with the same name | Check the phone number to pick the right one |
| Member changed phone numbers | Edit the match, tick "Add new payment method", keep both numbers |
| Wrong amount sent | Match as-is, note it, contact the person separately |
| Duplicate transaction imported | Import once; if already imported, mark the duplicate as Disputed with a note |
### End-of-month checklist
* [ ] All transactions reconciled (0 pending)
* [ ] All disputed items resolved or documented
* [ ] All distributions approved
* [ ] All transfers executed and marked
* [ ] Monthly summary report generated
* [ ] Export to Excel for accounting records
### Training new team members
Give new finance team members these staged practice exercises:
| Week | Exercise |
| ------ | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Week 1 | Import 10 transactions, reconcile obvious matches |
| Week 2 | Handle fuzzy matches, add payment methods |
| Week 3 | Calculate distributions, understand the rules |
| Week 4 | Edge cases — unknown numbers, companies, cash collections |
By week 4, they'll be comfortable with the full workflow.
***
## Summary: what you've learned
✅ **Set up accounts** — 9 accounts covering Central, branches, and all destination accounts
✅ **Created category rules** — auto-categorize by time, date, and keywords
✅ **Imported transactions** from CSV — mobile money, bank, and cash formats
✅ **Reconciled** using three methods:
* Auto-match suggestions (up to 95% confidence)
* Manual matching for new phones or unknown people
* Bulk approve for speed on high-confidence batches
✅ **Calculated distributions**:
* Central: 10% tithe, 30% ops, 60% to locations (split by member branch)
* Locations: 40% to Central, 30% welfare, 30% retain
* Different rules for Donations and Arise & Build
✅ **Executed and tracked transfers** with bank reference numbers
✅ **Generated and exported reports**
***
## Next steps
1. Set up your real accounts using the tables in the [Initial Setup](#initial-setup) section above
2. Import last week's statements as a practice run
3. Do a test reconciliation with your finance team watching
4. Calculate a test distribution — don't execute it yet
5. Review the results with leadership before going live
6. Start using it for real next Monday