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Support Budget Instructions

These instructions are split into five parts:

  • Viewing your Support Budgets
  • Reviewing your Draft Support Budget
  • Updating your Approved Support Budget
  • Creating an Ideal Support Budget
  • Explaining Support Budgets by Section

Viewing your Support Budgets

You can view all your Support Budgets since 2021 from your Navigation Portlet by clicking View Your Budgets. In this window, you will see a list of your budgets showing the year, type, prospective category, creation date, and status. Select the budget you would like to view by clicking the Budget Number in the first column.

In all budgets under Support Level, the Monthly Support Average will be your current average support for the last twelve months rather than the average at the time you created the budget. Also, the Pledge List Total will reflect the contents of your current Pledge List (see separate instructions about the Pledge List in your Navigation Portlet).

Reviewing your Draft Support Budget

To see how to review your draft support budget, check out THIS VIDEO.

Draft support budgets can be created by you or Finance:

  • You will be creating a draft support budget when you follow the instructions on this page entitled Updating your Approved Support Budget (e.g. you wish to change an amount in your budget or you create a budget for the future). 
  • Finance may create a draft support budget for you in preparation for a new budget year. 

After a draft support budget is created, you will see a reminder appear in your Reminders Portlet. Click the Unsubmitted Support Budgets link and then the budget number. 

Start by clicking the “Edit” button. Doing so will allow you to change amounts in your support budget by simply clicking on the items.

We recommend clicking “Save” regularly since NetSuite has no autosave function. You can go back to your budget at any time after clicking “Save” through the Reminders Portlet.

The following sections need your attention:

General Information 

  • Ensure the information in the left column is accurate.
  • Ensure you are aware of what kind of budget you are reviewing by referring to the Budget Type (i.e., either “in MA” or “in home country”).
  • Choose or remove the Prospective Budget Category, as appropriate (this field is not compulsory).
  • Enter any general comments about your budget in the Comments box.

HA Travel Calculation

  • Enter or confirm your estimated Next Home Assignment Date using the calendar icon.
  • Enter or confirm the estimated Round Trip Airfare amount in your home currency.
  • Enter or confirm the estimated Other Travel Expenses amount in your home currency.
  • Click “Save” for a new Monthly HA Travel Amount to appear. 

Regional Conference Calculation

  • Enter or confirm the estimated Regional Conference Date using the calendar icon.
  • Enter or confirm the estimated Regional Conference Travel amount in your home currency.
  • Enter or confirm the estimated Cost of Regional Conference amount in your home currency.
  • Click “Save” for a new Monthly Regional Conference Amount to appear.

Long Service Calculation

  • Enter or confirm your initial MA Arrival Date using the calendar icon.
  • Enter the amount of any Inactive Years since your initial arrival date in the MA when you were either on inactive status or not a part of TEAM.
  • Click “Save” for a new Monthly Long Service Amount to appear.

Budget Details Subtab

This subtab lists all the lines in your support budget. We need you to check the amount on each line. Please refer to the Reference Information section above this subtab to check for appropriate amounts, limits, or instructions. You can also refer to the Actual Monthly Deductions subtab to see what you have claimed over the past 12 months as a guide for entering amounts into this budget.

Here are some specific lines to look out for:

  • Living Allowance line: Confirm this amount using the range given in the Reference Information section above. The higher figure is the maximum amount you can claim, and the lower figure is the minimum amount you can claim.
  • Long Service line: If you receive a 100% living allowance, you can claim up to the amount shown in the Long Service Calculation section next to Monthly Long Service Amount. If there is no Long Service line on your budget, you can create a line by going to the bottom of this Budget Details subtab and choosing Long Service from the dropdown box. 
  • Transfer line: Transfer lines are used to transfer amounts each month from your available work funds to other funds. There are usually various Transfer lines in your budget, so you need to differentiate between them in the Explanation box as follows:
    • HA Travel – Change this amount to the figure shown above in the HA Travel Calculation section next to the Monthly HA Travel Amount after clicking “Save”. Note that this is a manual step, so it will not automatically update the amount in this Budget Details subtab.
    • Regional Conference – Change this amount to the figure shown above in the Regional Conference Calculation section next to the Monthly Regional Conference Amount after clicking “Save”. Note that this is a manual step, so it will not automatically update the amount in this Budget Details subtab.
    • Other Transfers (e.g., Resettlement, saving for a vehicle, Taxes, Projects, MK Education, etc.) – Review any other Transfer lines to ensure we will transfer the correct amount into the appropriate fund going forward. 
    • Adding Transfers – Add any transfers missing from your budget by creating a line. Go to the bottom of this Budget Details subtab, choose Transfer in the dropdown list, enter the desired amount, and indicate where you’d like the transfer to go in the Explanation box. Finally, click Add.
  • Other lines: Review each line to ensure the Expense/Transfer, Monthly Amount, and Explanation columns are accurate. Be sure to use the Reference Information section to check on maximum amounts and other information. You may also find it helpful to refer to what you’ve received over the past twelve months for each budget item in the Actual Monthly Deductions subtab.
  • Missing expenses: Add any expenses missing from your budget. Go to the bottom of this Budget Details subtab and choose the expense from the dropdown list, enter the desired amount, and indicate the nature of the expense in the Explanation box.
  • Comments box: Add any general comments about your budget in the Comments box found in the General Information section at the top of the budget.

Note: The yearly amount column will update after you click “Save”.

Outgoing Expenses Subtab (for Appointees only) 

 This subtab lists all the onetime outgoing expenses required to be raised before departing for the MA. As time goes by, some expenses are charged to your Available Work Funds. When an item has been charged, you can click “Edit” next to the expense and check the Expensed box. That line will then turn green and the amount will be deducted from the Unexpensed Outgoing total at the top of this subtab. You may also add or change an amount in this list after receiving approval from Finance or your MA by also clicking “Edit”.

Submitting your Support Budget 

When you are finished reviewing your support budget, click the  “Submit” button. You cannot make any changes after you have submitted your budget. If a change is necessary before the budget is processed, please contact financehelp@team.org.

Updating your Approved Support Budget

You can update your approved support budget at any time during the year. Your approver needs to hit “Approve” by the 25th of the previous month for items affecting your pay. 

To update your budget, you need to make a copy of your current budget as follows:

  • Go to View Your Budgets in your Navigation Portlet.
  • Choose the budget you wish to change by clicking the Budget Number.
  • Hover over Actions (next to the “Cancel” button) and click Make Copy. 
  • Make necessary changes, if any, to Budget Year, Ministry Area, Marital Status, Budget Type, Prospective Budget Category, and Comments in the General Information section.
  • Click “Save” to view appropriate Reference Information. 
  • Click “Edit”.
  • Click on the item(s) you wish to update and enter the change(s).
  • Click “Save”.
  • Click “Submit”.

Once you have submitted your updated budget, you can access it under View Your Budgets in your Navigation Portlet.

Creating an Ideal Support Budget

You can create an ideal support budget with the maximum amounts allowed for each item as well as the ministry expenses you would include if you had the funds. Such a budget can be helpful to explain to your supporters the amount you need to be fully supported. 

To create an ideal support budget, you need to make a copy of an existing budget as follows:

  • Go to View Your Budgets in your Navigation Portlet.
  • Choose the budget you wish to use as a base for your ideal budget by clicking the Budget Number.
  • Hover over Actions (next to the “Cancel” button) and click Make Copy. 
  • Make necessary changes to Budget Year, Ministry Area, Marital Status, and Budget Type in the General Information section.
  • Click the arrow next to Prospective Budget Category and choose Ideal Budget.
  • Click “Save” so appropriate Reference Information will be displayed. 
  • Click “Edit”.
  • Click on the items you wish to change and enter the amounts to make your ideal budget.
  • Click “Save”.

DO NOT click “Submit” since ideal budgets do not need to go through the approval process. You will have access to your ideal budget under View Your Budgets in your Navigation Portlet.

Explaining Support Budgets by Section

Your support budget is split into various sections by headings in a colored bar as follows:

General Information 

This section outlines your details and the type of budget you’re reviewing. The Budget Type indicates whether you have mid-term or long-term status and are either:

  • in MA – covering your time in the MA, either now or arriving in the future (e.g., after your home assignment or after arriving for the first time).
  • in home country – covering your time in your home country for home assignment (replacing the Home Assignment Finance Form), non-residential status, and various types of special assignments.

There are times when you may have two or more budgets. For example, when preparing for a home assignment, you’ll have a current budget (in MA), a future budget while on home assignment (in home country), as well as a future budget for when you return to the MA (in MA).

Also, if you are on a home assignment at the end of the year, you will need to review a budget to continue your home assignment (in home country) and prepare for your return to the MA (in MA).

The dropdown list for the Prospective Budget Category can be used, if appropriate, to identify the nature of your budget. If you are creating an ideal budget based on full support for your MA that you do not plan to submit, choose Ideal Budget from the dropdown list. You can also use this field for preparing a budget for a home assignment or returning to the MA. 

Support Level

This section gives you an overview of your support levels based on:

  • Using Past 12 Months Support Average – this section shows your support level based on the amount required by your budget compared with the average support you’ve received in the previous 12 month period.
  • Using Pledge List – this section shows your support level based on the details you’ve entered into the Pledge List found in the Navigation Portlet under View Pledge List. Also, in the Navigation Portlet, you have Pledge List Instructions.

This section updates each time you click “Save”.

HA Travel Calculation

If you are connected with an MA, you will need to put aside funds each month for travel to/from your home country for a home assignment. In completing this section, the appropriate amount will appear in the Monthly HA Travel Amount box after clicking “Save”. This amount needs to be entered manually into the Budget Details subtab under Transfer with HA Travel written in the Explanation box.

Regional Conference Calculation

You can put funds aside each month for expenses to travel to/from your regional conference, if applicable (i.e. the conference replacing REAP within your region). In completing this section, the appropriate amount will appear in the Monthly Regional Conference Amount box after clicking “Save”. This amount needs to be entered manually into the Budget Details subtab under Transfers with Regional Conference written in the Explanation box.

Long Service Calculation

This section calculates the amount of supplemental pay you can receive for your years of service with the organization. Long service can be paid to those who have served for five years or more and receive a 100% living allowance. The amount calculated in this section as Monthly Long Service Amount needs to be entered manually into the Budget Details subtab below using Long Service in the Expense/Transfer dropdown list.

Reference Information

This information is very important for updating figures in the Budget Details subtab. The figures have been pre-set according to the combination of details shown in the General Information section above (i.e., Subsidiary, Budget Year, Ministry Area, Marital Status, and Budget Type).

Budget Details Subtab

This subtab contains all the lines in your support budget. The titles and amounts are usually copied from a budget you have already submitted. Therefore, you will need to review each line, using the Reference Information since we use these figures for your payroll and transfers into specific funds. 

Actual Monthly Deductions Subtab

This subtab shows the average monthly figure you have received over the past 12 months through both payroll and expense reports. You may find this historical information helpful in determining amounts for your Budget Details subtab. Note that there’s a maximum of 25 lines of expenses/transfers showing per page. To see more lines, click the down arrow in the top right-hand corner of this subtab.

Rejection Reason Subtab

This subtab is used when an approver has found an issue with your submitted budget that needs editing. You can read about the issue here. To re-work the issue, click “Edit”, make the changes, click “Save”, and click “Submit”. Your budget will then be sent back to your next approver.

Outgoing Expenses Subtab (for Appointees only) 

This subtab lists all the onetime outgoing expenses required to be raised before departing for the MA. The amounts are prepopulated by Finance in consultation with the MA. The Unexpensed Outgoing amount shows how much needs to be raised. The amount raised is shown in the second line (i.e. the balance of your Available Work Funds) and the difference between these amounts is shown in the third line as Left to Raise for Outgoing. As expenses are charged to your Available Work Funds, you can reduce the Unexpensed Outgoing amount by clicking “Edit” next to the expense and check the Expensed box.

Communication Subtab

This subtab can be used to make notes about specific items in your budget to pass along to your Support Budget Approver and Finance. Click “New Note” and type your note in the Memo box (you can leave other boxes empty). Click “Save” to record your note.