Understand Business Units and organizations
Unisoft is designed to manage simple as well as complex structures: a single community with one bank account, or a grouping of several associations with specialized Business Units. This page clarifies the vocabulary and the hierarchy.
Three levels of structure
1. The organization
The organization is your global Unisoft account. It is what you pay Unisoft for, it is the entity that connects to app.unisoft.world.
An organization contains one or several associations.
| Characteristic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Identifier | One per client |
| Global configuration | Business Units, integrations, subscription |
| Access | All your administrators are attached to this organization |
2. The association
An association is a separate legal entity, with its own accounting, its own bank accounts, its own tax receipts.
| Characteristic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Main cash register | Each association has its own |
| Booklets | Each booklet belongs to a specific association |
| Tax receipts | Issued in the name of the association |
| Legal identifier | Its own Company ID |
Examples:
- A single association: most small communities (synagogue + cultural association = one single entity)
- Several associations: a grouping that manages several branches (e.g.: a main association and a separate foundation for social works)
See Filter by association for usage in the Budget.
3. The Business Unit
A Business Unit is an internal subdivision of an organization, without a legal personality. It is a tool to organize work between teams or departments.
| Characteristic | Detail |
|---|---|
| No own accounting | A Business Unit does not generate separate tax receipts |
| Flexible assignment | A booklet can be assigned to several Business Units |
| Configuration | Defined in the organization's settings (Info module) |
Examples of Business Units:
- Talmud Torah Business Unit (religious teaching)
- Youth Business Unit (teen activities)
- Works Business Unit (building maintenance)
- Chaplaincy Business Unit (visits to the sick)
- Culture Business Unit (conferences, events)
See Assign a booklet to Business Units.
Impact on the Budget module
Case 1: organization with a single association without Business Units
This is the simplest configuration:
| Element | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Budget page | A single grid of cards, no active filter |
| Association selector | A single option, with no effect |
| « Business Unit » button | Not displayed on the cards |
| Main cash register | A single one, shared by the entire organization |
This is the case for most small and medium communities.
Case 2: organization with a single association with Business Units
| Element | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Budget page | A single grid |
| Association selector | A single option |
| « Business Unit » button | Displayed on eligible cards (booklet, fund, campaign, form) |
| Assignment | A booklet can be assigned to one or several Business Units |
Allows you to organize reading by team without legal complexity.
Case 3: organization with several associations without Business Units
| Element | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Budget page | Consolidated grid by default |
| Association selector | Active filter to isolate an association |
| Main cash registers | One per association, visible side by side in consolidated mode |
| « Business Unit » button | Not displayed |
Typical for a grouping of independent associations managed via a single Unisoft account.
Case 4: complete organization (associations + Business Units)
This is the richest configuration:
| Element | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Budget page | Grid filterable by association |
| Association selector | Active filter |
| « Business Unit » button | Displayed |
| Assignment | Each booklet can be assigned to an association and to one or several Business Units |
Typical for large structures with several entities and specialized teams.
Differences between the concepts
| Concept | Legal personality | Tax receipts | Dedicated main cash register | Filter in Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organization | No (just a Unisoft account) | — | — | — |
| Association | Yes | Yes (in its name) | Yes | Selector at the top of the page |
| Business Unit | No | No | No | Assignment on the card |
Practical case: choosing between association or Business Unit
You are hesitating between creating a new association or just a Business Unit?
| If you want… | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| Separate accounting (distinct balance sheet, income statement) | New association |
| Tax receipts issued in the name of the entity | New association |
| A dedicated bank account | New association |
| Just a filtered view for a team | New Business Unit |
| Delegate read access to a team manager | New Business Unit |
| Isolate statistics without separating the cash flow | New Business Unit |
Configuration of associations and Business Units
| Element | Where to configure |
|---|---|
| Create an association | Request to Unisoft support (initial configuration) |
| Create / edit a Business Unit | Info or Permissions module depending on your configuration |
| Assign a booklet to a Business Unit | Directly on the booklet card. See Assign a booklet to Business Units |
Going further
- Filter by association
- Assign a booklet to Business Units
- Permissions
- Info — organization configuration