Understand balances
Balances are the most-watched information in the Budget module. This page explains how Unisoft calculates and displays a balance, and how to avoid misinterpretations.
The three colorsβ
Any balance in the Budget is displayed with an immediate color code:
| Color | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Positive balance (sum > 0) | This is the normal case for a booklet that receives donations |
| Red | Negative balance (sum < 0) | To watch: you need to understand why |
| Blue | Balance exactly at zero (sum = 0) | Empty or perfectly balanced booklet |
This logic applies:
- To the total balance displayed at the top of the page
- To each booklet card balance
- To the amounts in the operation list (green for entries, red for outflows)
The balance of a booklet: how it is calculatedβ
The balance of a booklet is the algebraic sum of all its accounting operations:
Balance = Ξ£ (entries) β Ξ£ (outflows)
| Operation | Effect on the balance |
|---|---|
| Received payment (donation, membership fee, sale) | Entry: adds the amount to the balance |
| Transfer received from another booklet | Entry: adds the amount |
| Transfer sent to another booklet | Outflow: removes the amount |
| Expense | Outflow: removes the amount |
| Refund issued | Outflow: removes the refunded amount |
See Understand operation types.
The total balance: aggregation of bookletsβ
The total balance displayed at the top of the Budget page is the sum of the balances of all containers visible in the current selection.
Total balance = Main cash register Balance + Ξ£ Booklet Balance + Ξ£ Fund Balance + Ξ£ Campaign Balance
| Case | Consequence on the total balance |
|---|---|
| Filter All associations | Sum of all organizations |
| Filter A specific association | Sum of only this association |
| Fund or campaign with zero balance | Not included in the calculation (hidden from the page) |
Multi-currency without conversionβ
Unisoft does not apply automatic conversion between currencies for balances. If you have:
- 5,000 β¬ on your renovation booklet
- 1,200 $ received from an American donor on the same booklet
The main balance displayed on the card is in the booklet's main currency (often β¬). To see the exact breakdown, open the "Amount detail (without conversion)" panel:
Amount detail (without conversion)
Amount in β¬ : +5,000.00 β¬
Amount in $ : +1,200.00 $
No exchange rate is applied β this is intentional to preserve accounting truth.
Discrepancy between displayed balance and visible operationsβ
On a booklet card, you only see the 5 latest operations (preview). The displayed balance takes into account all operations, not just the visible ones.
If you add the 5 displayed operations by hand and don't find the displayed balance, that's normal: there are older operations that you don't see. Click on View More to get the full table.
See View the details of a booklet.
Unisoft balance β Bank balanceβ
This is the most common trap: your Unisoft balance does not exactly reflect your bank balance.
Why?
| Case of desynchronization | Impact |
|---|---|
| Pending payments: an online donation is recorded with Unisoft before the bank credits your account (delay of 1 to 7 days) | Unisoft ahead of the bank |
| Bank fees: the bank charges fees that Unisoft does not know about | Bank lower than Unisoft |
| Entered but uncollected checks: an admin enters a check on the date of receipt, but the bank credits at collection | Unisoft ahead of the bank |
| Bank movements outside Unisoft: transfers made from your bank but not entered in Unisoft | Bank ahead of Unisoft |
To reconcile both views, use Bank reconciliation.
Best reading practicesβ
- Check the association selection: an abnormal balance often comes from an active (or disabled) filter
- Consult the multi-currency detail: a booklet may have a nice total balance but a specific currency in deficit
- Cross-check with reconciliation: for serious tracking, compare each month the Unisoft balance and the bank balance
- Watch the red: a negative booklet signals either an uncovered expense or a poorly entered transfer operation