Discussions - Recent Threads

Credit / Debit card reporting

Chris Campbell — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 14:31:21 GMT

Hello, folks!

Can I ask how you separate out your card payments into credit and debit cards, if that's something you do? We pass on transaction processing fees to the promoters, and so we're rather dependent on understanding this figure carefully.

At present, this is something we do using payment methods: but it looks as though Adyen / Tessitura Merchant Services will not be able to proceed in this way.

All isn't lost: I think a custom report is straightforward enough, and I'm proceeding along those lines. I also think it's better that out Payment Methods will not be as cluttered by this level of detail as they are currently, which is good news! But before I start re-inventing the wheel, does anyone have any smart suggestions about how they manage this currently?

Thank you in advance!

C.//
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Tessitura webinar 'First look and Q&A: Direct debit extension' on 24th April

Gill Tasker (she/her) — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 11:04:42 GMT

Hello everyone,

I wanted to let you know that we have an upcoming Tessitura webinar on the new direct debit extension for UK members on Wednesday 24th April at 3pm. Details here:

Are you interested in adding direct debit sign-up functionality to your TNEW site as part of your Version 16 upgrade? In this session for organisations in the UK, we will take an in-depth look at the direct debit extension's functionality. This will include the online sales path and how it integrates data into Tessitura. Bring your questions! We'll have ample time for Q&A. A panel of Tessitura leadership representatives are ready to discuss this extension and answer questions about direct debits and Tessitura functionality.

Please note: this is the same session that some of you may have seen at TLCC Gateshead in March - you'd be very welcome to attend again!

Register for the Zoom webinar here.

We look forward to seeing you and/or your team attend.

TLCC Gateshead! Meet up

Laura Scott — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 17:50:30 GMT

We’re excited to be meeting as a group soon at TLCC Gateshead! Here’s some key information ahead of the conference:

When: 2:30-3.15pm on Wednesday 6^th March

What: A quick round of conversation-starters to connect attendees, followed by a full group discussion Gift Aid best practices

Check out the conference app here to see full details of the session.

Hope to see some of you there, regards Laura

Gift Aid - purchase dates & attendance dates

Dawn Yates — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 16:52:30 GMT

Hi
I'll cross-post this with Fundraising

How do others use the Performance Date on the Gift Aid report? Eg if you are running the report for transactions during July 2023, what would you put as the performance date, given people may be buying tickets some time in advance of their visit/performance? Tessitura have advised us to consider the potential refund situation, which would obviously make the gift aid claim on that ticket ineligible. As a daily admission venue, the majority of our tickets are on the day or close to the day of visit, but some people do buy 3 months or more in advance. Thoughts welcome!

Many thanks
Best wishes
Dawn

Encrypted Telephone (payments) Service

Kayla Newton-Willems — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 10:38:51 GMT

Hi all!

Some of our North American members would like to know what telephone encryption services others in the EU are using. Preferably one that have the dial tone masking feature. Let me know if this doesn't make any sense!

Professional development opportunity: Could you co-lead the EU Finance Tessitura Community?

Gill Tasker (she/her) — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 13:38:10 GMT

Are you looking to develop professionally and personally, and deepen your connection with Tessitura – the technology, the members, and the wider arts and culture industry?

In case you missed my previous post, we're seeking 1 member to volunteer as Community Chair and co-lead the EU Finance Tessitura Community. You’ll be surprised by the impact you can have on people’s lives, careers, and institutions!

The Role

Tessitura members come to community groups to expand their networks, share their expertise, and connect with peers around common interests. Community Chairs volunteer their time to build and lead these groups, and host meetups that bring members together to share best practices and build relationships. You'll:

- develop and refine critical leadership skills
- build valuable new networks
- take back tangible ideas and learnings to your work
- access training and professional development opportunities
- be recognised for your contribution internally at Tessitura and in the wider community

… and more!

Each Community Group is led by 2-3 co-chairs - you'll join Laura Scott and Chris Campbell. Previous experience in group management or facilitation is not required.

Tessitura provides initial onboarding, followed by on-going support and various resources. These include a dedicated Community Manager and invitations to events led by the community team, enabling you to connect with our other 140+ Community Chairs globally.

Pictured above: Community Chairs at TLCC London

Learn More

Please visit our Get Involved page for more information about the Community Chair role. Have questions or want to learn more? Drop us an email at community@tessituranetwork.com.

Apply Here

Are you ready to co-chair the EU Finance Tessitura Community? Then please submit your interest. We review each interest form as they are received; a Community Manager will be in touch with you via email to set up the next steps.

Could you be a new leader for the EU Finance Tessitura Community in 2024?

Gill Tasker (she/her) — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 09:44:59 GMT

Are you looking to develop professionally and personally, and deepen your connection with Tessitura – the technology, the members, and the wider arts and culture industry?

We are seeking 1 member to volunteer as Community Chair and co-lead the EU Finance Tessitura Community in 2024 and beyond. You’ll be surprised by the impact you can have on people’s lives, careers, and institutions!

The Role

Pictured above: Community Chairs at TLCC London

Learn More

Please visit our Get Involved page for more information about the Community Chair role. Have questions or want to learn more? Drop us an email at community@tessituranetwork.com.

Apply Here

Stepping down as EU Finance Co-chair at end of December!

Ethan Lumb — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 09:37:25 GMT

Firstly, a big thank you to all those who attended the EU Finance meeting on Monday at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, and thank you to Chris for hosting us.

Secondly, a BIG thank you to all in the group who I have had the chance to support, advise, meet and communicate with over the past 14 months or so. I am hanging up my hat as a co-chair for this group alongside Chris and Laura, as I'm leaving for pastures new in the new year for a new position at the University of Bristol.

I hope you have all gained and learnt from this group as much as we have. But I think we still have work ahead with getting Finance teams involved in Tessitura on a wider scale.

I wish you all the best for the future. And thank you for making me welcome as a co-chair of this group.

I'll still be around for the next couple of weeks to respond to questions.

Kind regards, Ethan

Deadline this Thursday: Apply for Diversity or Emerging Leader Scholarships for TLCC Gateshead

Gill Tasker (she/her) — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 15:26:41 GMT

Hello all! Our scholarship application period for TLCC Gateshead (5-6 March 2024) closes this Thursday 16th. Please help us spread word and pass this on to any members of your team who may be interested.

We have five scholarships available:

x3 Diversity
x2 Emerging Leader

Scholarships will cover the full conference registration fee, but awardees will be responsible for their own travel expenses and lodging.

Applications coupled with letters of recommendation are due by COB Thursday 16th November - more details regarding eligibility and online application links can be found on our website here.

If you have any questions please email scholarships@tessituranetwork.com or direct them to me personally.

Many thanks - we look forward to receiving your applications!

Microsoft Dynamics and Other Finance Systems

Dara Hogan — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 11:31:51 GMT

Hi All,

Hope you are all keeping well.

Do any of you use Microsoft Dynamics 365 as a finance system?

If so do you have any feedback on pros and cons, and would you be willing to do a call with our Finance team here?

If you guys have any other suggestions on Finance systems you are happy with, feel free to chime in with those too please.

Many thanks,

Dara

Gift Aid declarations storage

Anna Maria Foster — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 10:46:45 GMT

Hi All,

Happy Monday!

I’m about to carry out a review of our Gift Aid processes, including how we store members’ declarations. When we first implemented Tessitura we were recommended not upload our declarations on the system and to save them on a special secure drive. However, this is no longer fit purpose as it is really difficult to manage as well as impossible to check for those people who do not have access to it.

I was wondering what the recommended best practice is and whether it is possible to upload these documents without affecting the running of the system. Any insight/ suggestions would be much appreciated.

All the best,

Anna

2024 Community DEAI Advisory Committee applications open

Ethan Lumb — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:07:53 GMT

Hello all,

The application period for the Community DEAI Advisory Committee is now open.

For 2024, Tessitura will seat 4 new members on the committee to join 4 current members (Chloe Burton, Clayton Dickson, Carlos García León, and Shenette Swan). They are seeking a broad range of representation and lived experiences, including a representative from Australia/New Zealand, to join in this work.

Commitment

Committee members will serve a two-year term beginning in January 2024. Members are expected to:

Attend and contribute to six meetings held bi-monthly each year (length of meetings ranges from 90 minutes to two hours)
Respond to group emails and collaborate asynchronously in online forms and documents
Participate in DEAI content curation and/or creation meetings
Participate in Tessitura affinity groups as a co-chair of a group or active participant
Monitor the DEAI Forum and respond to forum posts
Agree to and follow our code of conduct for community leaders
Compensation for time and emotional labour will be US$500 per year, paid bi-annually. To learn more about the advisory committee’s aims and structure, please review our charter.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the advisory committee, members must:

Be an employee at a Tessitura member organisation
Have participated in the Tessitura community for at least six months. This could involve contributing to forum discussions, attending community group events, and/or attending a Tessitura Learning & Community Conference
Have at least six months of experience at an organization live with Tessitura

Applications close on Thursday, November 9. Full details about the application and review process are available here.

Ethan

Reconciliation for Tessitura Merchant Services

Chris Campbell — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 13:48:49 GMT

Are you thinking of making the move to Tessitura Merchant Services and want to know more? At the next virtual EU Finance Community Meetup on 25th September at 2pm, we’ll be joined by EU Payment Specialist Kayla Newton-Willems from the Tessitura Network, who will be delivering a presentation on the following:

Getting started with reconciliation for Tessitura Merchant Services

Financial reconciliation is a daily task, but it shouldn’t be a daily headache. Discover the recommended method for reconciling your Tessitura system with Tessitura Merchant Services, including a look at the Tessitura-developed helper spreadsheet that automatically compares transactions between the systems. You’ll find out how the payout process works, and how to resolve reconciliation issues when they arise, such as duplicated or missing transactions.

Key takeaways:

Understand how the payout and reconciliation process works with Tessitura Merchant Services
Understand how to use the reconciliation helper tool to reconcile daily batches
Understand how to handle common errors and issues in the reconciliation process, such as missing or duplicated transactions

Don’t miss out - register for this virtual event here: https://community.tessituranetwork.com/topical_groups/eu-finance-tug/c/e/1332

C.//
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Gift Aid - how do you run yours...?

Chris Campbell — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 13:47:58 GMT

Well hello!

Gift Aid reporting is crucial for those of us here in the UK, and Tessitura are looking to understand the problems and points of friction we face with the existing systems. As every venue manages these Gift Aid claims processes slightly differently, Lloyd Stringer is looking to sit alongside anyone willing to spare him the time when we're running our latest claims.

If you're interested in helping him out in this way, please drop him a line at lloyd.stringer@tessituranetwork.com. I can recommend his company, for sure - and if nothing else, I think it's really important he gets a wide view of all of our processes as much as possible, so we're hoping for a good response.

Happy Thursday to you all,

C.//
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Agenda for EU Finance Community Meetup at Southbank Centre (June 13th)

Gill Tasker (she/her) — Thu, 25 May 2023 12:58:46 GMT

Hi all,

Co-chairs Laura Scott Chris Campbell and Ethan Lumb have compiled a great agenda for the in-person meetup in London next month:

Welcome
Presentation: ‘Streamlining Financial Process’ – Ethan Lumb, Welsh National Opera
1. Q&A and discussion
Reconciliation and Reporting
1. What are your ‘Go-To’ Reports?
2. Processes for Monthly/Quarterly reconciliation
3. What do the basic Finance reports do? (Lloyd Stringer, Tessitura Network)
Gift Aid
1. Reports to use (and how they are changing)
2. Tips for increasing declaration signup
3. Good practice and things to consider
What’s Next for the EU Finance Community Group?

More details here and please RSVP via the 'register' button to secure your place in advance.

We hope to see you there!

Gift aid on memberships within the UK

Robert Phillips — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 12:02:23 GMT

Hi,

The centre I work at is currently relooking at Gift aid and how we claim it on memberships and how we attach benefits to memberships to ensure we are within HMRC guidance within the UK.

After lots of research into this, it is still not 100% crystal clear so I'm hoping that someone might be able to give me some pointers on how your own organisation offers discounts and benefits to members within Tessitura and how you ensure that these benefits and discounts don't exceed the original amount gifted.

I would love to get some feed back on this so we can look at how we can use tessitura to supply added benefits to members who want to gift aid to us.

[Un]Happy New Year!

Chris Campbell — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 10:33:03 GMT

Hello, folks! Happy new financial year to those of you in the UK. May your reports be frictionless and your audit be swift.

I have a headache that’s landed on my desk and I wanted to pick your brains… We had a show on the last day of the old FY (22), and it was incorrectly coded to 23. It’s only been spotted now. I’m going to have to unpost and repost every single batch with an affected transaction after I make the relevant changes in performance setup, aren’t I? Does anyone have experience of this, and can it be done carefully in SQL? I’m also wondering about how best to note this for the auditors, of course. I’d probably want to append a few words to the batch notes as part of this process so that it explains our actions…

*sigh*

C.//
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We want to hear from YOU! - What do you want from the EU Finance Community Group?

Ethan Lumb — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 09:34:00 GMT

Hi all,

As a first step to develop conversation and discussions in this group, we have put together a quick survey. We know there are many people who deal with the financial aspect of Tessitura out there, whether your in a Finance, Development, or a different department - we would love to hear from you all!

Where we are wanting to know is, what topics people want/need to discuss with other like minded people? Or maybe even advice from others on a topic?

Here is the link to the survey, https://form.jotform.com/230793465718062

Thank you to everyone who completes the survey, you are helping us plan the initial stages of re-igniting the EU Finance Community Group.

We will be back in April after we have broken-down and analysed the survey responses with a plan for future meetings and discussions.

Speak to you all soon!

Meet the Community...

Chris Campbell — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 13:34:05 GMT

Hi there! As the EU Finance Community Group whirrs back into life once more, shall we get to know each other a little better? I'll start:

The Basics

Name: Chris Campbell
Pronouns: He/him
Organisation: Mayflower Theatre
Job title: Business Intelligence Manager

This or That?

Burgers or tacos?: Tacos
Waterslides or Rollercoasters?: Rollercoasters
Live in regret or live in fear?: Regret
City or Country?: Country

Tell us about yourself

I'm the Co-Chair of the EU Finance Community Group along with the effervescent Ethan Lumb and the legendary Laura Scott. My career background is in ticketing and customer service, and I now look after the database at Mayflower Theatre. I also try to help people understand and make strategic decisions about their data better! I've acquired a much greater understanding of Tessitura's financial processes over the years, and have grown to love the relationship between the database and the ledger. When I'm not wrangling data, I have two kids, a lot of LEGO and a beagle that likes to destroy my things. Nice to meet you!

...your turn now! Feel free to copy the questions and type your own answers over them - or do something else entirely!

C.//
Xxx.

EU Finance Community Group Re-launch

Ethan Lumb — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 16:37:27 GMT

With a new co-chair team EU Finance Tessitura Community group is getting ready to prepare events for a 2023 re-launch. Join the EU Finance Community Group for updates and meet the new co-chair team.

The group will be a useful resource for members across organisations to connect and collaborate, and plans for 2023 activity will include group meet-ups. To stay up-to-date with all content and updates, you'll want to opt in to receive notifications for the group via 'My Settings'.

Please help us spread word, and forward on to colleagues who may also be interested.

Ethan, Laura & Chris

TLCC London: Early Bird Rate Extended to Tuesday 13th September

Gill Tasker (she/her) — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 09:36:14 GMT

Hello,

In light of the recent news regarding Queen Elizabeth’s death, we've extended the early bird registration rate for TLCC London to the end of day tomorrow - Tuesday 13th September.

We look forward to seeing you at The Mermaid on October 11-12th.

Gill

Deadline Extended for TLCC London Scholarship Applications

Gill Tasker (she/her) — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 09:39:40 GMT

Hello! As professional development opportunities are vital to sustaining the non-profit arts and cultural sector, I wanted to let you know about the scholarship opportunities for Tessitura's Learning & Community Conference in London (October 11th-12th):

Diversity Scholarship
Emerging Leaders Scholarship

Find out more information here, and please note the final extended deadline of 15th August. We look forward to receiving your applications!

TLCC London: Call for presenters now open!

Gill Tasker (she/her) — Tue, 03 May 2022 10:44:21 GMT

Hello! I'm pleased to share our open call for presenters at TLCC London (11-12 October), to share practical knowledge and revolutionise the business of arts and culture. Whether you’re new to Tessitura or a seasoned expert, a first-time presenter or an experienced speaker, we invite you to submit a proposal for a presentation.

Your voice matters! Share your ideas and experiences, and spark conversations with your peers. We’re actively seeking speakers who identify as being from an ethnic minority; gender-nonconforming; having a disability; neurodivergent; LGBTQIA+; and other historically excluded identities.

Please find more information, including how to submit a proposal, here.

Live Event: Benchmarking project insights: audiences, visitors and donors

Gill Tasker (she/her) — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 13:37:46 GMT

Hello everyone! Having recently joined Tessitura as Community Manger, I wanted to bring this event ‘Benchmarking project insights: audiences, visitors and donors’ to your attention. On Tuesday 5th April at 10am BST it will offer insights into key themes and trends as part of our pilot European benchmarking project. We hope to see you there!

Find out more and register via https://www.tessituranetwork.com/en/Items/Videos/Webinars/2022/Benchmarking_project_insights

You’re Invited: Finance sessions during Tessitura Europe Community Week

Ellie Griffiths — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 16:59:28 GMT

Tessitura Europe Community Week is right around the corner, and we’re excited to announce more sessions and share with you the full schedule! Whether you are new to Tessitura, have taken on new roles and responsibilities or you are leading streamlined teams, this week of free virtual events, is an opportunity to learn, gain insight, find inspiration and celebrate our community and its future.

I wanted to highlight a couple of great sessions for Finance:

Demystifying the crystal ball — Forecasting 2021

Tuesday 9 December, 11.15am

As the cultural sector approaches a new year and an ever-evolving ‘new normal’, the persistent question remains - how do you project (plan and forecast) for the future when the present bears little resemblance to the past?

Building strong foundations for fundraising

Friday 11 December, 12pm

Join us for an overview of the key fundraising structural concepts in Tessitura. We will explore recommended practices for campaigns, funds and designations and how these building blocks are critical to ensure effective use of other fundraising features.

Other sessions throughout the week include techonlogy updates, peer to peer sessions, training and strategy, networking and open space discussions. You can see the full schedule and register here!

Make sure you join the conversation by following us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin and let us know you’re attending using #TessNet

We look forward to seeing you!