Lesson 1.4: Navigating the Dashboard and System Menus

Navigating the Dashboard and System Menus

The Dashboard serves as the central hub of FastFund Online, providing both a high-level view of your organization’s financial health and the primary tools for system navigation. All navigation throughout the application originates from four key Dashboard elements: the Status Bar, the Horizontal Main Menu, the Vertical Task Menu, and the Graphic Financial Information Dashboard.

Navigation Elements

1. The Status Bar: Located at the top of the screen, this bar displays your company name on the left. On the right, you will find icons for Company Administration (the Gear icon, visible only to administrators), Help (the Question Mark icon), and Sign-Out (the Right Pointing Arrow). Your User Name also appears here with a dropdown menu to access Account Settings, Preferences, and Messages.[INSERT SCREENSHOT: The top Status Bar highlighting the Gear, Question Mark, and Exit icons next to the User Name].
2. Horizontal Main Menu: This top menu contains the primary functions of the system, including Lists, Transactions, Cost Allocations, Utilities, Reports, and System Administration. The specific items visible to you are controlled by your unique user permissions.
3. Vertical Task Menu: When you select a primary function from the Main Menu, a vertical sub-menu appears in the left-hand margin. This menu displays the specific tasks and activities available within that function.
4. Main Work Space: This is the large central area where all data entry forms, lists, transaction screens, and reports appear. As you work, pop-up windows may appear here to provide warnings or verify your data entry.

Real-Time Financial KPIs

The Dashboard provides a visual representation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that monitor your nonprofit’s financial health using data from the current fiscal year. These widgets are dynamic and update instantly as transactions are entered.

• Revenue & Expenses: Displays fiscal year-to-date totals and includes a link to the Statement of Activities report.

• Cash Summary: Shows the sum of all bank accounts, checks to be printed, and undeposited funds.

• AP/AR Summaries: Provides totals for unpaid vendor invoices and unpaid client amounts.

• Graphic Charts: Includes Revenue/Expense Line Graphs showing monthly trends and Pie Charts that summarize data by Fund or Primary Cost Center.

Specialized Dashboard Widgets

Beyond high-level totals, the Dashboard includes widgets to help you manage your daily workflow:

• Upcoming Recurring Transactions: Displays scheduled transactions (like rent or utility payments) due in the coming days.

• Unposted Transactions: Highlights unposted journal entries or imported batches that require review.

• Notifications: Lists recently posted recurring transactions and system announcements from Araize.

Mobile Responsiveness

FastFund Online is a responsive application that adapts to your device. On smaller screens, such as tablets or phones, the Main Menu condenses into three lines, and the Vertical Task Menu may disappear. To access your tools on a mobile device, click the Hamburger icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner to bring back the Task Menu.