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Electronic Payment and Transfer Requests

The University of Nebraska Foundation (UNF) recently launched a faster, more efficient and paperless process for moving funds from the foundation to the university. The new process is standardized across all campuses and can be accessed through the NU Foundation Funds Online (NUFFO) funds management portal, a tool in Ali CRM that is already utilized by university partners and affiliates. 

Paper submissions are no longer accepted.

The new process for electronic payments and transfers is automated and transparent. After a request is approved at one level, it automatically moves to the next level approver and send that approver an email alert. University partners can see what stage their request is in at any time.

Resources

Submit a Fund Authority form to request NUFFO access. Every request creator and approver must have access to Ali CRM+NUFFO in order to participate in the new electronic transfer and payment request workflow process.

Visit the Whatfix information page to review features and benefits. Google Chrome is the preferred browser for Ali CRM+NUFFO — and the Whatfix tool.

You can email training@nufoundation.org to request the link be shared with you. Due to licensing requirements, the link is not posted publicly.

Download this process graphic to understand eRequest roles (creators and approvers) and the automated workflow process that happens within NUFFO.

This PDF guide helps you decide which type of eRequest to submit and explains how fulfillments are made.

This PDF (or video) helps you understand fund authority types including spending, viewing, designated, dual, and vacant authority, as well as eRequest roles (request creator and approver).

Approvers in the workflow will appreciate this abbreviated job aid to help them understand:

  • How to review, approve or deny, cancel or reinstate payment and transfer eRequests.
  • Understand temporary surrogate approver eligibility and process. 

Download this complete guide containing every detail and screenshot for how to create, submit and approve requests for payment from foundation-held funds.

This content is also provided at point of need within NUFFO using Whatfix.

Visit the Forms page to access these forms:

  • Per Diem Calculator worksheet
  • Approval for Personal Reimbursement form
  • Fund Authority form
  • Gift Transmittal form
  • Reinvestment Request form

Training Videos

Benefits

  • Faster, more efficient paperless process
  • Standard process across all campuses
  • Increased transparency of request process and status
  • Automated electronic workflow moves to next level reviewer and sends reviewer an email alert
  • Because the system is integrated with NUFFO, request creators can see their fund balance and pending requests during the draft approval creation process
  • Checks for payment requests mailed directly to recipient (not through campus mail)

IMPORTANT NOTES

  • Funds for student financial aid (scholarships, fellowships and student awards) are not part of the new automated process. However, if a student benefit is provided as part of the fund request, the system will route the request to the campus financial aid office for approval.
  • If the request includes an award to a staff member, the system will send an email to campus payroll when the eRequest is ready to be reviewed.

What Is (and Isn't) Changing?

Changing:

Your university system True You Identity credentials provide single sign-on (SSO) pass-through into Ali, making it easier to log in to Ali+NUFFO.

PDF: Logging into Ali+NUFFO using SSO

Request creators must now have a NUFFO account. These users create, edit, submit or cancel all requests.

  • For audit purposes, only request creators may edit a request. Submit a Fund Authority form to request a NUFFO account.
  • Payment and transfer eRequests will be part of Ali+NUFFO.
  • Users will log in and submit and approve all eRequests and upload any necessary supporting documentation. Every step will be performed electronically.
  • The eRequest process is driven by automated workflows, moving a request forward or back in the process to individuals who need to review and approve.
  • All eRequest actions will be time-stamped when approvals or rejections occur.
  • Completed eRequests live in Ali+NUFFO (forever) for future review.
    • People who have access to those funds can review past transactions (back through 11/1/2023).

The system batches together approval requests and sends an email notification to the next approver in the workflow, with alerts being broadcast multiple times throughout the day. Each message contains a digest of all pending approval items which require review by the recipient.

Each pending approval item is re-sent within each email batch until it is approved or rejected. This means that one request may appear within multiple emails.

Note: It will be extremely beneficial for approvers to work on their approvals queue from within the most recent email received.

Checks for payment eRequests will be mailed directly to the payee via U.S. mail.

Once a requester chooses which fund from which to request the expense payment, the spendable balance and pending spendable balance will display.

  • Pending spendable balance reduces the spendable balance by the amount of any pending eRequests that have not been processed.
    • If anything else is in the approval queue, you’ll see the balance(s) already deducted from the pending spendable balance so you know if you have enough money to pay this request.
  • A notification will pop up if your fund will experience a negative balance as a result of this request. You must explain the circumstances, and your request will be given further consideration (but may not always be approved).
  • Clarification about NUFFO fund balances:
    • The balances available in the My Fund Portfolio area of NUFFO are not updated in real time. They reflect only what has been posted in UNF’s general ledger software (FE NXT) and require an overnight refresh.
    • The difference is that as part of the eRequest process, pending balances are more reflective of what the fund’s balance currently is because they consider the current spendable balance (as posted in My Fund Portfolio) and deduct any active requests that are in the eRequest process pending approval and processing.

Not Changing:

Student scholarships and cash awards to students that need to be applied to the cost of attendance will continue to be processed through the campus office of financial aid and not processed via eRequest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Some users may have an Ali+NUFFO account and not even realize it, particularly if they previously held fund authority but never logged in.

Here are steps to verify NUFFO account access:

  1. Log in to My Fund Portfolio in NUFFO.
    • Optional: Click the Filters button to reveal the yellow filters bar (if it is not visible).
  2. Scroll right, click Reset button (to clear any filters that may have been “stuck” on during a previous visit).
    • If you see a list of funds, then your fund authority (access) is set up in the system. No further action is needed.
    • If you do not see any funds listed, please email fundmanagement@nufoundation.org for further inquiry.
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All approvers – including one or more spending authorities, if applicable on a fund-by-fund basis – will receive system-generated digest emails twice daily (noon, midnight) with a list of (and direct hyperlinks to) all current pending items that need to be reviewed.

  • Tip: Work from the most recent email received, because prior entries will repeatedly appear until they are approved or denied.
    • However, there’s no need to wait for email; you can work any newer pending items (that arrived after the email) directly within the two pending lists in NUFFO.
  • Spending authority may not be granted to a surrogate (neither temporarily nor permanently).
  • Items are also listed within the two main page areas in NUFFO. Payment requests live on one page in the system, while transfer requests live in a separate area.
  • If dual authorities, workflow awaits approval from both if required by the Fund Summary Memo.
  • If designated authorities, workflow allows approval by either spending or designated authority.

No, if you are a spending authority.

Yes, if you are an approver in campus financial aid or campus payroll.

The eRequest system launch happens Nov. 1, 2023, and multiple training sessions will be offered each week all this month.

The grace period for paper submissions ends at the close of business on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.

No. The system does not currently offer a way to download an exportable version of an eRequest. All approvals will now occur online within NUFFO.

Two alternatives:

  1. You may print screen if needed. 
  2. If your colleague has access to the fund, copy/paste to send the URL (web link at the top of the eRequest record) via email or SMS text message to your colleague. Even if your colleague does not have access to update or change it, they could still view it.

Because checks are now direct-mailed to the payee, there is no way to view a scan of the check. You will be able to see the check number to ensure it was paid.

In the rare event you need to determine whether a check was cashed, please call the foundation and ask to speak with senior accountant Jane Steinbach.

No. All checks must be directly mailed to the payee (vendor or employee seeking reimbursement).

Prior to the launch of this new system, the foundation addressed 2,000 committee-awarded funds, reassigning the spending authority to be a specific position held by a university employee.

No. Documents containing sensitive personal information must not be uploaded into NUFFO. Uploaded documents are permanently visible to anyone with fund access, so sensitive information would be viewable by others. Users do have access to remove uploaded documents during the approval process.

Documents containing sensitive information should be directly emailed to the foundation at paymentrequest@nufoundation.org. Emails between university and foundation payroll are automatically encrypted for added security.

If you accidentally upload sensitive information, refer to the next question to learn how to correct the error.

A request creator has the ability to remove an eRequest attachment only during the initial creation of the request. Once the eRequest record is saved and added to NUFFO, attachments can no longer be removed for security purposes.

To remove an attachment uploaded in error:

  1. Navigate to the eRequest record.
  2. On the Attachments tab, verify the document(s) you do intend to upload have been correctly added and saved.
    • If working with a multipage PDF, for example, export the document, redact or extract the page(s) containing sensitive information, then re-upload the remaining pages (which now contain no sensitive personal information).
    • If sensitive information does need to be shared with the foundation, refer to the FAQ immediately preceding this entry.
  3. Email a deletion request to documentimaging@nufoundation.org.
    • Include the hyperlink to the attachment record to be deleted.
    • Note: Do not send the link to the eRequest record.
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If you already have NUFFO access, email biographicalrecords@nufoundation.org to request an update to your email address on file.

If you do not have NUFFO access, or if you need to update NUFFO access, submit a Fund Authority form.

If you’re unsure whether you have NUFFO access, email fundmanagement@nufoundation.org for further assistance.

No. Unlike other data in NUFFO which expires in 24 months or less, all eRequests created in the system remain permanently visible to anyone with fund authority, including attachments of supporting documentation uploaded to eRequest records.

UNF may, from time to time, review stale requests without any activity for an extended time. That review may involve contacting the request creator to determine if the request should remain active or be canceled.

The first step is to attend one of the convenient eRequest launch virtual learning opportunities (or NUFFO 103, offered monthly after Dec. 1). If you still have questions after training, you may join a drop-in weekly support workshop during November. Details for these workshops will be shared at training.

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