ShortCode vs. Project Grants vs. Chartfields

At the University of Michigan,  shortcodes and project/grants (P/Gs) are both used to track financial activity, but they serve different purposes and function differently within the financial system.

 

More information can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DCr4_Kn1yJ7kVHTbxVkob7OYAsSgC8HLW0KW9pcBr6U/edit?usp=sharing

Glossary of Terms

Designation -  a term used in DART that refers to the shortcode of the endowment fund or expendable P/G.

 

Designation Record - a peer gift record in DART related to the Purpose record. It houses related General Ledger (GL) chartfield mapping information, designation start date (date added to DART), campaign-related information, etc. The Designation and Purpose records remain separate due to DART’s data model.

 

Designation LookupID -  the Designation number in DART, same as the Financial shortcode (e.g., 700421). The Designation LID is an easy way to search a gift designation in DART. Always six digits and if it begins with a ‘3’ it’s expendable—if it begins with a ‘5’ or a ‘7’ it’s endowed.

 

Purpose Record  - the primary record in DART where donor intent and related fund information is entered. It includes the Purpose Category (e.g., Student - Undergrad Merit-based), Site (i.e. Department) managing the funds, any donors who’ve provided gifts, any student or faculty recipients, etc.

 

Purpose LookupID - the Designation number in DART with ‘-P’ at the end (e.g., 700421-P).

 

Shortcode - A shortcode is a 6-digit number used as a shorthand to charge or allocate expenses within the university’s systems (like Concur, M-Pathways, etc.).  It matches the DART designation LookupID.

 

Project Grant -  A Project/Grant is a unique value used in the university’s chart of accounts to track specific funding sources like: Sponsored research (grants and contracts), Capital projects, Gift funds and Endowments. The P/G number is a key part of the chartfield combination behind a shortcode. These have additional attributes and rules such as start and end dates, reporting requirements, or restrictions on allowable expenses.  The Project Grant is a Financial number connecting to the expendable portion of a gift in the general ledger. This is where money is actually spent from. For DART purposes it’ll always be seven digits. The Project Grant is viewable within DART on an expendable Designation record → GL Map tab → Project Grant field. Alternatively, the expendable P/G may be referenced in the related attributes within DART on the endowment Purpose record → Attributes tab → Related Expendable Fund field (as described below). Note: the GL chartfields are provided via an overnight feed from the general ledger system.

 

Fund Code – (or Fund Number) is a Financial number connecting to the endowment fund in the general ledger and is always five digits. A Fund Code between 70000-74999 or beginning with ‘E’ is a true endowment. A Fund Code between 75000-79999 or beginning with a ‘Q’ (quasi) or ‘P’ (permanent) is a quasi-endowment. The Fund Code is viewable within DART on an endowed Designation record → GL Map tab → Fund field.

 

 

Example:
Let’s say you’re using shortcode 123456 to buy lab supplies. That shortcode may point to:

  • Fund: Sponsored Research
     

  • Department: Chemistry
     

  • Account: Lab Supplies
     

  • P/G: 20012345 (a specific NIH grant)
     

So while the shortcode is what you enter on the form, the P/G is what determines the budget and restrictions.

 

🔹 What is a ChartField?

A ChartField is like a category or label. When combined with other ChartFields, it creates a ChartField string that tells the system:

  • Where the money is coming from
     

  • Who is responsible for it
     

  • What it's being used for
     

  • Why it's being used

 

🔸 Common ChartFields at U-M:

ChartField

Description

Fund

Identifies the type or source of money (e.g., general, sponsored, gift, endowment)

Department (DeptID)

Identifies the unit responsible for the transaction (e.g., School of Nursing)

Program

Groups activities by purpose (e.g., instruction, research, service)

Class

Optional — used for additional internal tracking or tagging

Account

What the transaction is (e.g., salary, supplies, travel)

Project/Grant (P/G)

Identifies specific funding for a project or grant (e.g., NIH grant, gift fund)

Shortcode

A 6-digit alias that maps to a full ChartField string — used for ease of entry
 

 

 

🔸 Example ChartField String

Let’s say you buy a microscope for a research project. The ChartField string might look like:

Fund

Dept

Program

Class

Account

P/G

20000

123456

20000

00000

614000

P12345678
 

This tells the system:

  • You're using sponsored research funds
     

  • Belonging to Dept 123456
     

  • For the research program
     

  • Purchasing lab supplies
     

  • Charged to a specific grant (P12345678)
     

 

 

🔸 Why It Matters

The ChartField structure ensures:

  • Accurate financial tracking
     

  • Budget control
     

  • Compliance with donor or sponsor requirements
     

  • Consistent reporting across units and systems
     

 

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