The following article explains how budget groups can be established using employee metadata in the user file. The structure of a budget group is similar to a family tree: the Budget Group (parent budget) is the trunk, and the sub-budgets (child budgets) are the branches. Sub-budgets can be further divided into sub-groups, creating additional levels, much like smaller twigs stemming from a branch. This feature helps managers and those with budget access to maintain flexibility amidst organizational changes. Reference the article and video below to learn how to add a budget group, manage child budgets, create sub-groups, and leverage budget groups in recognition programs. Please speak with your Awardco point of contact to enable this feature.
Adding a Budget Group
To navigate to Budgets as an Awardco admin:
- Log in.
- Click ‘Admin’ to access Admin settings.
- Select ‘Budgets’.
This page will display all existing budgets, their balances, and who has budget access. Select ‘Create Group’ to begin creating a Budget Group. Name the group, select the budget’s cost center (if your organization utilizes cost centers in budgeting), and designate the budget as taxable or non-taxable (this designation is for reporting purposes only and has no impact on the operation of the budget). The tax status set will apply to all sub-budgets under this budget group.
Next, determine the budget group type. The following sections will explain each budget group type in depth and their specific use-cases.
Metadata
The Metadata budget group type creates budgets based on metadata specified in user file uploads. When this type is selected, a budget is automatically generated for each unique value in the chosen metadata field. For example, if '#Department' is selected as the metadata field, every department listed will receive a budget, and users in those departments will have access to it. Users without a corresponding metadata value will be placed in an 'Undefined budget' category within each group and subgroup.
Specify the metadata field that will determine the groups and budget access using the metadata field dropdown menu.
Hierarchy
Note: This budget structure is only available to clients who were already using it prior to 2/26/25 and cannot be newly implemented.
The Hierarchy budget group type creates a budget structure based on the Supervisor IDs provided in the user file. This budget group type is useful for organizing budgets in alignment with organizational hierarchies.
After toggling the type to ‘Hierarchy’, designate the Top Level user, or the user who will begin the hierarchy budget structure, in the Top Level free-form field.
Manager
The Manager budget type allocates a budget to each individual with at least one direct report, determined by the 'Supervisor ID' in the user file. This option streamlines the process by automatically assigning budgets to all managers in your organization, eliminating the need to manually create budgets for each one.
You can also limit which managers get budgets by selecting specific metadata in the user file. Example: I only want managers to get a budget where Level = Executive, VP, or Director.
Granting Budget Access: Giver or Recipient
The ‘Based On’ toggle determines how budget access is granted to users. The options are Recipient or Giver. Selecting ‘Giver’ grants access based on the user giving the funds, while ‘Recipient’ grants budget access based on the person receiving points. Below is the compatibility of budget access settings with the available budget group types:
- Metadata: Giver and Recipient
- Hierarchy: Giver and Recipient
- Manager: Giver
Budget Auto-Reload
If you’d like points to automatically reload on a regular basis, toggle this option ‘on’. Then, select a budget auto-reload rule from the dropdown menu. If you haven’t created an auto-reload rule, follow the steps below:
- Click the ‘Auto-Reload Rules’ tab above the Active-Archive toggle on the Budgets page.
- Click ‘Add Rule’ to begin the rule setup process.
- Determine the reload cadence, the quantity of points to be reloaded, and the budgets that the rule will affect. Review the summary of the rule settings and select ‘Add Rule’.
Reference the Budget Auto-Reload support article for more information on each setting in the setup process and the nuances of budget auto-reload.
After clicking ‘Save’, the newly created budget group will appear on the Budgets tab.
Managing Budget Groups
To edit the budget group name, change the taxable information, add points to a budget, or transfer points out, select the ellipsis to the right of the budget. Cost Center and Metadata fields cannot be edited. Selecting the ellipsis on a parent budget will also provide the option to archive the Budget Group. Budget Groups can only be archived this way, not through a CSV upload.
For Manager budget groups, where the points go once the budget is archived, is controlled by the "Archived Manager Budgets Retain Funds" toggle in the Platform Advanced Settings.
- When this toggle is off (default), archiving a Manager budget returns any remaining points to the Company Account and hides the budget from the Budgets page.
- When this toggle is on, archived Manager budgets move to the Archived tab, keep their remaining balance, and can still be used as a source when transferring points to other budgets. Admins and Budget Owners with access to the archived Manager budget can transfer points from that archived budget to other budgets as needed.
Editing Metadata Budget Groups
The lock symbol on each metadata value in the individual child budget access fields in a Metadata budget group indicates that child budget metadata values cannot be adjusted. By default, all role types in the Metadata value are permitted budget access. If limiting Metadata access to specific roles is desired, click into the budget's search field and add the role name to the budget access parameters. Search and add other individuals or Manager Groups you would like to assign. Metadata may be added to the sub-budget’s budget access as long as it’s not the metadata used by the parent budget.
Click the ellipsis icon to the right of the child budget to edit the budget name, Cost Center, and Budget Owners. Additionally, you have the option of adding/removing points, and transferring points to any other budget or child budget. The menu also presents the option to ‘Create New Sub Group’, which allows you to further define budget access utilizing another metadata value based on the Budget Group’s designated metadata field.
Creating Sub Groups
After selecting the option to create sub-group budgets, you’ll be brought to a page that allows you to name the sub-group, select a cost center (if applicable), and select a new metadata field that will define budget access. Upon creation of sub-group budgets, any points existing in the child budget will be returned to the company account and will need to be reallocated to any child budget and sub-group budgets.
In this example, I’m creating sub-group budgets within the Client Success child budget. I’m assigning this sub-group to Cost Center 1, and using the #Job Level metadata field. Click ‘Save’.
Threww new sub-group budgets were created for Job Level 1,2, and 3 Client Success employees. The points that were in the Client Success budget were returned to the Company Account, and points will now need to be added to these two sub-group budgets.
Editing Hierarchy and Manager Budget Groups
Click on the ellipsis icon to the right of any parent budget in a budget group to edit the budget group name, taxable information, or add auto-reload rules. Additionally, you’re able to archive the group, search the list of users that have budget access in the budget group, or add child budgets.
On any parent budget, click the ellipsis icon to edit the following:
Hierarchy Parent Budget
- Name
- Tax information
- Auto-Reload rule
Manager Parent Budget
- Name
- Tax information
- Which managers should be included? (All, Limit)
- Limit which managers should be included by selecting metadata from the dropdown menu.
- Auto-Reload rule
On any child budget, click the ellipsis icon to edit the following:
Hierarchy Child Budgets
- Cost Center (if applicable)
- Budget Owners
- Auto-Reload rule
Manager Child Budgets
- Name
- Cost Center (if applicable)
- Tax information
- Which managers should be included? (All, Limit)
- Include all managers if they have 1+ direct reports, or limit managers via metadata.
- Budget Owners
- Auto-Reload rule
Leveraging Budget Groups in Recognition Programs
Budget Groups can be utilized in Recognition Program budget settings (Admin > Settings > Recognition Programs > select program name > Rules). In the Budget section of Recognition Program settings, toggle the Budget Access settings to ‘Allowable Access Budgets’ or ‘Recipient Base Budget Group’ (recipient based programs must correlate with recipient based budget groups.) Central Budget access allows anyone eligible to recognize in the program access to the selected program, even if access wasn’t established on the Budgets tab. Type the name of the parent budget in the search bar.
Note: Before exiting recognition program settings, ensure Allow Nominator to Suggest Amount is toggled to ‘On’ under the Funding section.
Now, anyone with budget access in the Department budget group eligible to recognize in this program will see the option to select their dedicated budget on the recognition form. Additionally, anyone with budget access in the Department budget group approving will be able to fund the recognition requiring their approval from their budget.
Above shows a full-time employee in the Client Success department recognizing from the Full-time sub-group budget.
In the approvals queue, this approver is able to award points from the Sales child budget.
If you have any questions, please contact Awardco Admin Support.