I think you will have a much clearer understanding if you hit help in Excel,
and type in DSUM. It not only explains the syntax, but also gives a very
good example of how to use inter alia DSUM.

As for the last part of your question, the $ sign is used to make a cell
reference absolute, as opposed to relative. Iow, if you enter the following
formula in B1 - =A1, and you copy it to C1, it becomes =B1. If you copy it
to B2, it becomes A2. However, $A1, if copied to C1, will still read =$A1.
If you copy this to B2, it will read =$A2.
=$A$1 will remain as =$A$1, no matter where you copy it to.
A$1, when copied to B1, will read =B$1, but if copied to B2, will read =A$1

"Mike Webb" wrote:

=DSUM(Membership,Membership!$C$49,C1:C3)+DSUM(Reve nue,'Revenue
Projects'!$D$2,C1:C3)

I'm trying to adapt a budget worksheet from another non-profit for our use.
I don't know who the author is and I've had it a couple years, so trying to
go that route for help is a non-starter.

I don't understand why they have Membership twice; I guess one is for the
worksheet and the other is the column header, but I don't get it as $C$49
points to a a column label named "Revenue". and C1:C3 point to 2 blank cells
and one with the column label "2002". Somehow, the orginal formula was
pulling $10,000 frm this worksheet. I can't figure out how. In the 2nd
half of the function I don't have a worksheet named Revenue, but do ahve one
named Revenue Projects - but no column lable of Revenue. Anyway $D$2 is a
column label called "Monthly Giving" (don't know why I need that in this
formula), and C1:C3 are a blank line, column header, and some text. Now the
number I CAN pull frm MY formula - $600 - can be found in cell D4. In case
it's useful, cell A4 has trhe following text: "Monthly Giving".

I can provide much more info on the workbook, but I limited myself to the
immediate problem. (P.S. What do some formulas use $ signs in front of the
cell column and row ID's and others don't? Couldn't find it in the Help
menu.)

--
Mike Webb
Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, Inc.
a 501 (c)(3) conservation non-profit organization