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QuickBooks for churches and ministry reporting
Giving reports and ministry spending need a consistent home in the accounting file. Tidwell offers QuickBooks ProAdvisor expertise to help a church establish useful categories and repair a file that has become difficult to review.
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General information, not legal advice.
Begin with the giving import
Choose how collection summaries and online giving totals enter QuickBooks. Separate gross giving from processor charges and transfers awaiting deposit. Retain the donor system’s detail outside the ledger where appropriate, with enough references to explain each accounting total.
Keep ministry comparisons understandable
A simple class list can distinguish ministries from administration. Intuit advises keeping classes simple so reports remain understandable; class creation is available in QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced. Ask the treasurer and CPA which distinctions are useful before adopting a long hierarchy.
Sources: Intuit - Create and manage classes in QuickBooks Online
Reconcile designated balances before changing names
Compare the designated-fund schedule with the account balances and investigate entries without an explanation. Bank reconciliation uses the statement date and ending balance. Cleaning up duplicate giving entries should preserve the original deposit trail and the adviser’s instructions about restrictions.
Leave a repeatable treasurer handoff
Save the agreed report list and document who supplies giving summaries, approves adjustments and reviews ministry allocations. A change of volunteer should not require guessing why last month’s transfer appeared in a particular account.
Sources for ministry classes and bank matching
Church-wide financial records
Plan a clearer treasurer handoff
Tell us which records need attention and who approves the next steps.
Monthly bookkeeping starts at $500 a month. See pricing