You will need the Accounting Settings permission to perform this action.
Your chart of accounts is the foundation of your organization's finances. All money going in and out is categorized into these accounts. Every organization is different, but there are common accounts you will likely use.
One Church uses fund accounting, a method used by nonprofit organizations to prioritize accountability. It lets you track all money going in and out of each fund separately, so you can have a single bank account for the church and still track how much money is going in and out for each fund (General Fund, Building Fund, Program Fund, etc.) — no need for a separate bank account per fund.
To manage your chart of accounts, go to Accounting > Settings in the left-hand menu and click the Chart of Accounts tab at the top of the Accounting Settings page.
The Accounting Settings page has four tabs: Chart of Accounts, Funds, Tags, and Options.
Adding or Editing an Account
To add a new account, click the + Add New button. To edit an existing account, click its name in the table. The Add/Edit Account pop up has two tabs: General and Starting Balances.
Tip: To create a new equity account, add a fund instead. One will automatically be created for it. See this article on managing funds.
General Tab
Number — Required. All accounts have a number. The accounts that come with the system follow this scheme (we recommend keeping it):
Asset accounts: 1000 range
Liability accounts: 2000 range
Equity accounts: 3000 range
Income accounts: 4000 range
Expense accounts: 5000+ range
Name — Required. The name of the account.
Type — Required. The type of account:
Asset — something you own. Examples: checking account, savings account, accounts receivable.
Liability — what you owe others. Examples: credit cards, loans, accounts payable.
Income — money you get. Examples: contributions income, grants, bank interest.
Expense — money you spend. Examples: salary, rent, bank fees.
Note: Equity is not directly selectable. Equity accounts are created automatically when you add a fund.
Category — Required. A sub-classification within the Type (for example, Current Assets for an Asset). Each Type has its own list of categories. Use the 3-dots menu next to the Category dropdown to add a new category.
Options — Optionally mark the account for use in specific areas of the system. The available checkboxes depend on the account Type:
On an Asset account: Use as register? and Use as receivable?
On a Liability account: Use as register? and Use as payable?
On Expense account: Use for bad debts?
On Income account: the Options section does not appear.
What each checkbox does:
Use as register? — the account will appear as a register for data entry (Accounting > Entry). Use for cash accounts (checking, savings) on Asset, or credit card accounts on Liability. The Type determines how the register behaves.
Use as receivable? — the account is available when creating new receivables (invoices owed to the church).
Use as payable? — the account is available when creating new payables (bills owed by the church).
Use for bad debts? — the account will be available as an option to be debited for an uncollectible amount of a receivable when writing an amount off.
Hover the info icon next to each checkbox in the UI for a full explanation.
Default Fund — The fund selected by default during data entry when this account is chosen. This is optional and can always be overridden.
Sub-Account — Check Make this account a sub-account to nest this account under another of the same Type. A parent-account dropdown appears when checked.
Active? — Only appears when editing an existing account. Toggle off to hide the account from most parts of the system without deleting it.
Starting Balances Tab
Switch to the Starting Balances tab to enter an opening balance for the account by fund. Starting balances only apply to Asset and Liability accounts.
Click choose funds to open the Funds picker on the right, then check the funds this account should track balances for (or check all for all active funds). Once selected, the Starting Balances section shows a row per fund where you enter an opening balance and effective date.
Note: funds that already have reconciled activity on this account cannot be removed.
Once finished, click Save at the bottom. Check Keep open to add another first if you plan to add multiple accounts in a row.
Deleting an Account
Use the 3-dots menu at the start of the account's row in the Chart of Accounts table and choose Delete. If Delete isn't available, the account is in use in the general ledger — choose Deactivate instead and indicate which account any amounts should be moved to.
