You will be able to reassure your congregants their tithes and donations are being used as intended. When congregants know their donations are used wisely, they are more likely to continue to donate.
There are no two churches the same. Each church's needs are different due to their size, staffing capabilities, volunteers available, and resources. Atlanta Church Bookkeeping LLC has many options available to assist churches in managing their finances, as well as helping them to maintain and improve the one they already have. These are the four options available. Contact us to request one that is customized for your congregation
Bookkeeping can be expensive in small churches. This is why it is often possible to combine the bookkeeping role with another one. Others churches will have to find a part time employee with less experience. Others may need to hire a volunteer treasurer in order to handle the accounting. If you hire someone who is experienced in the bookkeeping of many churches, they will provide better quality work at a more affordable cost.
Avoiding this error in church bookkeeping is by taking the time to look at every person you pay for a service. You can then use the IRS guidelines (link below) to determine if they should classify themselves as employees with payroll tax withholding, matching or independent contractors.
Not a reliable method of church bookkeeping, maintaining a check list.
As your church grows, you may find that you require more functionality than QuickBooks Premier Plus. You will need to manage volunteers, organize events, facilitate online giving, and perhaps even run email campaign campaigns for your church.
A Certified Public Accountant with experience in religious and faith-based organizations is more important than ever.
Working in church accounting, you share the same responsibilities as an accountant in any other organization. You record expenses, track contributions made by the congregation, and monitor spending on various programs. Your duties center around bookkeeping, documenting and controlling finances for a church.
81% of church revenue came from individual donations. 34% of congregations have endowments, which constituted on average 4% of their revenue. Only 2% of churches received revenue from government grants; 12% received finance from non-government grants.
Common Church Budget Categories
Personnel (salaries, benefits, etc.)
Administration (operating expenses)
Facilities and Equipment (utilities, insurance on property, maintenance)
Outreach (missions, evangelism, social events, etc.)