Account Journal
- NOTE: Resolving inactive or abandoned Trust Funds is a task that requires assistance from an auditor, but you can start by asking questions and learning all you can about the origins of the account and the donor's intent. A long-time church member or someone who has been on the board for a long time might know what various accounts are for.
A good way to learn about an unfamiliar account or any Local or Conference fund is to use Jewel’s “Account Journal,” which can tell you when the account was created, where the funds came from, what funds have already been used and other helpful information.
Go to Reports and Graphs / Account Journal.
At the top left, where your bank account name is, enter the name or number of the account that you are wanting to research. Then use the dropdown date box and click on "All."
Now you can see ALL the deposits, transfers, and checks that have been posted to that account for as long as your church has been using Jewel, in date order.
- You can see where the funds came from. “DEP(osit)” is usually a donation, “TRAN(sfer)” is often a budget allocation, but not always.
- You can learn from the dates in the date column. When was this account created? Most used? Last used?
- You can see what checks were written and to whom, which might help you know whom to ask about that account.
You can click on any of the deposits, transfers or checks to go to the original entry, read the memo, learn about the donors, find what was involved in the transfer and more.
The "Grand Total" at the bottom right tells you how much is left in the Fund after all of the above entries are concluded. That number also shows up as the Ending Balance of that fund on your Financial Summary.
Give it a try. If you see a local fund that you have no idea what it is, follow the trail. Look it up in “Account Journal.” Ask an old-timer on the board. Ask the former treasurer. Know your list.
And contact your auditor if you have dead accounts that need attention, because auditor input is needed when retiring old accounts, to avoid misusing trust funds.
If you see something that should have been sent to an entity or project months or even years ago, talk to your board and ask if you can write the check. We want to be a river of blessing, not a Dead Sea.
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