Church and Parish Accounting

Who church accounting is for

Waddell Accounting works with Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Protestant churches, and other religious organizations in Southeastern Wisconsin.

The service fits a church that wants its books kept by an accountant instead of a volunteer or a staff member with other duties. It also fits a church that has a bookkeeper or business manager and wants help with month-end, fund balances, or year-end reporting.

A small congregation with one bank account and a large parish with a school, several funds, and restricted gifts need different amounts of work. We set the scope to match your church.

What church accounting covers

You choose which of these we take on.

• Recording deposits, bills, and other transactions in your general ledger
• Bank and credit card reconciliations
• Collection and donation tracking
• Fund accounting for restricted and designated gifts
• Monthly and quarterly financial reports
• Archdiocese-compliant financial reporting and annual diocesan report preparation
• Chart of accounts setup and cleanup

For parishes in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, we also prepare the annual Confidential Financial Statement. See what CFS preparation covers.

Fund tracking for restricted and designated gifts

Churches hold money given for a specific purpose: a building fund, a memorial gift, a mission collection, a school. Fund accounting keeps each of those balances separate from the general operating fund, so you can show that a restricted gift was spent on what the donor intended.

We set up the funds in your accounting system, record gifts and spending to the right fund, and report the balance of each fund alongside your operating results.

Reports and how often you get them

We prepare reports monthly or quarterly, on the schedule you choose. A report package can include a statement of activities, a statement of financial position, budget versus actual, and fund balance reports.

The package is prepared for the people who use it: your pastor, your finance council, and your trustees.

Accounting systems we work in

We work in QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. If your church uses church-specific software, or you are choosing a system, we can help you decide what fits.

How the handoff works and what stays with you

We start with a free consultation to learn how your church handles its money today. After that we agree on a scope, get access to your accounting file and bank statements, and take over the work in that scope. We can work on site at your office, remotely, or both.

Some things stay with your church:

• Your staff or volunteers count and deposit collections, approve bills, and sign checks
• Your pastor and finance council make the financial decisions and approve the budget
• You send us the records we need, such as bank statements, deposit details, and invoices
• You answer our questions when a transaction is unclear

What affects the quote

We quote a price for your church after the consultation. These are the things that move it:

• The number of bank and credit card accounts to reconcile
• How many transactions you have in a month
• The number of funds and restricted gifts to track
• How often you want reports
• Whether the books are current or need catch-up work first
• Whether year-end or Archdiocese reporting is included

Many clients choose a monthly retainer so the cost is predictable.

How soon we can start

After the consultation, we can typically begin within 1 to 2 weeks. If a year-end or reporting deadline is close, tell us and we will work with you on the timeline.

Waddell Accounting was founded by Michael Waddell, CPA.