Bookkeeper Role — Attributing Donations to Donors
As a bookkeeper, you are the second person in the count sheet workflow. A counter has already tallied the physical cash, coins, and checks. Your job is to take that verified total and record which member gave what amount to which fund. When you are done, every dollar the counter counted should be accounted for.
This guide covers the full attribution workflow from opening a counted sheet to submitting your attribution.
Before You Start
Make sure you have:
- Bookkeeper role assigned to your Wired Church account
- The offering envelopes from the service (these tell you who gave what)
- Check images or the physical checks (to match check numbers to members)
- A list of your church's active funds (General Fund, Missions, Building Fund, etc.)
Have the offering envelopes sorted before you start. Group cash envelopes together and check envelopes together. Envelopes without a name on them go in the "anonymous" pile. This prep work makes the digital entry much faster.
Step 1: Open a Counted Sheet
- Navigate to Contributions > Count Sheets in the admin sidebar
- Look for sheets with a Counted status badge — these are waiting for attribution
- Click on the sheet you want to work on
When you open a counted sheet, you will see two main sections:
- Counter's Totals (top, read-only) — the denomination breakdown and grand total
- Attribution Entry (bottom, editable) — where you add individual donations
You cannot modify the counter's totals. If you believe the count is wrong, flag it for an admin to review rather than trying to adjust your attributions to compensate.
Step 2: Review the Counter's Totals
Before you start attributing, review the counter's numbers at the top of the page:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Cash | amount from counter |
| Total Checks | amount from counter |
| Grand Total | combined total you need to match |
| Number of Checks | count of individual checks |
The Grand Total is your target. Your individual attributions must add up to this number.
Pay attention to the check count. If the counter recorded 12 checks, you should have 12 check-based attributions when you are done (unless some checks have no envelope and must be attributed using the check register or images).
Step 3: Add Individual Donation Entries
For each offering envelope or identifiable donation, add an entry:
- Click Add Donation to create a new row
- Search for the member — start typing a name and select from the dropdown
- Enter the amount — the total this member gave
- Select the fund — General Fund, Missions, Building Fund, etc.
- Select payment method — Cash or Check
- If check, enter the check number
- Click the checkmark to confirm the row
Repeat for every envelope and identifiable donation.
Keyboard shortcuts for faster entry
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Tab | Move to next field |
| Enter | Confirm current row and start a new one |
| Escape | Cancel current row |
| Ctrl+F / Cmd+F | Focus the member search field |
If you process the same members every week (and most churches do), the member search remembers your recent selections. Frequent givers appear at the top of the dropdown.
Step 4: Handle Split Giving
Some members give a single check or cash amount that should be split across multiple funds. For example, a member writes one check for $500 and their envelope says "$300 General, $200 Missions."
To record a split gift:
- Add the member as a donation entry
- Enter the first fund and its portion of the amount (e.g., General Fund, $300)
- Click the Split button on that row
- A new sub-row appears — select the second fund and enter its amount (e.g., Missions, $200)
- Add more splits if needed
The system treats split entries as one logical donation from the member but records separate contribution line items for each fund. The member's giving statement will show the individual fund amounts.
The check number (if applicable) is shared across all split lines. You only enter it once on the parent row.
Step 5: Monitor the Running Balance
As you add donations, the running balance updates in real time at the bottom of the attribution section:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Counter's Grand Total | $3,247.50 |
| Total Attributed (so far) | $2,890.00 |
| Remaining to Attribute | $357.50 |
The Remaining amount is your guide:
- Positive means you have more money to account for — keep adding entries
- Zero means you are balanced — every dollar is attributed
- Negative means you have attributed more than was counted — check for a data entry error
If the remaining goes negative, stop and review your entries. A negative remaining almost always means you entered an amount wrong on one of your attribution lines. Look for transposed digits (e.g., $520 entered as $250) or a donation accidentally entered twice.
Step 6: Handle Undesignated Giving
Not every donation comes in an envelope. Some cash is simply dropped into the offering plate with no indication of who gave it or which fund it is for.
Anonymous Cash
For cash that cannot be attributed to a specific member:
- Click Add Donation
- Instead of searching for a member, click Anonymous Donor
- Enter the amount of unattributed cash
- Select the fund — your church likely has a policy for this (usually the General Fund)
- Set payment method to Cash
Anonymous donations still count toward the balance. The counter counted that cash, so the bookkeeper must account for it — just without attaching it to a name.
Undesignated Funds
If a member gives but does not specify a fund (no envelope, or the envelope is blank):
- Record the donation under the member's name
- Select your church's default fund (typically General Fund)
- If your church has a different policy for undesignated gifts, follow that policy
Ask your admin or treasurer what fund to use for undesignated gifts. Most churches use General Fund, but some have a specific "Undesignated" fund that gets allocated later by the finance committee.
Step 7: Handle Loose Cash
After attributing all enveloped donations, you may have remaining cash that was loose in the plate — no envelope, no name, no designation. This is common.
- Total up the remaining balance (the amount shown in the Running Balance section)
- Create one Anonymous Donor entry for the full remaining amount
- Assign it to the default fund
- The balance should now be zero
If the remaining amount does not seem right (e.g., $200 in loose cash seems too high or too low for your church), make a note in the Notes field and flag it for admin review.
Step 8: Handling Discrepancies
Sometimes the attribution total does not exactly match the counter's total. Common causes:
| Discrepancy | Likely Cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Off by a few cents | Loose change rounding or a penny stuck in the plate | Add the difference to the anonymous cash entry or note it |
| Off by a round number ($5, $10, $20) | Missed an envelope or miscounted a denomination | Recheck envelopes; if unresolved, note it |
| Significantly off | Counter error or missing envelopes | Flag for admin review |
If you cannot balance the sheet:
- Enter all donations you can verify
- Write a detailed explanation in the Notes field
- Check the Flag for Review checkbox
- Submit — the admin will see the flag and the discrepancy amount
Do not fabricate entries to force a balance. If the numbers do not add up, say so. A noted discrepancy is far better than a hidden one. The audit trail preserves your honesty.
Step 9: Submit Your Attribution
When the remaining balance is zero (or flagged with an explanation):
- Review your full list of attributions one more time
- Confirm the balance is zero or the discrepancy is noted
- Click Submit Attribution
- A confirmation dialog shows a summary: total entries, total amount, and balance status
- Click Confirm to submit
The count sheet moves to Attributed status:
- Your attribution entries are now locked (read-only)
- The sheet moves to the admin's review queue
- You will be notified if the admin has questions or reopens the sheet
Once submitted, you cannot edit your attributions without an admin reopening the sheet. Take the time to review before clicking Submit.
Best Practices
- Process checks first — checks have names printed on them, making attribution easy even without envelopes
- Match check numbers — if the counter entered individual check numbers, match them to your check attributions for a complete trail
- Work through envelopes systematically — do all cash envelopes, then all check envelopes, then handle anonymous/loose cash last
- Enter amounts carefully — transposed digits are the most common attribution error
- Save frequently — the system auto-saves, but clicking Save explicitly ensures nothing is lost if your browser closes
- Do not rush — accuracy is more important than speed; you have until the admin needs to finalize
Common Questions
What if I do not recognize a member's name on an envelope?
Search by last name in the member dropdown. If you still cannot find them, they may be a visitor. Check with your admin — they may need to be added to the system first, or the donation can be recorded under a generic "Visitor" entry.
Can I attribute a donation to a visitor or non-member?
Yes. Search for the person in the member dropdown, and if they are not found, click Add New Donor. Enter the name and any available info. This creates a limited record for giving purposes without adding them as a full member.
What if someone gives online and in the plate on the same Sunday?
Only the physical offering goes on the count sheet. Online donations are handled separately through the Stripe integration and appear in their own batch. Do not add online gifts to a count sheet.
What if the same person has two envelopes?
Enter them as two separate attribution rows. Both will appear on the member's giving statement. Alternatively, you can add the amounts together into one row if the fund is the same.