Skip to content

Sample Balance Sheet For Church

Quick financial statements for churches and ministries are a must-have reference guide if you want to know what’s going on with your church. If you feel overwhelmed by the number of financial statements you are required to fill up, then this is the book for you! How to make a church financial statement? A church financial statement is the financial report of any religious organization or non-profit organization. In this case, it is used by people who are interested in learning about a particular church or non-profit organization. In this article, we will learn about a sample balance sheet for a small restaurant.

We live in a world of constant change, and sometimes the most important things can be overlooked. We want to put the information out there so that you are armed with all the facts before making any decisions. In this post, I’m going to share with you how we use spreadsheets to manage our church finances and allow us to easily stay. You can also read about the sample balance sheet for retail stores.

Sample Balance Sheet For Church

Your financial statements are very important for your church. They are used to keep track of your finances. This helps you budget for the next year and if needed, it also guides you on what to do in hard times. According to finance experts, it is a good practice to document all your transactions to ensure that nothing is missing or vague in any of your accounting documents.

You need a balance sheet for your church and financial statements for your church. A check sheet will help you with your income statement, assets, liabilities and more in real time as they are happening in your church financials and expenses. To start using this church financial statement example, you can use the instructions below. If these instructions do not work, please email us at info@balancesheetinformation.com and we will be happy to help you.

Essential Church Financial Statements

This article is intended to help you start tracking your church financial statements. We’ll start by going over the reports your organization needs to operate. Pretty much every type of organization needs two reports, but churches actually need a third report for their accounting.

Balance Sheet, Or The Statement Of Financial Position

Churches call the traditional balance sheet a statement of financial position. It uses the accounting equation “Assets = Liabilities + Equity” to show a snapshot of your organization’s financial health. It also shows the current balance of each of your funds if you’ve been implementing fund accounting for your church.

Furthermore, an easy way to illustrate this is by saying the things you own, minus what you owe, equals your overall worth. This report will quickly show if your organization owes more than it owns.

church-financial-statements-balance-sheet
Income Statement, Or The Statement Of Activities

The income statement, also known as the statement of activities, shows:

Income – Expense = Net Income (Increase in Net Assets)

Your net income equals the money you receive minus the money you spend. Net income also goes by net assets for churches. When viewing this financial statement, it will quickly show whether your church is making more than it is spending.

church-financial-statements-income-statement
Statement Of Functional Expenses

The statement of functional expenses is where you really see where fund accounting differs from traditional accounting. Furthermore, this report shows not only how much money you’ve spent, but breaks each expense down by fund and category. For instance, it can show the administrative costs across your whole organization. It can also show how much each fund has spent using these accounts. These reports can be very simple to make, assuming you’ve created an effective chart of accounts for your church and have recorded everything properly in your accounting software or on a spreadsheet.

Church financial statements are a document that shows the financial condition of a church. This can help the leaders of the organization plan for the future and maintain their financial health.

Pastor, it’s time for you to get your church financial statements. It’s always important to have everything in order so that you can make smart decisions at the start of each year. In this article, I will show you how to get your church balance sheet for free and what it includes.

To understand and prepare the financial statements of the church, you need to know all the basics of accounting. There are lots of churches’ accounting books available for free online or even in print. You can easily find these financial statements by searching for them or downloading them from websites such as Christian Financials, LDS Sustainable Business Center, G Smith Publishing, etc.

Financial statements are an important part of any church’s organizational documents. They provide information on a nonprofit organization’s financial status and performance. This is especially true in the case of churches, as they must be completely transparent in their operations with the public at large.

If you’re running a church, it’s important to understand the financial health of your institution. A line-by-line breakdown of your church’s balance sheet can help you determine if current practices are leading to success or failure. I’ve spent years working as a financial advisor for churches and investing in multiple church startups. Because of this experience, I’m able to provide insight for pastors and congregations alike on how to improve the financial health of their respective institutions.

“Tell us why you want to be on this team,” said the professor. “Well, firstly, I’m an old man and I want to play with hot chicks!” replied my friend. “My primary focus is on three areas. First, we will build a beautiful church with state-of-the art facilities, from which we can spread the word about Jesus to anyone who will listen. Secondly, I intend for it to bring money into the hands of good causes, whether that’s poor people in Africa or hungry people in America. Thirdly, it will provide an invaluable training ground for young people who need a well-paying job with benefits.”

Understanding Financial Statements For A Church

Preparing and understanding financial statements for a church or nonprofit organization is easier if you follow this simple rule:

“know your audience”

For example, preparing a financial report to turn into your bank would be much more detailed than the report you would prepare for your church membership or department head in a nonprofit.

NOTE: you may be required by your bank to prepare your financial statements using the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) Numbers 116 and 117, which describe the way nonprofits should account for contributions and present their financial statements. Check with your bank or financial institution on which financial statements they require and any other requirements they may need for obtaining a line of credit or loan. 

Basis for preparing and understanding financial statements:

Understanding financial statements for a church or nonprofit.

  • be easy to read so any person studying them will understand your organization’s financial picture;
  • be brief and to the point so that the person studying them doesn’t get lost in the details;
  • cover all the activities of the organization;
  • have a comparison, such as a budget or data from a corresponding period of the previous year;
  • be prepared in a timely manner.

A financial report for your church members will usually just consist of contributions and expenses. Financial reports for department heads in a nonprofit might only contain information relating to their department. However, most financial statements are prepared for the church board, governing body and financial institutions.

The principal financial statements for a church or small nonprofit are the Statement of Activity (Income or P/L Statement) and the Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet). The Statement of Cash Flows is sometimes required or desired, especially if you are tracking liabilities such as a mortgage.

The order in which the statements are normally prepared and the nature of the data presented in each statement are as follows:

  • Statement of Activity (Statement of Revenue and Expense)—a summary of your organization’s revenue and expenses for a specific period of time, such as a month or year. The Statement of Activity, also known as the Statement of Revenue and Expenses, reflects a church or nonprofit’s support and revenue, expenses, and sometimes even the changes in net assets (fund balances) for a certain period of time, such as month, quarter, or year. (Note: an Income Statement (Statement of Activity) by Fund in Aplos will show the fund balances at the bottom of the statement, but most accounting software does not show fund balances on the Statement of Activity.)

    This statement shows the church or nonprofit’s source of income and how they used their resources. The form of the statement will depend on the type and size of an organization and the accounting method and software used. 
  • Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet) — shows assets, liabilities, and net assets as of the end of a period such as a month, quarter, or year.  Because it shows how the two sides of the accounting equation
    (Assets-Liabilities = Net Assets) It is often referred to as a balance sheet. This is the statement that I use to show fund balances in both of the accounting software programs that I use. Aplos does it automatically and QBO has to be set up to show them. See Lisa’s book, QBO for Churches and Nonprofits for instructions on how to do that.
  • Statement of Cash Flows —a summary of the cash receipts and cash payments for a specific period of time, such as a month or a year. If you use credit cards, make payments on liabilities, or purchase assets, this statement should always be part of your reporting package! It takes the “net income” from the Statement of Activity and adds or takes away anything involving cash, such as the principal part of your loan payments.

Learn more about understanding financial statements for churches, recording financial transactions, and basic accounting concepts in my Basic Fund Accounting ebook in the Church Accounting Package.

Additional Financial Reports

Some additional reports that I like to include in my client’s bookkeeping reports are:

  • Budget to Actual: This report is essential for those churches and nonprofits that take the time to create a budget. It shows the difference between what you budgeted for and your actual expenses and donations. It provide crucial information for administrators.
  • Account Transaction Detail Report: Details out transactions by account. Don’t go into a board meeting without one! You need to be able to give a detailed answer when one of the governing body asks you why office supplies doubled this month compared to last month or why the Youth Ministry expenses went over budget. It is a simple report to run in most accounting software.
  • Donation Detail: I use Products/Services (Items in QBDT) to track donations in QBO. I always include a “Donation Detail” report for my bookkeeping clients that track donors and donations in QBO. Go to Reports, then Sales and Customers, then Sales by Product or Service Detail or Summary.

Sample Balance Sheet For A Small Restaurant

The restaurant’s financial statement reveals:

Quantifying the value of your company’s assets.

What your company is legally obligated to pay.

Equity measures the amount of money that goes to the investor rather than the company.

Simply put, it reveals the financial status of your eatery at a given time. Your restaurant’s balance sheet is also known as the statement of financial position because it details the restaurant’s financial standing.

Thus, balance sheets have internal as well as external applications:

Restaurant owners, key stakeholders, or employees can use financial statements to assess the health of the business internally. You can then adjust your practices to account for the new realities and propel your company forward.
Those outside of your company may be curious about the means by which you finance your operations. Investors will use this information to determine whether or not it makes sense to put money into your company.
Additionally, you should be aware that external auditors may use your restaurant’s balance sheet to confirm your business’s compliance with reporting laws.

There are three major problems that your restaurant’s financial statements can reveal.
A balance sheet summarizes your assets and debts in a single document, as was previously mentioned. As a result, you can quickly assess situations and respond appropriately to potential threats or errors. Even though a restaurant’s balance sheet can be useful in many ways, the following are the most significant dangers it can reveal and help you avoid:

Number One: Inadequate Cash Flow

Inadequate cash flow is a leading cause of business failure, accounting for around 29% of all failures. Because of this, it’s important to keep an eye on your cash flow to ensure that you always have enough money to cover fixed expenses like wages, rent, and groceries.

A healthy balance sheet will reveal whether or not your company is generating cash. However, if this is not the case, you can take the necessary steps to ensure that your eatery never experiences a cash flow problem. Use our no-cost cash flow template in conjunction with your balance sheet to foresee potential revenue.

Sharing Financial Stability Information

Ability to pay off long-term debts is what we mean when we talk about a restaurant’s solvency. To have more assets than liabilities is to be in a state of financial health. Keeping tabs on your company’s solvency demonstrates that you have the financial wherewithal to steer operations into a foreseeable future. A quick look at the equity on the balance sheet can tell you if your restaurant is financially stable. You need more diners at your restaurant if you’re having financial difficulties. Here you’ll find 14 suggestions to help eateries attract new patrons.

Unmanageable Debt Loads

When debt levels get too high for a restaurant, the numbers will reflect that on the balance sheet. A high level of debt on the balance sheet is an indicator of possible financial distress or insolvency. You can foresee these problems and head them off in the future with the help of this accounting statement.

Just make sure your balance sheet is detailed enough while still being accurate.

Making a Restaurant’s Financial Statement.
It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out how to make a balance sheet for your restaurant. However, there are still some precautions and details you should not overlook. Here is a sample balance sheet spreadsheet that can be used as a starting point for your own restaurant’s financial statements. We’ll get into that and a sample restaurant balance sheet later on in this blog.

Here’s the deal: the following formula is used by the vast majority of balance sheets:

Equity equals Assets plus Liabilities.

Assets, liabilities, and equity are the three main parts of a balance sheet. No matter if you’re creating a balance sheet manually or using a template, it’s important to have a firm grasp of these elements.

Right, here we go:

Assets

Businesses have assets if they own things that can be sold for a profit. For eateries, for instance, two examples of assets are:

Assets that can be converted into cash in one year or less are called “current assets.” Current alcohol stock, checks, and stocks are just a few examples.
Long-term investments that aren’t easily converted to cash are called “fixed assets.” The restaurant’s copyrights, licenses, franchise agreements, and other intangible assets are examples of tangible assets.

Sample Balance Sheet For Retail Store

A snapshot of a company’s financial health as of a specific date (typically the month’s end) can be seen in the balance sheet. It differs from an income statement, which summarizes a company’s financial health over a given time frame. Instead, it is the balance sheet that summarizes a company’s financial performance by itemizing its assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity (assets minus liabilities).

The balance sheet is defined by the accounting equation:

“Assets” = “Liabilities” + “Owner Equity”

assets=liabilities+owner’s equity
Consider it in this light. A ledger has two sides that must always be in perfect harmony with one another.

Cash, accounts receivable (overdue invoices that customers will pay), inventory, buildings, and machinery are all examples of what can be found on the left side of the ledger. Elements of the asset management path, including cash on hand, receivables from customers, and physical assets like buildings and machinery.

Liabilities, also known as debts, are listed to the right of the balance sheet and include things like the company’s obligation to pay its vendors (accounts payable), its employees (wages payable), and any outstanding loans (long-term notes).

There is no positive or negative connotation to these. Since our perspective is in the present tense, we can see the company’s current operations. Due to some of their recent actions, they now owe money to creditors or have liabilities. On the balance sheet, wages payable would equal zero because the previous pay period had ended and the new one had not yet begun.

This raises the question: how can we be sure that the left side of the ledger (assets) will always balance with the right side of the ledger (liabilities) if liabilities and assets can fluctuate depending on the time period? The answer is “owners’ equity,” which is very simple to explain.

Owner’s equity is the value that the company’s owners could withdraw for themselves. Put it this way. With $100 in assets and $50 in liabilities, how much would the company’s owners be able to take out of the company if it were to shut down today? After deducting the $50 in debt from the $100 in assets, the owner would be left with a net worth of $50. The $50 would be split between them as their share of the profits from running the business.

What if, however, $10 in wages were included in the liabilities and were later settled? What impact would that have on cash flow? Wages payable, an obligation, and cash on hand, an asset, would both be reduced by $10 in this scenario. If assets were $90, liabilities were $40, and owner equity remained at $50, the numbers would be as follows:.

Owners’ equity, which represents the value that can be distributed to the company’s owners, is recorded on the right side of the balance sheet. Consider it in this light. An investor (or shareholder) need not withdraw their funds from the business. However, they may decide at a later time that they need the money for something else. When this happens, the company must liquidate assets to satisfy the owner or shareholder.

Accordingly, the balance sheet is the only consistent way to measure a company’s worth, since the equation of assets to liabilities and owner equity is the firm’s value. If you need to see a sample balance sheet, here it is, though it is not in the standard right-to-left format. Nonetheless, you’ll notice that assets equal liabilities plus owner equity:

Join the conversation

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *