Counting Offering and Other Income

Policies for Counting Income

• Sound booth Safe: The keys to the safe are held only by the Senior Pastor and the Treasurer.  The passcode of the safe may be given to a member of the finance team for the purpose of retrieving money for counting and deposit.
• Two people must present when counting the offering.
  • The two designated counters may not be:
    • Related
    • Spouses/ In a romantic relationship
  • No one person should be alone with the money it from the time has been collected until it is secured in a tamper proof bag. This is known as dual control.
  • A youth-age individual is permitted to assist in collecting the offering, so long as they are with an adult.  Children are not permitted to place the money collected during a church offering from the baskets into the envelopes and into the safe.

• Remember that the identity and amount contributed by church members are strictly confidential.

• Counting should be conducted in a secure room without outside interruption.  All of the required supplies, forms, deposit slips, calculators, and materials needed to complete the task are available.    Count sheets should be completed in ink and signed by both counters.

• Care should be taken to record offerings and income to the appropriate fund designated by the giver.  
  • Refer to the Counting Routine for specific instructions

• Bank deposits and the applicable deposit slips should be prepared in accordance with the rules and preferences outlined by the financial institution for each specific church.  

• Bank deposits should be made on the same business day it is counted.   If it is not possible to make the deposit the same day, church funds should always be stored in the church’s safe.  

• The Treasurer in partnership with the Senior Pastor, under the supervision of the Governing Board oversees this entire process, ensuring that the offerings are accurately counted, deposits made in a timely manner, and that evidence of the completed deposits are noted in the church financial records.  

How to guide for Counting income: Counting Routine

Recording Giving

If a contributor donates funds for a designated purpose it should be recorded and posted into that fund (i.e. Worship Fund, Youth Fund, etc.). The record of this type donation should include the date, amount given, contributor’s name and designated account name. Accurate accounting of separate funds is critical to your record-keeping.

Income must be entered into Aplos by the Treasurer or Senior Pastor.

Donations can be entered into PCO Giving by the Treasurer, Senior Pastor or members of the finance team who have been made a “Counter” in the PCO Giving may enter individual donations into PCO Giving.

Record Retention:

Donation envelopes must be kept for 7 years for auditing purposes.  After 7 years, they are to be

shredded.

Making and Reporting Deposits

Bank deposits and the applicable deposit slips should be prepared in accordance with the guidelines and preferences of FNB Bank. Bank deposits should be made on the same business day the money is counted.   If it is not possible to make the deposit the same day, church funds should always be stored in the church’s safe.   Cash receipts should NEVER be kept in an automobile or in someone’s home.

Provide a copy of the counting sheet, deposit log record and tamper proof bag receipt to the person responsible for posting contributions to individual giving records (PCO Giving) and to the general ledger (Aplos).