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Getting Started with Accounting

Account Segments

Set up your account structure.

Each segment contains a list of values to use with your core accounts and clean up your chart of accounts. These segments make up your account structure as you enter transactions.

Create additional account segments to track more information. The maximum number of segments is limited to five: funds, core accounts, departments, and up to two optional, custom segments you want to include. You are only allowed to have one segment of a kind.

Tip: Here are some quick tips to get you started.
  • When you enter the code for a fund, department, or other segment, you may want to start with 01 and continue in numerical order. Core accounts are typically numbered differently.
  • You can change the length of your account segments at any time, but the length cannot be shorter than an existing item. For example, if your longest core account is four digits, you cannot change the core account length to anything less than four.
  • When you enter transactions, you will select the appropriate segments that make up the account you want to post to.

Add Ledger Funds

Set up your self-balancing set of financial books.

A ledger fund is different from a giving fund. A ledger fund is a self-balancing set of financial books designated for specific functions that you can track and report on. Some examples are church, school, and daycare.

  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Accounting. Then click Ledger Setup > Account Segments.
  2. Click Ledger Funds.
  3. On the Add Fund tab, enter a code. We recommend the code 01 for your first ledger fund.
  4. Enter a name, like Church, Office, or Daycare, and a short name if applicable.
  5. Click Add.
  6. Repeat steps 4-6 until all ledger funds are added.

Add Core Accounts

Set up your core accounts, also known as natural accounts.

Core accounts, also known as natural accounts, classify types of transactions and their activity. Some examples are checking accounts, utilities, and tithes. Your core accounts will fall under the following categories: assets, liabilities, net assets, income, and expenses.

  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Accounting. Then click Ledger Setup > Account Segments.
  2. Click Core Accounts.
  3. On the Add Core Account tab, enter a code. Refer to the list of codes on this page to determine what to enter here.
  4. Enter a name, like Electricity, and a short name if applicable.
  5. Select an account type. For example, your electricity bill is an Expense.
    Note: If you want to use accrual as your accounting basis, you must create a core account with Accounts Payable as its account type.
  6. Enter notes that explain what the core account is for. You can edit this later if its purpose ever changes.
  7. Click Add.
  8. Repeat steps 4-7 until all core accounts are added.
    Tip: What should I enter for each core account code?

    The code you choose for each account should follow the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) format:

    Balance Sheet Accounts:1000-2999
    Assets1000-1999
    Liabilities2000-2999
    Net Asset Account:3000-3999
    Net Asset3000-3999
    Income Statement Accounts:4000-7999
    Income4000-4999
    Expenses5000-5999
    Other Income6000-6999
    Other Expenses7000-7999

Add Core Accounts for Credit Cards

Set up core accounts (natural accounts) for credit cards.

If your church divvies out credit cards to multiple departments, you can track them by entering each department's credit card individually as core accounts. If you use credit cards from different companies, make sure that you set up separate core accounts for each one.

  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Accounting. Then click Ledger Setup > Account Segments.
  2. Click the Core Accounts tab.
  3. Because credit cards are liabilities, enter a number in the 2000s as the Code.
  4. Enter the credit card's Name, and select Credit Card as the Account Type.
  5. Under Bank Account, select an existing credit card bank to associate this card with. Or, click the drop-down list and select Add bank... Enter information for a new credit card bank, and click Save to confirm.
  6. Click Add. Repeat steps 3-5 until all of your cards are added.

Add Departments

Add the functional areas for which you'll track revenue and expenses.

While optional, departments represent functional areas for which you'll track revenues and expenses in more detail. Additionally, if you own Realm Payroll, departments help you organize and track the areas in which your employees work. Administration, music, and youth are examples of departments.

  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Accounting. Then click Ledger Setup > Account Segments.
  2. Click Departments.
  3. On the Add Department tab, enter a code. We recommend the code 01 for your first department.
  4. Enter a name, like Music, and a short name if applicable.
  5. Click Add.
  6. Repeat steps 4-6 until all departments are added.

Add Custom Segment Entries

Add custom segments for things like campuses or sub-departments.

Custom segments are optional and can be named in Accounting Settings and used to track transactions in even further detail. Custom segments can include campuses or sub-departments.

  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Accounting. Then click Ledger Setup > Account Segments.
  2. Click the name you entered for your custom segment.
  3. On the Add tab, enter a code. We recommend the code 01 for your first entry.
  4. Enter a name, and a short name if applicable.
  5. Click Add.
  6. Repeat steps 4-6 until all entries are added.

Manage Segment Entries

Edit or delete specific ledger funds, core accounts, departments, or custom segment entries.

Has a department changed, or do you need to add a legible short name for a name that's too long? If you edit the code, name, or short name of a segment entry, the change will be reflected on all existing transactions. If a core account is in use, the account type cannot be changed.

  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Accounting. Then click Ledger Setup > Account Segments.
  2. Click the name of the segment with the entry you want to manage:
    • Ledger Funds
    • Core Accounts
    • Departments
    • A custom segment you previously defined
  3. Click the ellipsis icon beside a segment entry and select one of the following:
    • Edit— If you edit a core account that's in use, you cannot edit its account type.
    • Delete— If a segment entry has current activity, it cannot be deleted. You must make it inactive instead.
  4. Make any necessary changes, then click Save.

Make a Segment Entry Inactive

Deactivate segment entries.

Deactivate any segment entries that aren't currently in use but may be used again, like a core account set up for interior design. If an entry currently has activity, Realm Accounting will let you know where it's being used or if it has a balance before you confirm. Inactive segment entries will not print on reports unless you include them.

  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Accounting. Then click Ledger Setup > Account Segments.
  2. Click the name of the segment with the entry you want to make inactive:
    • Ledger Funds
    • Core Accounts
    • Departments
    • A custom segment you previously defined
  3. Click the ellipsis icon next to the entry's name, and select Edit.
  4. Clear the Active check box.
  5. Click Save.

Account Segments Field Descriptions

Detailed information that could be helpful while you set up your account segments.

Code
Each fund, core account, department, and additional segment will have a unique code. The number of required digits is determined by what you select in Accounting Settings. As you set up core accounts, use the list of codes on that page as a guide.
Name
Operating Savings Account or Worship Media are examples of how you may want to describe a core account or a department name.
Short Name
The shorter, abbreviated name will be used in reports and when you are entering transactions. For example, if the account name is American Bank Savings, the short name could be AB Savings.
1099 Box
1099 boxes can be assigned to expense accounts. They automatically apply to 1099 vendors that use those accounts.
Cash Flow Line
Cash flow lines organize your accounts within the appropriate categories by how they're used.
  • Operating — Includes routine transactions with vendors and employee payments
  • Investing — Includes transactions involving the purchase or sale of long-term assets
  • Financing — Includes transactions related to church funding through debt and donations
Account Type

The following account types display on your Statement of Financial Position report:

  • Assets — Cash, Accounts Receivable, Fixed Assets, Accumulated Depreciation, Other Current Assets
  • Liabilities — Accounts Payable, Taxes Payable, Other Current Liabilities, Long Term Liabilities
  • Net Assets — Unrestricted Net Assets, Temporarily Restricted Net Assets, Permanently Restricted Net Assets

The following account types display on your Statement of Activities report. At the end of the year, these close to a selected Net Asset account from the list above:

  • Revenues — Income, Other Income, Gain on Sale of Asset
  • Expenses — Expense, Other Expense, Loss on Sale of Asset
Getting Started
Realm Accounting

Last updated: July 11, 2023

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