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Getting Started with Accounting

Ledger Setup

Set up your general ledger.

Build the foundation of your general ledger here. If you're unsure about what any of the settings mean, read our field descriptions for more information.

Set up Realm Accounting

Set up how you want to track your transactions in Realm Accounting.

Select your accounting period, opt to post contribution batches and registration event payments to your general ledger, set your transaction posting rules, and set up your account segments. If your diocese uses PDS DioView, and you want to share monthly account totals with it, you can complete that connection as well.
  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Accounting. Then click Ledger Setup > Settings.
  2. Select your accounting period.
    1. Fiscal Year Begins — January if you follow the calendar year, or another month if you follow a fiscal year.
    2. Current Period — The current month and year.
  3. Enable any of the following that apply:
    • Contribution Posting — Automatically post contribution batches to your general ledger.
    • Paid Registration Events — Automatically post online registration event payments to your general ledger.
    • DioView Connection — Send monthly account totals to your diocese. This is only available if you have integrated with PDS DioView.
  4. Select your Transaction Posting Rules if they apply. Learn more in our field descriptions for this section.
  5. Set your account segments, which behave as your account number structure. The following are optional, and you can complete them in any order:
    1. Your fund, core account, and department segments are available by default. Click Add Segment to add a custom segment. You can have a maximum of five segments.
    2. To change the number of digits a segment has, select a Length between 1 and 6. The total number of digits among all segments cannot exceed 20. We recommend a length of 2 for funds, 4 for core accounts, and 2 for departments. You cannot select a length that's smaller than an existing segment of that type.
    3. Click within a segment's area and drag it to reorganize it on the segment list.
    4. Click the X when you want to delete a segment. Departments are optional and are perfectly fine to delete if you only want to use funds and core accounts to track transactions.
  6. Click Save.

Use Accrual Accounting Basis

Select accrual as the accounting basis.

  • You must have accounting administrator permissions to perform this task. See Accounting Roles and Permissions for more information.
  • Create a core account with the Account Type set to Accounts Payable for it to display in the drop-down menu.

  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Accounting. Then click Ledger Setup > Settings.
  2. Enable accrual as your accounting basis.
  3. Select the core account that you want to post invoices to.
  4. Click Save.
If you were using cash accounting basis before switching to accrual, any unpaid invoices now display in an Open tab.

Use Cash Accounting Basis

Select cash as the accounting basis.

  • You must have accounting administrator permissions to perform this task. See Accounting Roles and Permissions for more information.
  • If you're currently using accrual as your accounting basis, you must pay all invoices in the Unpaid tab.
  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Accounting. Then click Ledger Setup > Settings.
  2. Disable accrual as your accounting basis.
  3. Click Save.

Change Your Fiscal Year

Change your calendar year to reflect a fiscal year and vice versa.

  • You must have accounting administrator permissions to perform this task. See Accounting Roles and Permissions for more information.

  • Be sure your financial staff is not currently posting transactions and is aware that this change is about to take place.

The fiscal year in Realm Accounting also includes the calendar year if you select January as the month your fiscal year begins.

Your administrative committee may decide to change the fiscal year to coincide with other facilities in your church, such as your school or daycare. After balances are locked, this is how it's done.

  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Accounting. Then click Ledger Setup > Settings..
  2. Click Change Fiscal Year.
  3. Select any month, up to the current period, for your new fiscal year to begin.
    All current and previous reports will print according to the new fiscal year as soon as you change it.
  4. Click Change Fiscal Year.

Allow Posting to the 13th Month

Allow new adjusting entries to be added between the last month of your previous fiscal year and the first month of your new fiscal year.

If you allow posting to the 13th month, you can add new adjusting entries to a year that is already closed by posting them to the 13th month. This is the closing month between the last month of your previous fiscal year and the first month of your new fiscal year.
  1. In the top-left corner, click your ministry hub then Accounting. Then click Ledger Setup > Settings.
  2. Select Allow posting to the 13th month.
  3. Click Save.

Accounting Settings Field Descriptions

Detailed information about your different Realm Accounting settings.

Accounting Period
Your accounting period defines your starting month and ending month. If you go by the calendar year, your accounting period will start in January. A fiscal year will start in any other month.
Accounting Basis
The accounting basis you choose depends on when you want to post invoices to the general ledger and reflect them on your financial statements.
  • Use cash if you want to do this after you pay your vendors.
  • Use accrual if you want to do this before you pay your vendors.
Note: To switch from cash to accrual accounting basis, you must have a core account with Accounts Payable set as the Account Type. To switch from accrual to cash accounting basis, you must pay all unpaid invoice.
Contribution Posting
This is turned off by default. Turn it on to post batches as a deposit to your general ledger from Contributions. Online batches will always post automatically when contribution posting is on.
Paid Registration Events
This is also turned off by default. Turn it on to post registration event fees as deposits into your general ledger.
DioView Connection
If your parish wants to send monthly account totals from Realm Accounting to PDS DioView, ask your diocese to enable this feature in DioView. The switch becomes available but is turned off by default. Turn it on to open communication between Realm Accounting and DioView.
Transaction Posting Rules
If you allow posting to the 13th month, you can add new adjusting entries to a year that is already closed. This is the closing month between the last month of your previous fiscal year and the first month of your new fiscal year. Any entry in the 13th month will not change the ending balance of the previous month. Instead, it will carry over as the beginning balance of the new fiscal year.

If you allow posting to a closed period, you can post a transaction to a closed month.

Account Segments
These are the pieces of information you use for entering transactions, performing inquiries, and processing reports. Your fund and core account segments are required. All others are optional but can track your transactions in more detail.
Getting Started
Realm Accounting

Last updated: July 25, 2024

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