Journal Entries

Journal entries are the foundation of double-entry bookkeeping. Every financial transaction in Alignmint is recorded as a journal entry with balanced debits and credits.

Understanding Double-Entry Bookkeeping

Every transaction affects at least two accounts. The total debits must always equal total credits. For example:

Receiving a donation: Debit Cash (increase asset), Credit Contribution Revenue (increase revenue)
Paying a bill: Debit Expense (increase expense), Credit Cash (decrease asset)
Recording a pledge: Debit Pledges Receivable (increase asset), Credit Contribution Revenue (increase revenue)

Creating a Journal Entry

Navigate to Accounting → Journal Entries
Click "New Entry"
Enter the transaction date
Add a description/memo explaining the transaction
Add line items with accounts, debits, and credits
Assign to a fund if tracking restricted funds
Attach supporting documents (receipts, invoices)
Save as Draft or Post immediately

Entry Status

Draft: Saved but not posted. Can be freely edited or deleted. Does not affect reports.
Posted: Finalized and reflected in all reports. Cannot be edited—must be voided and re-entered if corrections needed.
Voided: Reversed with an automatic correcting entry. Original entry preserved for audit trail.

Automatic Journal Entries

Alignmint automatically creates journal entries for:

Donations recorded through the Donor Hub
Online donations via Stripe
Expenses entered through the Expense Manager
Reimbursements processed
Bank transactions imported automatically

Recurring Entries

Set up recurring journal entries for transactions that repeat:

Monthly rent or lease payments
Depreciation entries
Accruals and deferrals
Regular allocations between funds

Searching and Filtering

Find entries quickly using:

Date range filters
Account filters
Amount range
Status (Draft, Posted, Voided)
Full-text search on descriptions

Audit Trail

Every journal entry maintains a complete audit trail showing:

Who created the entry and when
Who posted or voided the entry
All attached documents
Related transactions (if voided, link to reversing entry)