What is a church balance sheet?

A church balance sheet is a financial report that displays the assets and liabilities of the church as of a specific date.

How is a balance sheet for a church different from a for profit business?  

‍A church balance sheet does not include retained earnings.  Retained earnings is the cumulative profit of a business, but a church is a non profit and non profits do not display retained earnings on the balance sheet.  Instead, a church will report “Net Assets” which is the difference between the organization’s Assets and Liabilities.  If you have a for profit business you should use our balance sheet Excel template.

A church balance sheet may include church specific categories like Grants Receivable or Pledge Receivable for grants, donations and pledges that have been awarded or pledged, but not yet received. This could be common for a church building fundraising campaign where members might pledge to donate in the future, but have not made the donation yet. 

Is a church balance sheet the same as a statement of financial position? 

‍Yes.  A statement of financial position is a synonym for balance sheet.  

How to create a projected balance sheet for a church? 

‍If you need to create a balance sheet for your church as of the current date, then our free template should be sufficient for you; however, if you need to create a balance sheet forecast for your church for a date in the future, you will need to create a full set of financial projections.  Our church financial forecast spreadsheet will allow you to create up to 5 years of projected income statements, cash flow statements and balance sheet forecasts.  

What should be included on a church balance sheet?  

A balance sheet for a church could include the following items:

Current Assets

• General Fund Cash
• Designated Funds Cash
• Pledges Receivable
• Prepaid expenses
• Other current assets

Fixed Assets

• Land
• Buildings
• Parsonage
• Vehicles, Furniture & Equipment
• Other fixed assets
• (LESS accumulated depreciation on all fixed assets)

Other Assets

• Other assets

Current Liabilities

• Accounts payable
• Notes, short-term (due within 12 months)
• Current part, long-term debt
• Other current liabilities

Long-term Debt

• Bank loans payable
• Notes payable to stockholders
• LESS: Short-term portion
• Other long term debt

Net Assets

• Net Assets with Donor Restrictions
• Net Assets without Donor Restrictions

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