Account Journal

NOTE: Resolving inactive or abandoned Trust Funds is a task that requires assistance from an auditor, but you can start by asking questions and learning all you can about the origins of the account and the donor's intent. A long-time church member or someone who has been on the board for a long time might know what various accounts are for.

Another way to learn even more information about an unfamiliar account is to use Jewel’s “Account Journal,” which can tell you when the account was created, where the funds came from, what funds have already been used and other helpful information.

Go to Reports and Graphs / Account Journal.

At the top left, where your bank account name is, enter the name or number of the account that you are wanting to research. Then use the dropdown date box and click on "All."

Now you can see ALL the deposits, transfers, and checks that have been posted to that account for as long as your church has been using Jewel, in date order. You can learn from the dates in the date column. (When was this account created? Most used? Last used?) You can see where the funds came from. “DEP(osit)” is usually a donation, “TRAN(sfer)” is often a budget allocation, but not always. You can see what checks were written and to whom. (Which might help you know whom to ask about that account.) You can click on any of the deposits, transfers or checks to go to the original entry, read the memo, learn about the donors, find what was involved in the transfer and more. Give it a try. If you see a local fund that you have no idea what it is, follow the trail. Look it up in “Account Journal.” Ask an old-timer on the board. Ask the former treasurer. Know your list. And contact me if you have dead accounts that need attention, because auditor input is needed when retiring old accounts, to avoid misusing trust funds. If you see something that should have been sent to an entity or project months or even years ago, talk to your board and ask if you can write the check. We want to be a river of blessing, not a Dead Sea. For more tutorials on JEWEL INFORMATION & PROCESS HELPS, see section 8000 on the gccsda.org auditor webpage This information has been brought to you by the Georgia-Cumberland Conference Audit Team Created by Linda McCabe. Edited 8/26/2025 2