Define what is being reconciled
Begin with three separate views: recorded giving activity, processor transactions and bank deposits. They may use different cut-off times and contain different adjustments. 4aGoodCause documents a Revenue report covering campaigns; its Stripe guidance points to transaction fees and payouts in the gateway. These are distinct sources, not a promise that their totals will match on the same day. The finance owner should define the reporting period, currency and treatment of pending items before anyone interprets a difference as missing money.
Build a bridge instead of overwriting a total
Our original bridge note starts with a stated source total and lists each explained adjustment with its supporting reference. Timing, fees and approved corrections are questions to investigate, not automatic explanations to insert. Do not force agreement by adding a miscellaneous balancing row with no evidence. A net deposit and gross gift activity are different measures. Keep the source reports and working analysis in approved storage, and make it possible for an authorized second person to follow the reasoning without receiving unnecessary donor details.
Use a fictional difference to test the logic
Suppose a made-up report lists 1,000 units of gifts while the bank shows 960. The 40-unit difference is not automatically a fee. The responsible team might find a payout crossing the period boundary, a documented charge, or an unresolved mismatch. Until the evidence explains it, label it unexplained. Equally, identical totals do not prove that each transaction is correct. This example teaches the reasoning boundary; it is not accounting advice or a claim about the fees of either platform.
Hand over a reviewable exception
For each unresolved item, record its category, private reference location, next authorized owner and next review point. Do not place account numbers in a general task board. Have the organization’s finance process decide what constitutes approval of the reconciliation. This publication cannot certify the accounts or determine tax treatment. Use the export-snapshot guide when the source scope is unclear and the duplicate-gift guide when the unit itself may be counted twice. Closing the month should not erase a still-open investigation.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- 4aGoodCause: Campaign revenue report — Merchant documentation · help.4agoodcause.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-30
- 4aGoodCause: Stripe dashboard responsibilities — Merchant documentation · help.4agoodcause.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-30