> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.lightpost.app/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.lightpost.app/add-on-features/financial-management.md).

# Financial Management

Financial Management in Lightpost tracks contributions, income, expenses, and budgets, with reports for leaders and year-end statements for members.

### What is Financial Management?

Financial Management in Lightpost tracks all forms of contributions and income (checks, cash, online gifts, etc.) as well as expenses and budgets. It works in conjunction with the [Online Giving](/add-on-features/online-giving.md) feature — online gifts are recorded automatically.

Financial Management **is not** an effort to replace QuickBooks or similar applications. If you need to track payroll and other things, those tools that have decades of experience being built are the right tool for the job.

### Where to Find It

In the Admin sidebar, open **Finance** under the **Data** heading. The Finance page includes:

* **Add Expenses** and **Add Contributions** buttons, a **Reports** menu, and a **Budget Visibility** button.
* **Income** and **Expenses** totals for the selected month and year, compared with the previous month.
* A **Date Posted / Date Created** selector that controls which date the totals use (defaults to Date Posted).
* **Budgets** progress for each category with a budget in the current year. Click a budget to see its transactions.

### Income Tracking

Record all income against income **categories** (or "buckets") that you create yourself, such as:

* "General Contribution"
* "Special Contribution"
* "Missions Support"
* "Building Fund"

Data entry is fast, including support for check readers that use *keyboard emulation*. It can be as quick as: scan the check, enter the amount, press "Enter", and you're ready for the next entry.

{% content-ref url="/pages/2kGDfRt9gLTEq7tAmQqx" %}
[Recording Contributions & Expenses](/add-on-features/financial-management/recording-transactions.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

### Check Scanning

Scan a whole stack of checks with a network check scanner. Lightpost reads each amount and suggests who gave, your finance team reviews the results, and committing the batch records the contributions.

{% content-ref url="/pages/JrcDsKojir9nhqlGlPgZ" %}
[Check Scanning](/add-on-features/financial-management/check-scanning.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

### Expense Tracking & Budgets

Record expenses against expense categories and set a yearly budget for each category. Leaders with finance permissions can see budget standing in near real-time, and you can [share individual categories](/add-on-features/financial-management/budget-visibility.md) with the people responsible for them.

Income and expenses are organized into **Finance Categories**, which is also where you set the yearly budgets.

{% content-ref url="/pages/emDPJ8ikc5xbqzFwDEvv" %}
[Finance Categories](/add-on-features/financial-management/finance-categories.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

### Sharing Budgets with Members

Connect specific people to specific categories so they can see the budget and spending in the member web app and the mobile app, without access to your financial records.

{% content-ref url="/pages/CXEcOfJH9tB9K2in7iEO" %}
[Budget Visibility](/add-on-features/financial-management/budget-visibility.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

### Importing

Bring in contributions or expenses from a CSV file, such as an export from a previous system or a bank.

{% content-ref url="/pages/2MpY75OZ2UDGYtdsvXgl" %}
[Importing Transactions](/add-on-features/financial-management/importing-transactions.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

### Reports

The **Reports** menu includes a Weekly Report, a Budget Summary, and an Income & Expense by Month report, each with a PDF download.

{% content-ref url="/pages/FKNSEgUlX1DIIalSaahG" %}
[Finance Reports](/add-on-features/financial-management/finance-reports.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

### Contribution Statements

Generate year-end contribution statements, email them to members, and let members download them from the web app.

{% content-ref url="/pages/UjawyDllWi5T5OQm0Cef" %}
[Contribution Statements](/add-on-features/financial-management/contribution-statements.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

### Permissions

Finance access is granted through [Roles](/core-concepts/roles.md):

<table><thead><tr><th width="250">Permission</th><th>Allows</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>View Financial Records</strong></td><td>View the Finance page, finance reports, and contribution statements.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Manage Financial Records</strong></td><td>Add, import, edit, and delete transactions; manage categories and budgets; access the Online Giving pages.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>View Contribution Amounts</strong></td><td>See individual contribution amounts, including the Online Giving Contribution Report and statement contents.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Reviewing and committing [scanned checks](/add-on-features/financial-management/check-scanning.md) requires both **Manage Financial Records** and **View Contribution Amounts**.

These permissions cover the Admin. Sharing a category's budget with a member is done per person on the [Budget Visibility](/add-on-features/financial-management/budget-visibility.md) page, not through a role.

### Reimbursement Requests (Coming Soon)

Members will be able to take a photo of an expense they paid on behalf of the church and submit a reimbursement request from the mobile app. This feature is not yet available.