Semester Financial Audit¶
Goal¶
Give National Finance a reviewable Excel record of chapter transactions for the semester, with supporting documentation for every entry and a clear reconciliation from opening to closing balance.
Financial records are restricted
Completed workbooks, receipts, bank records, reimbursement details, account numbers, signatures, and private submission links do not belong in this public repository.
When to use this¶
Use the workbook throughout the semester, then reconcile and submit it during the published compliance window. The VP Finance owns preparation; the Chapter President or another authorized officer should complete the internal review.
Excel workbook structure¶
Use one row per transaction. National Finance should publish a blank .xlsx template before the reporting window. At minimum, the transaction sheet should contain:
| Column | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Transaction ID | Unique chapter-generated identifier |
| Transaction date | Date money entered or left the account |
| Posted date | Bank or platform posting date, when different |
| Description | Clear business purpose without unnecessary personal information |
| Category | Approved budget or reporting category |
| Money in | Income amount |
| Money out | Expense amount |
| Payment method | Approved high-level method; never include a full account or card number |
| Counterparty | Vendor or approved payee name as required for review |
| Budget owner | Officer or program role responsible for the activity |
| Approval reference | Chapter-private decision or approval identifier |
| Receipt/support filename | Exact filename of the attached supporting record |
| Reconciled | Yes/no or review status |
| Notes | Exception or correction information needed by the reviewer |
Include a summary sheet with the reporting term, opening balance, total money in, total money out, calculated closing balance, statement closing balance, difference, preparer role, reviewer role, and review dates.
Receipt package¶
- Attach a receipt, invoice, deposit record, reimbursement support, or other approved evidence for every transaction.
- Name each file with the matching transaction ID, for example
TXN-0042-receipt.pdf. - Reference that filename in the workbook.
- Redact unrelated full payment-card numbers, bank-account numbers, access codes, and unnecessary personal information while preserving what National Finance needs to validate the transaction.
- Use the approved restricted upload method; do not send the package through a public issue or merge request.
Reconciliation checks¶
- [ ] Opening balance agrees with the prior accepted close or source statement
- [ ] Every transaction appears once and only once
- [ ] Income and expenses use the correct sign and category
- [ ] Every row points to readable supporting documentation
- [ ] Calculated closing balance agrees with the authoritative statement
- [ ] Any difference is resolved or explained
- [ ] Required approvals are documented
- [ ] Workbook formulas and totals were checked by a second authorized officer
What worked¶
Recording the transaction and receipt at the time of purchase prevents missing-document chases at semester end. A unique transaction ID is more dependable than matching only on amount or vendor name.
What to adapt¶
National Finance should confirm the approved categories, template, evidence standard, and treatment of cash, dues, refunds, reimbursements, transfers, and payment-platform fees before each reporting window.
Public-content review¶
- [ ] Only a blank approved template may be publicly downloadable
- [ ] Completed ledgers and receipts remain National-restricted
- [ ] No account numbers, signatures, credentials, or private financial links appear publicly
- [ ] Public examples use fictional transactions only