Your finance department, done well.
Redwoods Stewardship brings financial operations, payroll and fractional CFO leadership together under one team. Start with the piece you need most, or let us carry the whole function so your leaders can focus on the mission.
The root system of your organization
A redwood stands tall because of what's under the surface. Financial operations work the same way: accurate books, bills paid on schedule and every gift recorded the way the giver intended. We run that day-to-day work and build the systems that keep it running cleanly, month after month.
A great fit ifyour organization has outgrown its original setup: more staff, more funds, more accounts and more leaders asking for reports than your current team can keep up with.
Accounting & close
- Every transaction recorded and categorized in QuickBooks Online
- Monthly reconciliation of every bank, credit card, loan and investment account
- A structured month-end close that produces clean, audit-ready books every period
- Nonprofit accounting best practices, kept consistent all year
Bills & spending
- A weekly bill pay run, with approvals before money moves
- One simple request form for staff and vendors, so nothing gets lost in an inbox
- Organization-issued spend cards with clear policies, and receipts staff can upload by app, text or browser
- Reimbursement workflows for staff and volunteers
- Vendor setup, W-9 collection and year-end 1099s
Giving & funds
- Donations recorded accurately and reconciled between your giving software and QuickBooks Online
- Giving trends monitored and shared with leadership
- Restricted and designated funds tracked separately and reported clearly
- Annual giving statements so givers have what they need at tax time
- Grant tracking and reporting for funder requirements
Reporting & compliance
- Monthly leadership reports your team can actually use
- Form 990 preparation and filing
- Audit support, with documentation organized before the auditor asks
Systems & controls
- A chart of accounts built for how churches and nonprofits really work
- Separation of duties so no single person both moves and reconciles money
- Training and support for your staff as new processes roll out
The rhythm
- Weekly: bill pay run and expense and receipt review
- Monthly: reconciliations, month-end close and leadership reports delivered by a set date
- Ongoing: quick answers whenever your team has a question
Your people paid right, every time
Church and nonprofit payroll comes with details most payroll apps and generalist firms miss. We run payroll accurately and on time, and handle the ministry-specific pieces correctly so your staff can trust their paychecks.
A great fit ifyou'd rather not carry payroll in-house, whether it's simple today or comes with housing allowances, multiple pay types and classification questions.
Payroll processing
- Accurate, on-time payroll for every employee and contractor
- Hours, salaries and deductions reconciled every pay period
- Payroll tax filings, W-2s and 1099s handled
- We coordinate directly with your payroll provider so issues get solved, not passed around
Ministry-specific pay
- Clergy housing allowances, with formal approvals and documentation
- Ministerial Social Security opt-outs tracked correctly
- Special pay arrangements recorded and kept current
Benefits
- Benefits enrollment and payroll deductions set up accurately
- Health premiums and retirement contributions paid correctly
- Open enrollment coordination, including ministerial elements
Compliance
- Exempt and non-exempt classification reviews
- Employee vs. contractor classification, documented
- Employee file audits and record retention
- Workers' comp and state unemployment filings
- Part-time time tracking and federal policies like FMLA, ADA, EEO and PTO kept current
HR support
- Employee handbook and policy updates, including faith-based distinctives
- Role descriptions and a compensation chart for fair, consistent pay
- Onboarding processes and forms for new hires, plus training for the managers who use them
- Practical guidance on staff health, morale and retention
Financial leadership for the decisions ahead
Strong operations tell you where you've been. A fractional CFO helps you decide where to go next. We bring experienced financial leadership to your leadership team and board, so planning, budgeting and big decisions rest on clear numbers.
A great fit ifyou're planning a building project, adding staff, preparing for an audit, or your board needs clearer financial answers than it's getting today.
Budgeting & planning
- An annual budget process aligned with your vision and priorities
- Mid-year budget reviews and adjustments
- Long-term financial planning, including reserves and debt reduction
Board & leadership reporting
- A monthly report for your board or elders that turns numbers into decisions
- Key metrics like liquidity and staffing ratios, tracked over time
- A weekly cash statement for your executive team, when you need one
- The financial section of your annual report
Controls & compliance
- Financial policies, cash handling procedures and internal controls
- Audit preparation and 990 support
- IRS and state charity filings kept active and accurate
- Guidance on restricted and designated fund management
- Oversight of multiple legal entities, including property and sales tax exemptions where they apply
Strategy & risk
- Guidance on capital projects, large expenditures and staffing decisions
- Tax-advantaged benefits recommendations that help you keep great staff
- Insurance and liability reviews, weighed against your reserves
- Offer letters, policies, service agreements and waivers drafted or reviewed
- Funding Vision: a clear plan for debt retirement, operating margin and vision funding priorities
One team, fewer handoffs
You can start with any one service. Most organizations see the biggest difference when operations, payroll and CFO support run together: one set of books, one team that knows your organization and nothing falling between the cracks.
Every engagement is scoped in a discovery call and priced as a flat monthly fee, so you always know what you're paying.
We can also help with
- Funding Vision: giving and generosity strategy
- Governance and bylaws review
- Financial systems cleanup
- Capital campaign finances
- Audit readiness projects
- Multi-entity organizations
Let's talk about your back office
A 30-minute conversation about where things stand and what would help most. No pressure, and you'll leave with a clearer picture either way.
Redwoods Stewardship provides church bookkeeping and accounting, nonprofit bookkeeping and accounting services, outsourced church accounting, fund accounting for restricted and designated funds, church payroll and clergy payroll services, housing allowance administration, nonprofit payroll, fractional CFO and outsourced CFO services, Form 990 preparation and filing, audit preparation and audit support, church budgeting and board reporting, monthly financial statements, bank and credit card reconciliations, QuickBooks Online setup and cleanup for churches and nonprofits, chart of accounts design, internal controls and separation of duties, bill pay and accounts payable, expense reimbursements, 1099 and W-9 compliance, donation and giving reconciliation, contribution statements, grant tracking, capital campaign accounting and church financial management for churches, ministries, faith-based organizations and nonprofits across the United States.