Does this replace an accountant?

No. Cash Workspace organizes your records; it does not replace an accountant or give accounting advice. It makes the handoff faster by giving your accountant a complete, labelled set instead of a stream of forwarded files.

Does it give accounting advice?

No. Cash Workspace does not provide accounting, bookkeeping, or tax advice. It keeps your records organized so the people who do give that advice can work from a complete, labelled set.

Which records should I include for my accountant?

Include income records (invoices and payments received), expense records with their receipts attached, and any statements for the period. A short note on anything unusual saves a billed question later.

How do I hand it over without emailing files around?

Keep the packet in one organized set of folders so you share a single, complete reference rather than a stream of forwarded emails, and so nothing is missed or duplicated in the back-and-forth.

accountant & bookkeeper handoff packet

An accountant-ready handoff folder for grant writers

At handoff time the accountant asks for records that are half in email, half on paper, and the back-and-forth wastes days and often costs more in billed hours. For grant writers, the fix is a consistent place to keep the records rather than a smarter tool. Cash Workspace gives you one place to record each item, attach its file, and keep it where you can find it. It is free.

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The problem

Why grant writers lose track

At handoff time the accountant asks for records that are half in email, half on paper, and the back-and-forth wastes days and often costs more in billed hours.

Lumping database, software, and membership renewals into one undated subscriptions pile so it is unclear which year or client they belong to
Not separating reimbursable client expenses from own overhead, so invoices under-bill or double-count a cost
Filing proposal copies by funder name in some cases and by client name in others, making retrieval inconsistent

The workflow

How grant writers keep it organized

A simple, repeatable way to accountant handoff records without special software.

1
Collect the records your accountant asks for
Gather the documents an accountant typically wants from grant writers — Client consulting agreements and letters of engagement, Project scopes and statements of work per proposal, and Nondisclosure agreements with client organizations — into one labelled place.
2
Organise them the way they will be reviewed
Group income records, expense records with receipts, and statements so each set is complete and self-explanatory.
3
Note what is missing or unusual
Flag anything you could not find or that needs a one-line explanation, so questions are answered before they are asked.
4
Share a clean, read-only packet
Hand over one organised folder instead of a stream of forwarded emails, so the review starts from a complete set.

Record structure

What each record holds

The fields that make a accountant handoff record complete and findable.

Record type: Income, expense, statement, or supporting document — how the accountant slices the packet.
Period: The month, quarter, or year the record belongs to.
Amount: The figure on the record, matching its attachment.
Attachment: The underlying invoice, receipt, or statement kept with the entry.
Note: A short explanation for anything unusual, so it does not become a billed question.
Client organization: The nonprofit or agency the expense or invoice relates to, so costs sort per client.
Funder / grant program: The specific funding opportunity the work supports, for tracking which pursuits cost what.
Billable vs. overhead: Whether the cost is reimbursable by a client or the writer's own business overhead.
Submission deadline: The proposal due date the work is tied to, so time-sensitive records stay grouped.

Example setup

An example structure

One way grant writers can lay this out in Cash Workspace.

Income

Invoices sent and payments received for the period.

Expenses

Each expense — Funder-prospect database subscription, Professional association membership, and Certification & continuing education — with its receipt attached.

Statements

Bank and card statements for the period.

Notes

A one-line explanation for anything unusual, so it never becomes a billed question.

Common mistakes

Common mistakes to avoid

Lumping database, software, and membership renewals into one undated subscriptions pile so it is unclear which year or client they belong to
Not separating reimbursable client expenses from own overhead, so invoices under-bill or double-count a cost
Filing proposal copies by funder name in some cases and by client name in others, making retrieval inconsistent
Delaying receipt capture for conference travel until the vendor and amount are half-remembered
Keeping hour logs in a separate tool from the invoice, so billed hours cannot be matched up against the record
Handing over a stream of forwarded emails instead of one organized set.

How it helps

How Cash Workspace helps

Record it, don’t re-key it

Enter each item once — date, vendor, amount, category — and attach the file to that record. No bank sync, no receipt-reading; the record is deliberate and yours.

One consistent structure

The same categories and folders every month, so grant writers always know where a record goes and where to find it later.

One clean packet

Hand over a single organized set — income, expenses with receipts, statements, notes — instead of forwarded emails, so the review starts complete.

Document organizer

The document organization guide for grant writers.

Monthly finance routine

The monthly routine guide for grant writers.

Accountant ready finance folder

A related organization guide.

Accountant document checklist

A related organization guide.

Finance organization library

Browse organization guides across every workflow.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Does this replace an accountant?: No. Cash Workspace organizes your records; it does not replace an accountant or give accounting advice. It makes the handoff faster by giving your accountant a complete, labelled set instead of a stream of forwarded files.
Does it give accounting advice?: No. Cash Workspace does not provide accounting, bookkeeping, or tax advice. It keeps your records organized so the people who do give that advice can work from a complete, labelled set.
Which records should I include for my accountant?: Include income records (invoices and payments received), expense records with their receipts attached, and any statements for the period. A short note on anything unusual saves a billed question later.
How do I hand it over without emailing files around?: Keep the packet in one organized set of folders so you share a single, complete reference rather than a stream of forwarded emails, and so nothing is missed or duplicated in the back-and-forth.

This organizes, it does not advise

Cash Workspace organizes the records you hand to an accountant or bookkeeper; it is not accounting software and does not provide accounting advice. Your accountant remains the source of professional guidance — a clean, complete packet just means fewer billed hours spent chasing documents.

Organize your accountant handoff records

Cash Workspace is a free place for grant writers to keep records and their files organized. Start a workspace and set it up your way.