Take the books with you

If you leave Steward, the journal can go to QuickBooks or to a workbook. Nothing is uploaded. The file downloads to this computer.

QuickBooks Online

  1. Import the chart of accounts.
  2. Import customers, then vendors. Journal names have to exist first.
  3. Turn on class tracking and add a class for each fund below. Locations are programs — optional.
  4. New → Journal entry → Import. Map the journal columns. Leave nothing else required.

QuickBooks Desktop

One IIF file carries the chart, classes, customers, vendors, and journal. File → Utilities → Import → IIF Files.

QuickBooks has no field for donor restrictions. A class is only a name. The workbook's Funds sheet says which class is purpose-restricted, perpetual, or board-designated. Keep that sheet with the file.

Journal entries

39

Accounts

37

Donors

5

Vendors

10

Activity from 2026-06-30 through 2026-09-24. The download is the whole journal, not just the period in the header.

Classes to create

Each fund becomes a QuickBooks class. Create them before the journal import, or Desktop will create them from the IIF.

  • Operating · Unrestricted
  • Board reserve · Unrestricted · Board
  • Youth Scholars · Purpose-restricted
  • Food Access · Purpose-restricted
  • Housing Stability · Purpose-restricted
  • Endowment · Perpetual

Excel workbook

Chart, journal, trial balance, funds, gifts, grants, bills, and the budget. Dollars are numbers, so a column can be summed.

Journal for QuickBooks Online

CSV with Journal No., date, account, debits, credits, description, name, class, and location.

Chart of accounts

Account number, name, QuickBooks type, and detail type.

Customers

Donors. Import these before the journal so gift names resolve.

Vendors

Import these before the journal so bills sit on accounts payable.

QuickBooks Desktop IIF

Chart, classes, customers, vendors, and journal in one file.

Steward backup

JSON. This is the file to keep if you might come back — gifts, grants, open bills, and the budget restore with it.

Come back with a backup

A Steward backup replaces the books in this browser. A QuickBooks file does not restore here — use Import for that.