Walking Through the Setup Wizard

Overview

When you sign up for NP Ledger, the setup wizard walks you through creating your organization step by step. First you'll tell us where your books live today. Then you'll name your organization, set up your chart of accounts, add bank accounts, create restricted funds, and optionally import existing data. The whole process takes about 5–10 minutes.

Why This Matters

The setup wizard creates the foundation your books will be built on: your chart of accounts structure, fund categories, and bank accounts. Getting these right from the start saves time later. Don't worry if you're not sure about every detail: you can add, rename, or reorganize everything after setup.

Before You Start

• You need an NP Ledger account (sign up at the login page if you don't have one)
• Have your organization's basic info handy: name, EIN (optional), and fiscal year start month
• If migrating from another system, the Files to gather page (Step 1) lists each file to get ready and exactly where to find it

Steps

Step 1: Tell us where you're coming from

1. Pick the answer that fits: QuickBooks (Online or Desktop), Xero, Wave or other accounting software, spreadsheets or CSV files, paper or manual records, or "We're brand new, no prior bookkeeping."
2. If you pick spreadsheets, say whether you already have a chart of accounts.
3. Click Continue. If you have files to import, you land on Files to gather. It lists each file, the click path in your software, and why we want it.
4. Check off each file as you get it ready, then click Start Onboarding. Paper and brand-new organizations skip this page.

Tip: Missing a file? You can still start and add it later. Your ticks are saved when you click the button, so they're there when you come back.

Want to see the list again? Click Step N of 9 at the top of any page to open Your setup. It lists all nine steps. Click Files to gather on the first row to reopen the list.

Using QuickBooks Desktop? Click Show the Desktop steps on the Files page and the click paths switch. QuickBooks Desktop has no report called Journal, so the page points you to the General Ledger instead.

The Files page names dates in words, like "first day of your current fiscal year to today," because you haven't picked your fiscal year yet. The steps that take each file show the exact dates.

Step 2: Create your organization

1. Enter your organization name. This is the display name you and your team will see throughout NP Ledger.
2. Optionally fill in:
   • Legal name: your organization's formal legal name, if different from the display name
   • EIN: your Employer Identification Number (format: XX-XXXXXXX), used for Form 990 reporting
   • Mailing address: street, city, state, and ZIP, helpful for tax filings
3. Choose your currency: defaults to USD.
4. Select your fiscal year start month. Most nonprofits use July (July–June fiscal year) or January (calendar year). This determines how your accounting periods are organized.
5. Click Continue.

Tip: Not sure which fiscal year to pick? Many nonprofits use July–June because grant cycles often align with fiscal years that don't match the calendar year. If you're new, January–December (calendar year) is the simplest option.

Step 3: Set up your chart of accounts

The chart of accounts page has two tabs, and you can switch between them without losing your place:

Tab 1: Use a template (recommended for most organizations)

1. Pick one of three templates:
   • Small Nonprofit: a general-purpose chart with about 25 accounts covering common categories like donations, grants, salaries, rent, and office supplies
   • Church / Ministry: tailored for faith-based organizations with accounts for tithes, offerings, missions, and building funds
   • Arts / Cultural: designed for theaters, museums, and arts organizations with accounts for ticket sales, artist fees, and production costs
2. Click Continue. The template creates your full chart of accounts instantly. You can customize it later.

Tab 2: Import from CSV (for migrations)

If you're moving from QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, or another accounting tool:

1. Switch to the "Import from CSV" tab.
2. Upload your chart of accounts CSV. The system auto-detects common column names (Account, Name, Type, Code). Expand the instructions panel for export steps specific to your old system.
3. Review the preview. Each account shows its detected type (asset, liability, revenue, expense, etc.). If any types were guessed, they're flagged. You can correct them inline using the dropdown.
4. Click Import. Your accounts are created with the correct types and GL codes.

Coming from QuickBooks? The page names the Account List you export (that's your chart of accounts) and has a How to export it link.

Step 4: Import contacts (optional)

1. Upload a contacts CSV with columns for name, email, phone, address, role (supporter, vendor, or both), and donor category (individual, corporate, foundation, government).
2. Review the preview: duplicate names are highlighted with a warning badge.
3. Click Import.

Tip: This step is optional. Click Skip for now if you'd rather add contacts later from the Supporters or Vendors pages.

Step 5: Add your bank accounts

1. Check the rows we filled in. If you brought your books over from QuickBooks, each cash account we found has a row already. Fix the type if it's wrong, or Remove a row you don't want. Otherwise, enter a name for each bank account (e.g., "Main Checking," "Savings").
2. Choose the account type: Checking, Savings, Cash, PayPal, Venmo, Stripe, Credit Card, or Other. An account at Mercury or another online bank is Checking or Savings.
3. Optionally enter the institution name (e.g., "Chase Bank") and last 4 digits of the account number.
4. Click "+ Add another account" to add more.
5. Click Continue.

Each bank account automatically gets a matching ledger account in your chart of accounts.

Tip: You can skip this step and add bank accounts later, but having at least one makes it easier to record transactions right away.

Step 6: Set up restricted funds

NP Ledger automatically creates a General Fund for your unrestricted money. This step lets you add restricted funds if you need them.

1. Review the General Fund card — it's already created and ready to use.
2. Add restricted funds if you have grants, donor-restricted gifts, or pass-through donations that need separate tracking:
   • Enter a fund name (e.g., "Building Fund," "Youth Program Grant")
   • Choose a purpose:
     • For our programs: money restricted for your organization's use
     • Pass-through: money you're holding on behalf of another organization (automatically creates a liability account for tracking)
   • If "For our programs," choose a restriction type: purpose-restricted, time-restricted, or both
3. Click Continue.

Tip: If you're not sure whether you need restricted funds, skip this step. You can create funds at any time from the Funds page. Most small nonprofits start with just the General Fund.

Step 7: Import history (optional)

If you have transactions from your old system:

1. Upload your transactions file. The page names the report to export (from QuickBooks, the Journal), the exact dates to use (your fiscal year start to today), and has a How to export it link with the click path.
2. Click Upload. The button turns on once you've picked a file. You get a preview before anything is saved.
3. Or click Skip for now: you can use Spreadsheet Import anytime from the sidebar.

Tip: You need at least one bank account before importing transactions. If you skipped Step 5, go back and add one first.

Migrating from QuickBooks? If you import a QuickBooks General Ledger export that includes a Class column, the preview adds a Class → Fund mapping step. QuickBooks has no real funds, so many nonprofits track fund restrictions with Classes. This step maps each class to an NP Ledger fund (or creates one inline) so your history lands in the right funds instead of all going to the General Fund. See Mapping QuickBooks Classes to Funds.

Multi-year history with renumbered accounts? If your QuickBooks chart of accounts was renumbered or restructured over the years, the GL export carries each account's old code. The preview adds an Account Code Mapping step that lists every retired code that doesn't match your current accounts and lets you map each one to its current account — once. NP Ledger remembers the mapping and reuses it on every later import. See Mapping Historical Account Codes. On an import that needs both, resolve the account codes first, then the classes.

Step 8: Opening balances (optional)

This step records what each account held on the day before your start date, so your books begin in the right place. It's most useful if you're moving over from another system. If you skip it, your accounts start at $0.00.

1. Upload your Trial Balance. A Trial Balance is a report that lists every account and its balance on one date. Run it as of the day before your start date (the page shows that date), save it as Excel or CSV, and upload it. Don't have one? Download the template, fill in the Debit or Credit column for each account, and upload that.
2. Answer the questions, if there are any. We work out what we can: which side each balance sits on, which rows are income or expenses (those start fresh, so we leave them out and tell you how many), and where this year's result goes in your net assets. When we can't know something, like a row that matches no account in your chart or how much donors still restrict, we ask one plain question and show what we saw in your file. The moment you choose an answer, a line under the question tells you whether your totals now match.
3. Check the list and press Record opening balances. It's one entry, posted once.
4. If the totals don't match, the page shows how far off you are and looks for the cause. It names the likely one when it finds it, like a row you left out or a figure with two digits swapped, and you pick what to do. If you can't find it, Can't find it? lets you add the difference to net assets.

No file? Type the balances instead. They go through the same check page.

Made a mistake after recording? Opening balances are posted once. Once setup is finished, fix them with a journal entry from Transactions → New Journal Entry, and your year-end accountant can help.

Accountant note: Opening balances create one journal entry dated as of the start date with debits to asset accounts and credits to liability and net asset accounts. The year's income and expenses in a Trial Balance are not posted. Their net result is added to net assets without donor restrictions, the way QuickBooks does when a new fiscal year starts. If the totals still don't match and you use Add it to net assets, the difference lands in net assets without donor restrictions.

Step 9: Invite your team (optional)

1. Review the tips about inviting your team and enabling two-factor authentication.
2. Click Finish setup (or Skip for now if you're setting things up on your own).

Final: Review & go to dashboard

After the invite step, NP Ledger shows a Finish Setup summary that lists what you completed and what you skipped. Each skipped step has a Finish now deep link so you can come back later without losing your place. When you're happy with the summary, click Go to dashboard.

Note: If an Opening Balance Equity balance is sitting on your books, the dashboard shows a banner reminding you to move it to the right net asset accounts. Click Resolve to see it.

Look for the Getting Started checklist on your dashboard for guided next steps.

Resuming an incomplete setup

If you leave the wizard before finishing, you can pick up where you left off:

• Log in and visit the setup page: the wizard shows a checklist of completed and remaining steps
• Click the next incomplete step to resume from there
• Your previously entered data (organization, accounts, funds) is saved

What to Check

• Your organization name and fiscal year appear correctly in the sidebar
• Your chart of accounts is visible at Accounting > Chart of Accounts
• Bank accounts appear in Bank & Cash
• Funds appear on the Funds page (at minimum, the General Fund)
• The Getting Started checklist appears on your dashboard

Common Mistakes

• Wrong fiscal year start month: You can change this later at Organization > Settings, but it's easier to get it right during setup. Check with your board or accountant if you're not sure.
• Skipping bank accounts: Without at least one bank account, you can't record most transactions. Add one even if you plan to set up bank feeds later. Skipped steps show up on the Finish Setup summary so you can come back to them.
• Importing an incompatible CSV: The chart of accounts import expects columns like Account, Name, and Type. If your export has a different format, check the instructions panel on the import page for your specific provider.
• Unbalanced opening balances: If your Trial Balance doesn't balance, check that you ran it as of the day before your start date, from the same books. The check page finds the likely cause for you. It's fine to ask your accountant before you press Record.