CherryBank University Training: accounting, invoices, VAT, expenses and AI finance workflows
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Module 10

Charity, VCSE, Grants And Restricted Funds

Teach fund accounting concepts through charity and VCSE workflows.

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Learning Goals

By the end of this module, learners should be able to complete the workflow in CherryBank and explain the accounting reason behind each important step.

  • Distinguish unrestricted and restricted funds.
  • Record grant income and funder requirements.
  • Tag expenses by project, campaign, donor and restricted fund.
  • Prepare donor and stewardship reports.

Lesson Plan

Use these lesson blocks for lecture delivery, live demo and class discussion.

VCSE structures

CIO, CIC, CLG, charitable trust and unincorporated association records have different identity and governance needs.

Restricted funds

Restricted income must be spent according to funder or donor restrictions and tracked separately from unrestricted funds.

Stewardship reporting

Donor and grant reporting explains how money was received, used and evidenced.

Step-By-Step Lab

This is the student-facing sequence for the practical class. Complete the steps in order, then capture the evidence listed below.

  1. Open the VCSE organisation profile and confirm the structure: CIC, CIO, CLG, trust or unincorporated association.
  2. Create a grant or donor income record with restrictions and reporting notes.
  3. Create project or campaign tags linked to the grant purpose.
  4. Enter expenses and tag them to the correct project and restricted fund.
  5. Review whether restricted money has been used only for the allowed purpose.
  6. Export the donor or stewardship report for trustee or funder review.

Classroom Run Sheet

Use this structure to teach the module in a repeatable classroom or lab session.

Explain
Explain this module Introduce the accounting concept first: customer, invoice, VAT, expense, fund, role or audit trail.
Demonstrate
Demonstrate this module Trainer performs the workflow once in CherryBank using a projected simulator account.
Practise
Practise this module Students complete the same workflow in their own VM tenant using seeded records.
Review
Review this module Students compare system outputs with expected accounting treatment and discuss errors.
Evidence
Evidence this module Students submit screenshots, exports, PDFs or short explanations for assessment.

Simulator Practice

These are the VM practice tasks for this module. They are written as student-facing tasks and can later be wired into a guided simulator checklist.

Practice Brief

  1. Set up a CIC or charity demo organisation.
  2. Record one restricted grant and one unrestricted donation.
  3. Tag expenses to a project and restricted fund.
  4. Export a donor or stewardship report for trustee review.

Knowledge Check

Use these questions for in-class review, a short quiz or a reflective workbook entry.

  1. What is the difference between restricted and unrestricted funds?
  2. Why do grants need project or fund tagging?
  3. What should a stewardship report help trustees or funders understand?

Assessment And Evidence

Students should submit proof that the workflow was completed and a short explanation of the decisions made.

Student Evidence

  • Submit a fund report and explain whether the fund is restricted or unrestricted.
  • Explain why charity records need more context than a normal invoice-only business.

Trainer Notes

  • Use a scenario where restricted funds cannot be used for general overheads.

Continue The Course

Move through the modules in order for a complete accounting, invoicing, compliance and AI finance workflow.

Module 8 4 hours

VAT, EU Goods Sales And Compliance Checks

Prepare VAT reviews, understand VAT boxes, check EU goods sale treatment and use compliance prompts.
Module 9 2 hours

Payroll Summary Packs

Prepare payroll review packs where the plan includes payroll features.
Module 11 3 hours

Governance, Roles, Audit And Admin Controls

Control access, review user verification, use bulk admin actions and understand audit trails.
Module 12 6 hours

Capstone: Month-End And Quarter-End Simulation

Students complete a full finance cycle from setup to reporting using seeded simulator data.