For MIP Fund Accounting, formerly Abila MIP
MIP bank reconciliation software for Abila MIP fund accounting teams
Your deposits are split across funds and grants in MIP but land as one line on the bank statement. Upload the statement and a MIP cash export and get back what cleared, what is missing and why the Unreconciled Difference is not zero.
No bank connection, no MIP add-on, nothing installed.
Try one month now. Files encrypted, demo files deleted after 24 hours.
Reconcile my MIP account
The short answer
MIP bank reconciliation happens in the Bank Reconciliation module, where you clear checks, deposits and other cash items until the Unreconciled Difference is 0.00, then lock it. Automatic matching needs a supported bank connection and works best on one-to-one amounts. Matching the statement against a MIP cash export first hands you the cleared list and the exceptions, so the module takes minutes.
Why a nonprofit cash account is harder to reconcile in MIP
Fund accounting is the reason you bought MIP, and it is also the reason the bank and the books rarely line up one to one. Four patterns cause most of the open items at month end.
Pooled cash
One deposit, several funds
A $9,850 deposit of donations and a grant draw is posted to three funds. The bank shows one credit, MIP shows three lines, and exact-amount matching finds nothing.
Processors
Online giving payouts
Donation platforms pay out net of fees, often for several gifts at once. Post the platform fee as its own line, or record the payout at net, and the gifts plus the fee add up to the bank credit.
Timing
Checks that sit for months
Vendor and stipend checks clear late or never, and the outstanding list grows until the auditors ask about it.
History
Unlocked periods move
If a finished reconciliation was never locked, a later entry dated into that month shifts the Balance Per Books and this month starts off.
How to reconcile a MIP bank account in four steps
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Export the cash GL code
Run a transaction listing or general ledger detail report filtered to the cash account for the statement month and export it to Excel. Keep the date, document number, description and either debit and credit columns or one signed amount. The fund and grant segments can stay in the file; they show up in the result as context.
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Get the statement
The PDF from online banking is enough, and so are CSV, XLSX, OFX, QFX, QBO, MT940 and CAMT.053 downloads. See supported formats.
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Six matching passes run
Exact amount and date, then check or document number, then amount inside a date window, then grouped matches where several MIP lines add up to one bank deposit to the cent, then duplicates and near matches such as transposed digits.
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Clear and lock in MIP
Filter the Checks and Vouchers, Deposits and Other Cash Items tabs and clear the matched items, post the bank fees and interest from the adjusting entries file, bring the Unreconciled Difference to 0.00, run the Detail report and lock the reconciliation.
OPERATING CASH, June
Statement vs MIP
| Date | MIP lines | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06/03 | Deposit 0612General, Youth Program, Grant 24-07 | 9,850.00 | Grouped |
| 06/10 | Check 5531Cleared 06/17 | -2,400.00 | Matched |
| 06/14 | Online giving payoutRecorded at the net payout | 3,177.42 | Matched |
| 06/21 | Check 5538Posted twice | -640.00 | Duplicate |
| 06/30 | Analysis feeNot in MIP | -48.50 | Adjust |
What you get back for each MIP cash account
Cleared list
What to clear, by document
Each bank line shows the MIP document it matched and the pass that matched it, so clearing in the module is filtering and ticking, not searching.
Fund splits
Deposits split by fund, solved
Combinations of up to six MIP lines from the 14 nearest by date are tested for an exact sum, the same engine as matching bank deposits to invoices.
Missing in MIP
Bank activity nobody posted
Analysis fees, interest, returned donor checks and chargebacks that are on the statement and not in the general ledger.
Duplicates
The same check twice
Equal amounts within seven days of each other are flagged, the usual shape of a voucher entered by hand and again from an import.
Outstanding items
Stale checks in one list
Uncleared checks carry to next month on their own and build the outstanding checks schedule the auditor asks for.
Audit file
A report that stays put
A PDF and XLSX bank reconciliation report per account per month for the board packet and the Single Audit binder.
Who uses it alongside MIP
Finance managers at grant-funded nonprofits
One or two people closing the month for an organization with federal and foundation grants, payroll and an operating account that sees hundreds of lines. The Starter plan covers one organization and three bank accounts for $49 a month.
Organizations with several entities
A parent organization with a foundation, a housing affiliate or chapters, each with its own accounts. The Business plan covers five organizations and 15 bank accounts, each in its own workspace with a status board for the close.
CPA firms that keep nonprofit books
Firms with nonprofit clients on MIP, QuickBooks and Sage Intacct reconcile all of them from exports in one place. See bank reconciliation for accountants.
Three ways to reconcile in MIP
| Task | Manual reconciliation | MIP automatic reconciliation | BankReconciler first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | None | A supported bank connection under Connect to Financial Institution | None, upload two files |
| Clearing items | Filtered and ticked by hand | Exact-amount matches suggested, then accepted or rejected | Matched list to copy, exceptions on top |
| Deposits split by fund | Added up on a calculator | Left in Unmatched Deposits when amounts differ | Exact subset sum across nearby lines |
| Finding the difference | By eye | By eye | Missing, doubled and mistyped lines listed |
| Report | Detail or Summary Reconciliation Report | Same | PDF and XLSX report plus the MIP one |
| Cost | Staff hours | Part of your MIP subscription, staff hours for the rest | From $49 a month, see pricing |
If your bank connects to MIP and most deposits are single gifts, automatic reconciliation may be all you need, and you should use it. The case for matching first is the account where deposits are split across funds, the bank that does not connect, the months you are behind before the audit, or the month the difference will not close. Organizations still choosing a system can read the best bank reconciliation software for nonprofits, and teams months behind should start with catch up bank reconciliation.
MIP bank reconciliation questions
How do you do a bank reconciliation in MIP?
Open the Bank Reconciliation module and add a reconciliation for the cash account with the statement ending date and the ending balance from the statement. Clear posted items on the Checks and Vouchers, Deposits and Other Cash Items tabs, and record bank errors on the Suspense Items tab. When the Unreconciled Difference reads 0.00, run the Detail or Summary report, save it and lock the reconciliation.
Does MIP have automatic bank reconciliation?
Yes, once a bank connection is set up under Module Setup, Connect to Financial Institution. Bank feed lines are compared with uncleared MIP items, mainly by exact amount, and you accept or reject each suggested match. If your bank is not supported, or a deposit was posted across several funds so the amounts do not match one to one, the clearing falls back to manual.
Why won't my MIP bank reconciliation balance?
The usual causes are a deposit recorded in several pieces by fund so no single line equals the bank credit, a check or voucher posted twice, a bank fee or interest not yet entered, or activity dated into a month that was reconciled but never locked, which moves the Balance Per Books. Matching the statement against a MIP cash export lists each of those lines by name.
Can I reconcile MIP without connecting my bank?
Yes. BankReconciler reads the PDF or downloaded statement and an Excel export of the cash GL code, so nothing connects to the bank or to the MIP database. You review the matched list and the exceptions, then clear the matched items in MIP's manual reconciliation and lock it as usual.
Is Abila MIP the same as MIP Fund Accounting?
Yes. The product long sold as Abila MIP Fund Accounting is now called MIP Fund Accounting, and the bank reconciliation workflow described here applies to it. Older desktop versions and the current release both produce a cash account export, which is all BankReconciler needs.
How much does it cost?
Starter is $49 a month or $288 a year for one organization, three bank accounts and 1,500 transactions a month. Business is $149 a month for five organizations and 15 accounts, and Firm is $399 a month for 25 organizations. You can run one real month before you pay.
Close the month before the board meeting
Upload last month's statement and a MIP cash export. Clear the account from a finished list.