Your first expense sync activates Spenddown’s real-time visibility into grant financials. Once your accounting system is connected and mapping is complete, Instrumentl begins pulling historical transactions into specified awards. This initial sync establishes your financial baseline, aligns accounting data with your funder-approved budget, and prepares your team to confidently review Budget vs. Actuals reporting.
Why use expense syncing in Spenddown?
Expense syncing creates a direct connection between your accounting system and your award budget.
Using this feature allows you to:
Automatically populate Budget vs. Actuals with real accounting data
Align accounting terminology with funder-approved budget categories
Identify uncategorized expenses early
Reduce manual reconciliation work
Establish a reliable financial baseline for reporting
Getting started
Your first sync occurs after:
Your accounting system is connected (learn how to connect Sage Intacct or QuickBooks Online to Instrumentl)
Grant identifiers are mapped
GL (general ledger) accounts are mapped
For multi-year grants, budget phases include valid start and end dates
Once these steps are complete, Instrumentl pulls transactions automatically.
What happens during your first expense sync?
During the initial sync, Instrumentl:
Pulls historical transactions associated with your selected grant dimension
Applies your GL-to-budget category mappings
Displays categorized totals in your Budget vs. Actuals view
You may observe:
Multiple months or years of historical expenses appearing at once
Some expenses categorized immediately
Some expenses marked as uncategorized
This behavior reflects the system establishing a complete historical baseline.
If no expenses appear
If transactions do not populate, confirm the following:
Your accounting system remains connected
Grant and GL mappings were saved
The correct grant-tracking dimension (Sage Intacct) or class/project (QuickBooks Online) was selected
Every budget phase includes both a start date and an end date
Important: Expenses will not sync unless every phase includes both a start and end date. Missing phase dates are the most common cause of first sync delays.
Understanding uncategorized expenses
Uncategorized expenses typically indicate:
A GL account was not mapped
A new GL account was introduced after setup
The transaction was not tagged with the selected grant dimension
To resolve:
Return to the mapping screen by clicking + Add Expense then QuickBooks Online or Sage Intacct
2. Assign the Uncategorized GL account to the appropriate budget category
3. Click Sync from QuickBooks Online or Sage Intacct
Expenses will update during the next sync cycle.
How to validate your first sync
During review, prioritize directional accuracy over exact penny-level reconciliation.
Confirm:
Expenses are assigned to the correct grant
Categories align logically with your approved budget structure
Totals broadly align with your accounting system
Phase dates are accurate
If discrepancies appear, verify tagging and mapping in your accounting system first.
Instrumentl reflects accounting data. Corrections must be made at the source system.
Important: Avoid double counting
If you previously entered planned expenses, review them after your first sync.
If a planned expense has posted to your accounting system:
Remove or update the planned entry
If not removed:
The expense may appear twice
The remaining balance may be artificially reduced
Instrumentl does not automatically reconcile planned and actual expenses.
Learn more in: Understanding planned expenses
Common first sync questions
Why did multiple months of expenses appear at once?
Instrumentl pulls historical transactions during the initial sync to establish a complete baseline.
Why do I not see any data?
If your reports are not showing any data, review the following:
Phase dates
Ensure the date range of your report aligns with when expenses were recorded in your accounting system. If your phase dates fall outside of when transactions occurred, no data will appear.
Grant dimension selection (Sage) / Class or Location mapping (QuickBooks Online)
Confirm that:
In Sage Intacct, you’ve selected the correct grant dimension used to tag transactions.
In QuickBooks Online, transactions are categorized using the correct Class or Location tied to the grant.
If the wrong dimension, class, or location is selected, the system will not pull in the expected data.
Saved mappings
Double-check that all grants are properly mapped to the correct GL accounts. Missing or incorrect mappings will prevent transactions from appearing in reports.
Does Instrumentl reconcile discrepancies automatically?
No. Instrumentl reflects your accounting system. Misclassified or incorrectly tagged transactions must be corrected in Sage Intacct or QuickBooks Online.
What success looks like
Your first sync is successful when:
Expenses populate in Budget vs. Actuals
Categories reflect your funder-approved structure
Remaining balance can be calculated confidently
No material discrepancies remain unexplained
Once validated, your team can begin generating Budget vs. Actuals reports.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or need assistance reviewing your first sync, message our friendly support team via the chat bubble when logged into your account, or email us at hello@instrumentl.com.
Related Articles
How to map grants and GL accounts
Understanding Budget vs. Actuals
Understanding planned expenses
Monthly reconciliation & planned expense cleanup