Mapping links your accounting data to the funder-approved budget in Instrumentl. Once set up, Spenddown automatically categorizes expenses and keeps your grant spending in sync with your accounting records.
This gives your team a clear view of how funds are being used without manual tracking.
Why use mapping in Spenddown?
Mapping ensures that expense categories from your accounting system are correctly matched to your grant budget categories as transactions sync into Spenddown.
Once mapping is configured, you can:
Automatically route expenses to the correct grant
Match GL accounts with funder-defined budget categories
Eliminate manual expense reclassification
Maintain an accurate Budget vs. Actuals view
Keep expenses syncing automatically without monthly remapping
Once mapping is complete, Spenddown can automatically organize expenses as they sync from your accounting system.
Getting started
Before you begin, make sure the following are in place:
Your accounting system is connected
Your funder-approved grant budget has been uploaded and reviewed
All budget phases (for multi-year grants) include both a start date and end date
Important: Expenses will not sync if any budget phase is missing a start or end date.
Step 1: Link the grant to your accounting system
Navigate to the grant’s Financials tab
Click + Add Expenses
Select Sage Intacct or QuickBooks Online
4. Link this award to its matching record in Sage Intacct or QuickBooks Online
This step tells Instrumentl which accounting transactions belong to the specific grant.
Step 2: Map GL accounts to budget categories
Next, map your General Ledger (GL) accounts to the parsed budget categories.
On the mapping screen, you will see:
Left side: GL accounts from your accounting system
Right side: Budget categories from your uploaded grant budget
To complete mapping:
For each GL account, choose the corresponding budget category from the dropdown
2. Confirm all fields are mapped correctly
3. Click Sync from Sage Intacct or QuickBooks Online at the bottom
You only need to map each GL account once per grant. After saving, new expenses tagged to those GL accounts will automatically populate in the selected budget category.
Optional: Limit GL account date ranges
You may specify minimum and maximum date values for GL account syncing.
This allows you to:
Restrict historical transaction imports
Align syncing with the award period
Reduce irrelevant expenses from appearing in Spenddown
You can also define custom date ranges. Define date parameters carefully to ensure all intended transactions are included.
Best practices for clean mapping
Follow these recommendations to reduce errors and keep your reporting accurate.
Start with one grant
Complete mapping for a single, well-structured award before configuring additional grants. This helps validate your setup before scaling to other grants.
Avoid duplicate mappings
Do not map the same GL account to multiple budget categories.
Duplicate mappings may result in:
Double counting
Inflated totals
Confusing Budget vs. Actuals reporting
Focus on directional accuracy
Your first sync does not need to reconcile perfectly. Prioritize:
Correct grant assignment
Logical category alignment
Clear financial visibility
You can fine-tune mappings after the initial sync.
What happens after mapping?
Once mapping is complete:
Instrumentl begins pulling expenses from your accounting system
Transactions populate in your Budget vs. Actuals view
Totals appear under the selected budget categories
If transactions do not appear, confirm:
Why use mapping in Spenddown?
Mapping ensures that expense categories from your accounting system are correctly matched to your grant budget categories as transactions sync into Spenddown.
Once mapping is configured, you can:
Automatically route expenses to the correct grant
Match GL accounts with funder-defined budget categories
Eliminate manual expense reclassification
Maintain an accurate Budget vs. Actuals view
Keep expenses syncing automatically without monthly remapping
Once mapping is complete, Spenddown can automatically organize expenses as they sync from your accounting system.
Getting started
Before you begin, make sure the following are in place:
Your accounting system is connected
Your funder-approved grant budget has been uploaded and reviewed
All budget phases (for multi-year grants) include both a start date and end date
Important: Expenses will not sync if any budget phase is missing a start or end date.
Step 1: Link the grant to your accounting system
Navigate to the grant’s Financials tab
Click + Add Expenses
Select Sage Intacct or QuickBooks Online
4. Link this award to its matching record in Sage Intacct or QuickBooks Online
This step tells Instrumentl which accounting transactions belong to the specific grant.
Step 2: Map GL accounts to budget categories
Next, map your General Ledger (GL) accounts to the parsed budget categories.
On the mapping screen, you will see:
Left side: GL accounts from your accounting system
Right side: Budget categories from your uploaded grant budget
To complete mapping:
For each GL account, choose the corresponding budget category from the dropdown
2. Confirm all fields are mapped correctly
3. Click Sync from Sage Intacct or QuickBooks Online at the bottom
You only need to map each GL account once per grant. After saving, new expenses tagged to those GL accounts will automatically populate in the selected budget category.
Optional: Limit GL account date ranges
You may specify minimum and maximum date values for GL account syncing.
This allows you to:
Restrict historical transaction imports
Align syncing with the award period
Reduce irrelevant expenses from appearing in Spenddown
You can also define custom date ranges. Define date parameters carefully to ensure all intended transactions are included.
Best practices for clean mapping
Follow these recommendations to reduce errors and keep your reporting accurate.
Start with one grant
Complete mapping for a single, well-structured award before configuring additional grants. This helps validate your setup before scaling to other grants.
Avoid duplicate mappings
Do not map the same GL account to multiple budget categories.
Duplicate mappings may result in:
Double counting
Inflated totals
Confusing Budget vs. Actuals reporting
Focus on directional accuracy
Your first sync does not need to reconcile perfectly. Prioritize:
Correct grant assignment
Logical category alignment
Clear financial visibility
You can fine-tune mappings after the initial sync.
What happens after mapping?
Once mapping is complete:
Instrumentl begins pulling expenses from your accounting system
Transactions populate in your Budget vs. Actuals view
Totals appear under the selected budget categories
If transactions do not appear, confirm:
Sync from Sage Intacct or QuickBooks Online was clicked after completing mapping
The grant is linked to the correct record in your accounting system
All budget phases include correct start and end dates
Common mapping questions
Can I change mappings later?
Yes. You may update mappings. Changes will apply to future syncs and may affect how historical transactions are displayed.
Do I need to remap every month?
No. Mapping is a one-time setup per grant unless your accounting structure changes.
Why do I see uncategorized expenses?
Uncategorized expenses typically indicate:
A GL account was not mapped
A new account was introduced after setup
Return to the mapping screen and assign the appropriate category.
What success looks like
Mapping is working correctly when:
Expenses appear in Budget vs. Actuals
Totals align directionally with your accounting system
Budget categories reflect your funder-approved structure
Your team can clearly evaluate spend against budget
Next, review your first expense sync to validate results and begin reporting.
Once your first sync looks correct, Spenddown will continue pulling and categorizing expenses automatically.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about mapping or notice unexpected totals, message our friendly support team via the chat bubble when logged into your account, or email us at hello@instrumentl.com.
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