Purchase orders your board and auditors can trust.
Every purchase is approved before money is committed, charged to the right program or grant budget, and backed by a full audit trail. Simple enough for staff and volunteers to use.
| PO No | Summary · Budget | Status | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-512 | Summer camp suppliesYouth program · 2026 | Pending Approval | 1,850.00 |
| 2026-511 | Food pantry restockCommunity outreach · 2026 | Approved | 2,240.00 |
| 2026-510 | Workshop printingEducation grant · 2026 | Approved | 640.00 |
| 2026-509 | Sound system repairFacilities · 2026 | In Progress | 980.00 |
Without a purchasing system, spending is hard to account for.
In many organizations, purchases are made first and the receipts are handed in later, and the treasurer pieces it all together at the end of the month.
Spending approved after the fact
By the time a receipt reaches the treasurer, the money is already spent.
With Expeni: each purchase is approved before money is committed.
One person controls the whole purchase
The same person can order, approve and pay, which is a risk for any organization.
With Expeni: segregation of duties, so requesters can be blocked from approving their own orders.
Board and audit questions take days
Showing what a grant or program was spent on means searching emails and paper files.
With Expeni: a full audit trail on every PO, with the receipts attached, and POs exportable to CSV.
How a purchase moves through Expeni
- Program or ministry leadRaises a purchase order against the program or grant budget, with the quote attached.
- Director or pastorGets an email and approves from a phone, within their own approval limit.
- Treasurer or finance committeeApproves orders above the director's limit. The PO can go to the supplier automatically as a PDF.
- BookkeeperRecords goods received, matches the supplier invoice to the PO and records the payment.
Made for organizations that answer to a board
Clear controls for the treasurer, without a big software project.
Budgets per program, ministry or grant
Each budget shows committed spend (approved and pending POs) and what is left. Lock a budget when a grant is used up.
Approval limits and segregation of duties
Directors approve within their limit and the treasurer approves larger orders. Requesters can be blocked from approving their own orders.
Quotes and receipts attached
Attach quotes, receipts and invoices to each order, and make an attachment required if you need one on every PO.
An audit trail for the board and auditors
Every PO creation, edit, approval, email and delivery is logged with who and when. Export your POs to CSV.
Staff expense claims
Staff claim back what they paid themselves, with receipts and GL accounts, through the same approvals.
Recurring costs on repeat
Rent, utilities and service contracts are raised as recurring purchase orders and sent for approval.
purchase orders raised by one church in Expeni since 2017. Another nonprofit manages more than 600 budgets.
Questions charities and churches ask
Can each program, ministry or grant have its own budget?
Yes. Create a budget for each program, ministry, grant or event for the fiscal year, and every purchase order is raised against one of them.
Can our board members or treasurer approve from home?
Yes. Approvers get an email for each purchase order and approve from any device with a browser, within their own approval limit.
Can we require a receipt or quote with every order?
Yes. You can make an attachment required when a purchase order is created, so every order carries its quote or receipt.
Can staff claim back expenses they paid themselves?
Yes. Staff submit expense claims with receipts and GL accounts, and they go through approval like purchase orders.
See Expeni set up for your organization
We'll show you budgets, approvals and the audit trail for your programs in a live demo.