Public charities should spend at least a minimal amount of time each day, week, month or quarter to track finances and project time. This pays off in the long run, particularly for smaller charities that engage in advocacy and operate on limited budgets. Good recordkeeping helps an organization report how grant dollars were spent, and demonstrate the quantitative and qualitative work of the organization. Below are some timesheets public charities have found useful to track their lobbying costs for staff time.
Timesheets for 501(c)(3) organizations
Timesheets for 501(c)(3) organizations that have an affiliated 501(c)(4) — or vice versa