Glossary
Fund Accounting

Encumbrance

By: Alec Hollingsworth
Updated:  
June 2, 2025

DEFINITION:

An encumbrance is a reservation of funds for future expenses, helping nonprofits manage and control their budgets effectively.
An encumbrance in fund accounting represents a commitment to spend funds in the future based on approved purchase orders, contracts, or other obligations. This accounting mechanism sets aside or reserves a portion of an organization's available budget to ensure that funds are available when the obligation is fulfilled. Encumbrances help organizations monitor and control spending before actual expenses are incurred, providing greater transparency and preventing overspending. In nonprofits and government entities, tracking encumbrances is crucial for effective budget management and accountability over restricted and unrestricted funds.

Key Takeaways

  • Encumbrances reserve funds for future obligations.
  • They help prevent overspending and improve transparency.
  • Common in nonprofit and government accounting.
  • Tracked alongside actual expenses to monitor budgets.

Why It Matters

Encumbrances help nonprofits avoid overspending and ensure financial accountability.

Real World Example

Imagine a nonprofit is planning to purchase new computers for its staff. Once the purchase order is approved, the accounting team records an encumbrance for the total cost of the computers. This reduces the available budget for other expenses, even though the actual payment hasn't been made yet. When the computers are delivered and the invoice is paid, the encumbrance is cleared, and the actual expense is recorded. By tracking encumbrances, the nonprofit ensures that it does not accidentally spend funds allocated for this purpose on something else, maintaining responsible stewardship of its resources and adhering to its approved budget.

How Aplos Helps

Aplos allows nonprofits to track encumbrances within their fund accounting system, making it easy to reserve funds for future obligations. This helps users maintain accurate budgets, monitor available balances, and ensure that financial commitments are visible and managed proactively.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is an encumbrance in nonprofit accounting?

An encumbrance is a commitment to spend funds in the future, such as through a purchase order or contract, before the actual payment is made.

How does tracking encumbrances help budget management?

Tracking encumbrances reserves part of the budget for specific obligations, helping organizations avoid overspending and maintain accurate financial records.

How are encumbrances recorded in Aplos?

Aplos enables users to record and monitor encumbrances within their fund accounting system, making it easy to track reserved funds and manage budgets effectively.

Do encumbrances affect fund balances?

Yes, encumbrances reduce the available fund balance by reserving funds for future commitments until the obligation is fulfilled or cancelled.