Creating accurate disclosure reports is essential for meeting your organization's compliance obligations with government agencies. These reports compile your financial activities—contributions received, expenditures made, debts incurred, and other transactions—into the specific format required by regulatory bodies. EveryAction streamlines this process by pulling data you've already entered into formatted reports ready for filing. Knowing how to generate these reports correctly helps you meet filing deadlines and ensure transparent reporting of your political activities.
Step 1: Access the reports section
Navigate to the Compliance or Disclosure section in EveryAction through the main menu. Look for a "Reports" tab or button and click to access the reporting interface. This area displays the various report types available for your organization based on your configuration and filing requirements. If you don't see the reports section or the specific report type you need, check with your administrator as you may need additional permissions or your system may require configuration for certain report types. Different organizations have different reporting obligations based on their registration status and activities.
Step 2: Select the appropriate report type
From the reports list, identify and select the specific report type you need to create. Common report types include quarterly reports, pre-election reports, year-end reports, monthly reports, or special reports for specific activities. The available options depend on your organization's registration type and the jurisdictions where you file. Each report type has specific requirements about what transactions to include and what time period to cover. Click on the appropriate report type to begin the creation process. If you're unsure which report to select, refer to your filing calendar or consult with your compliance officer.
Step 3: Define the reporting period and parameters
After selecting a report type, you'll need to specify the reporting period and other parameters. Enter the beginning and ending dates for the period covered by the report—these dates are typically predetermined by filing schedules but may need manual entry. Some reports require additional information such as election designation (primary, general, special), report type (original or amended), or specific filing identifiers. If you're creating an amended report, you may need to select the original report you're correcting and indicate what information is being amended. These details ensure your report is properly identified when filed with regulatory agencies.
Step 4: Generate and review the report
Once you've set all required parameters, click "Generate," "Create Report," or a similar button to compile your data into the report format. The system will process all relevant transactions from the specified period and organize them according to the report requirements. This may take a few moments for reports with extensive data. When processing completes, you'll typically see a preview of the report showing summary totals and possibly detailed transaction listings. Thoroughly review this information for accuracy and completeness. Pay special attention to summary totals, beginning and ending cash balances, and any transactions flagged with warnings or errors that might indicate data issues needing correction.
Step 5: Address errors and finalize the report
If the system identifies errors or warnings in your report, address these issues before finalizing. Common problems include missing information on transactions, categorization issues, or balance discrepancies. Click on the error messages to see details about the affected transactions. Navigate to the appropriate section (contributions, expenditures, etc.) to make any necessary corrections to the underlying data. After making corrections, regenerate the report to verify the issues are resolved. Once the report is error-free, look for options to export it in the required filing format—this may be a PDF for printing, an electronic file for upload to a filing system, or direct electronic filing if your system supports it. Save a copy of the final report for your records before submission to the regulatory agency.
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