Key & Inventory Management

Keys and inventory is a single register for every key, instrument, furnishing and piece of equipment your church owns — and a simple way to lend those items out on a tracked contract. Instead of a paper logbook or a spreadsheet, you always know what you own, where it lives, what it is worth, and who currently has it. When something is on loan, ChurchDesk keeps the loan contract, chases overdue items by email for you, and records when each item comes back.

The feature has two connected parts. "Keys and inventory" is the register of items themselves. "Contracts" is where you issue loan slips to lend an item to a person and follow it until it is returned.

What you can do with it

• Keep one searchable list of keys, instruments, furnishings, IT equipment and other items.
• Record where each item lives, what it is worth, and — for keys — exactly what it opens.
• Lend an item to a contact on a tracked contract with a return deadline.
• Let ChurchDesk send overdue reminders automatically until the item is returned.
• Record returns, and flag items that come back damaged or are reported lost.

Availability

Keys and inventory is available in the "Finance Module" to churches on the relevant ChurchDesk subscription. It works for a single church and for Multi-parish organisations.

Content

• Add a new item to your inventory
• Item details, IDs and statuses
• Issue a contract to lend an item out
• Active loans, overdue reminders and signing
• Returns, lost and damaged items

Rights and roles

• Org. Admin: Full access. Can add, edit and dispose of items, issue and manage contracts, and see every item across the organisation.
• Multi-parish: In a Multi-parish organisation, users see the items and contracts belonging to their own parish.

Add a new item to your inventory

Start here whenever your church acquires a new key, instrument, furnishing or piece of equipment.

1. Go to module "Finance" and select "Inventory".
2. Select "+ New item" in the top right.
3. Enter a clear description at the top, for example "Master key, North wing".
4. Choose a Category (such as Keys, Instruments, Furnishings or IT equipment) and a matching Sub-category. The Sub-categories are fixed and cannot be customised.
5. Add your own Item ID — your existing label or number, such as "K-401". This is separate from the system ID (see the next section).
6. Add the Manufacturer / artist if relevant.
7. Set the Default location and what it opens — the building and room where the item lives when it is not on loan.
8. Add Specifications on estimated value for Insurance or replacement and Damages cost (Cost to rekey if lost) if needed.
9. Add a Loan deposit if needed.
10. Add Notes if needed.
11. Select "Save" to create the item.

You can record the essentials now and add more detail later — the panel notes that you can add further details after saving.

Extra fields for keys

When the category is Keys, the record includes an "Opens" field. Use it to list exactly what the key unlocks (for example the main church, the sacristy and the rear north door). You can select several entries.

Item details, IDs and statuses

Select "Details" on any row to open its full record. This is where you manage everything about a single item.

System ID and Item ID

Every item has two references, and it helps to know the difference.

• The System ID (for example "K-ZFA4P4") is assigned automatically by ChurchDesk when the item is saved. It is permanent and cannot be changed, so it always identifies that exact item. It can be find in the right upper corner of the preview section.
• The Item ID is your own optional label or number. Use it for the codes your church already has on its keys and equipment. If you leave the field blank, the system will automatically use the system ID.

Statuses

Each item shows a status so you can see its state at a glance:

• Damaged — returned or recorded as damaged.
• Disposed — thrown away, sorted out
• In inventory — held by the church and available to lend.
• Lost — reported lost.
• On loan — currently issued to a borrower on an active contract.
• Overdue loan — on loan and past its return deadline.

Dispose of an item

When your church no longer holds an item, use "Dispose" in the item record to remove it from the active inventory while keeping its history.

Issue a contract to lend an item out

A contract is the loan slip that records who borrowed an item and when it is due back. You can start one from "Contracts" with "Issue contract". There is two ways to draw up a contract.

Through the item:

1. Item — Pick the item to lend. Only items that are "In inventory" with no existing draft or active contract can be issued.
2. Borrower — Choose who is borrowing it. The borrower must already exist in your People list, and needs an email address so overdue reminders can be sent. You are set as the issuer by default.
3. Dates and notes — Set the issue date and the return deadline, choose whether a deposit applies, and add notes such as the purpose of the loan or the item's condition at handover.
4. Contract — Prepare the loan contract for signing (see the next section).
5. Activate — Confirm and activate the loan. The item's status changes to "On loan".

Through the contracts:

1. By clicking " + Issue a contract"

Active loans, overdue reminders and signing

The "Contracts" list shows every loan, with filters for Current, All, Active, Overdue, Drafts, Returned and Lost. Select "Details" on any contract to open it.

What a contract records

• The item, captured as a snapshot when the draft is created so the loan terms cannot change underneath it.
• The borrower's name, email, phone and address.
• The issuer, and the key dates: issued, return deadline and actual return.
• Any deposit, which is refunded on safe return.
• An activity log of everything that has happened on the loan.

Overdue reminders

If a loan passes its return deadline, ChurchDesk emails the borrower automatically. The first reminder goes out on the day the item becomes overdue, then weekly until it is returned. The issuer is copied in, and every reminder is recorded on the contract.

Signing and contract PDFs

You can download the contract as a PDF to either print for signature or request the signature by e-mail from the borrower. A loan that is waiting for the borrower to accept shows a "Signature pending" status.

EXAMPLE: A contract imported from an older system may show "No contract on record" — the original signed slip stays in the parish's own filing, and ChurchDesk simply tracks the loan.

Returns, lost and damaged items

When a loan ends, close it off from the contract record so the item's status updates correctly.

• "Mark returned" — records the item as returned. Its status goes back to "In inventory" and any deposit can be refunded.
• "Return as damaged" — records the item as returned but damaged, setting its status to "Damaged".
• "Borrower reports lost" — records the item as lost. Its status changes to "Lost", and the damages or replacement cost on the item record shows what it would cost to replace or re-key.

Keywords: keys, inventory, key management, asset management, equipment, instruments, furnishings, loan, contract, loan slip, borrow, lend, return, overdue, deposit, lost, damaged, dispose, item ID, location, parish property

Updated on: 28/08/2026