The Second Administrator Requirement (Policy 5.2)

If you've seen a red banner reading "Your account needs a second System Administrator," this is the article for it. GoodBooks requires every organization that takes online donations to have at least two people who can administer the account: the account owner, plus one more active System Administrator who logs in now and then. Here's why, what the banner is counting, and how to clear it in about two minutes.

Why the rule exists

Nonprofits change treasurers. When the only administrator moves away, stops answering email, or passes away, the organization is locked out of its own books and its own donation processing, with donor money still flowing in. We have seen it happen. A second administrator is the cheapest insurance there is, and it's also what auditors and most boards expect.

What counts

The requirement is satisfied when your organization has a user who is:

1. Not the account owner (the owner is listed under Settings → Organization → Account Owner),
2. in the System Administrator permission group,
3. marked Account Active, and
4. has logged in within the last 180 days.

Bookkeepers, Donations Processors, and other groups don't count, however active they are. An outside accountant connected through Accountant Access doesn't count either; the second administrator has to be one of your own users.

How to clear the banner

Settings → Users → Add User. Enter their name and email, tick System Administrator under Permission Groups, and save. They receive an invitation to set a password. As soon as they log in once, the banner is gone and the clock resets.

Already have a second administrator? Then the banner means they haven't signed in for a while. Ask them to log in; nothing else is needed.

The timeline

Nothing happens quickly, and nothing happens without warning:

Suspension lifts automatically the moment a qualifying administrator logs in. There's nothing to request and no one to call.

Good to know

• Brand-new organizations get 30 days before the policy applies, so there's time to set up.
• During an organization's first 120 days, the banner stays hidden once you've added a second user of any kind, so you aren't nagged while you're still getting your team set up. The requirement itself doesn't change: by the time the reminders would start, that second person needs to be a System Administrator who has logged in.
• Dismiss for this session hides the banner until your next login. It doesn't change the clock.
• Organizations that don't process online donations aren't affected; the suspension only touches online payment pages.
• If you genuinely can't have a second administrator, contact support. Exemptions exist for special cases.