What makes warehouse management hard for NGOs?
Many NGO stores are small and spread out: a main warehouse, field offices, camp stores. Staff are few, items arrive in large batches, and relief goods may be given out fast. Without simple routines, the count on paper and the count on the shelf slowly drift apart. Then nobody can say how much is left, and donors ask for a reconciliation that takes weeks.
What is the basic flow?
Every item follows the same path:
- Receive. Check the delivery against the order and record what you accept. See the goods received note.
- Store. Put items in a marked place. Keep damaged or expired items apart.
- Record. Update the stock card or stock record for each receipt.
- Issue. Release items only against an approved request or distribution list. Record who received them.
- Count. Compare shelf and record on a schedule.
- Review. Look at slow-moving, near-expiry and low stock.
The record in step 3 is the one that most often falls behind. Receiving goods and updating stock are two separate acts.
What records do you need?
| Record | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Goods received note | Proof of what arrived |
| Stock card or stock record, per item and location | Running balance |
| Issue or release note | Who took what, when, for what project |
| Distribution list | Who received items, for relief items |
| Stock count sheet | Physical count and the difference |
| Write-off form | Damaged, lost or expired items, with approval |
Link each issue to a project or activity where you can. That is what lets you show a donor where items went.
How do you control access and issues?
- Keep the store locked, with a short list of people who hold keys.
- Separate duties where you can: the person who keeps the record is not the only person who handles the goods.
- Issue only against a signed request.
- Never issue “on credit” without a note.
- Keep a visitor log for the store.
In a very small office, one person may do everything. In that case, add an independent check: a manager counts a sample each month.
How do you stop waste?
Use FIFO or FEFO when you issue, and put the older stock at the front. Check expiry dates when you receive and again each month. Mark near-expiry items so programme staff can use or redistribute them early.
Also watch for stock that never moves. Items held for a project that has ended tie up space and may expire. Raise them with programme staff in time to reallocate. Our article on reorder points for relief stock covers the opposite problem: running out.
How often should you count?
Count some items often and all items at least once a year. A common pattern is a full count at year end, plus a rolling count of high-value or fast-moving items each month. Investigate every difference, even small ones. Read how to run a physical stock count for the steps.
A short example. A camp store holds 500 blankets on the stock card. A monthly spot count finds 480 on the shelf. The store officer checks the issue notes and finds that one distribution of 20 was never recorded. She adds it with a reference to the signed distribution list, and the difference is closed. Had nobody counted, the record would have stayed wrong, and the next order might have been placed on bad numbers. The count cost half an hour.
What should you do when stock moves between stores? Treat a transfer as an issue from one store and a receipt in the other, with one reference number. Both stores record it, and the sender follows up if the receiving note does not come back in an agreed time. Goods in transit should show on neither shelf count but should show on a transit list.
How do you handle donated items? Receive them the same way as purchased goods, record the source, and keep them separate if the donor attaches conditions. Our article on recording in-kind donations explains this in more detail.
What should you report to management? Keep it short. Each month, share the opening balance, receipts, issues and closing balance for key items, plus the count differences and the items near expiry. Add one line on actions: what will be reordered, moved or written off. A brief regular report makes problems visible while they are small and gives donors a clear picture when they ask where the items went.
Where EMPOBase fits
In EMPOBase, Logistics & SCM lets you record stock by location and review movement and distribution records, with project and activity references where available. It is built for warehouse-level detail, such as camps and field offices. A goods received note does not move stock; Inventory is a separate record that your store staff update. Check your records against physical counts and delivery evidence. See the platform overview for the wider set of modules.