Have you been looking for a great accounting software for your nonprofit organization? Go into this topic and discover how to pick the best accounting software for nonprofits from different companies.
There are many accounting software options for nonprofits in the market. But which is the best solution that will help you to reduce your workload? That’s why I’ve put together this guide reviewing popular software solutions.
Aplos: Best Fund Accounting Software For Small Nonprofits
Aplos is a comprehensive cloud-based fund accounting program for nonprofits and churches. This software has received strong customer reviews across the board from nonprofits around the world. It has a solid reputation in the nonprofit world and for good reason.
Aplos is well-organized and easy to use. Aplos offers numerous tools for managing donations and gifts, managing donors and your team, and giving you the reports you need for complete transparency. The program supports multiple organizations and offers free, unlimited phone and email support.
Pros
- Competitive pricing
- Numerous nonprofit-specific features
- Excellent public reputation
Cons
- May not be suitable for larger nonprofits
Aplos Features
Not only does Aplos get things right in terms of accounting, but it also has plenty of features to make nonprofits run more smoothly. Here is a taste of Aplos’ offerings:
- Fund accounting
- Chart of accounts
- Bank reconciliation
- Journal entries
- Reporting
- Manage contributions and donations
- Customizable donations page
- Recurring donations
- Gifts
- Contribution statements
- Fixed assets or allocations
- Tax support for 1099s and 990s
Aplos Pricing
The Aplos Suite costs $59/month, or you can purchase the software plus Text to Give for $79/month. The Aplos Suite plus Advanced Accounting starts at $159/month. A 15-day free trial is available, and new customers are eligible for discounts when signing up. You can also talk to Aplos about a personalized accounting solution with add-ons including payroll, advanced events, prepaid cards, and bookkeeping services.
Aplos is ideal for small nonprofits and churches in need of cheap nonprofit accounting software. Larger nonprofits will most likely find the software too simple for their complex requirements unless they go with the Advanced Accounting plan. The robust features, strong security, and affordable pricing make this software a good choice for nonprofits looking to manage their donations and expenses.
Nonprofit+: Best Fund Accounting Software For Large Nonprofits
Nonprofit+ is a full ERP that integrates directly with Acumatica to bring nonprofits strong fund accounting and donor management, on top of typical accounting features, such as expense tracking, accounts payable, account receivable time tracking, and more.
One of the best parts about Nonprofit+ is that the UI is incredibly customizable. There are also tons of integration options and built-in customer support. Because it’s a full ERP, the software is on the expensive side, but for larger organizations that want strong fund accounting, Nonprofit+ could be a good choice.
Pros
- Numerous integrations
- Customizable
- Suitable for large organizations
Cons
- Expensive
Nonprofit+ Features
Some of the standout features of Nonprofit+ include:
- Fund accounting
- Grant management
- Encumbrance accounting
- Contact management
- Volunteer management
- Program management
- Reports
- Report writer
Nonprofit+ Pricing
Like most ERPs, Nonprofit+ does not disclose pricing on its website. Custom quotes are created for each individual organization. Contact Nonprofit+ directly for a quote or a free tour of the product.
Nonprofit+ could be a good solution for medium to large nonprofits that are looking for full fund accounting and grant management. The software could also work for smaller, growing organizations that are willing to pay the cost to make sure their grants are handled correctly. Nonprofit+ can be expensive and is not ideal for small organizations. Before committing to the hefty price tag, we highly recommend comparing Nonprofit+ with the other ERPs to ensure that you get the most bang for your buck.
Breeze: Best For Church Management
Make managing your church a breeze with Breeze Church Management Software. Breeze was designed specifically to be a functioning, affordable church management software option for small to medium-sized churches. Of all the church software we researched, Breeze offered the most modern UI, practical features, and affordable pricing. The software is also incredibly easy to use.
Since Breeze isn’t traditional accounting software, it lacks features such as expense tracking or payroll. However, Breeze does integrate with QuickBooks and Freshbooks. It also integrates with a number of other software and apps, including Slack and Toggl.
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Supports unlimited users
Cons
- Not traditional accounting software
Breeze Features
Breeze offers great features that address the specific needs of churches very well. Here are some of the most notable features:
- Donation management
- Pledges
- Event management
- Event registration
- Children’s ministry check-in
- Contact management
- Volunteer management
- Contact groups
- Built-in emailing and texting
- Online giving
- Reports
- Year-end statements
- Print directories
- Custom forms
Breeze Pricing
Breeze has a simple pricing structure, with a single plan priced at just $50/month. This includes all features and supports unlimited users. There are no contracts or hidden fees. If you want to try before you buy, a demo is available on the company’s website.
Breeze is one of the best options for small to medium churches that you’ll find. It offers an impressive number of features that are beneficial to churches at one affordable price. And while it isn’t traditional accounting software, it does integrate with two of the top accounting software options on the market today, helping you manage your church and finances more effectively.
Zoho Books: Best For Donor & Volunteer Management
Zoho Books boasts strong accounting, beautiful invoicing, international support, and enough other features to rival QuickBooks Online. While Zoho Books doesn’t have nonprofit features built-in, there are two nonprofit modules found in the Zoho Marketplace: Donor Management and Volunteer Portal.
These two add-ons are completely free, making Zoho Books a very affordable option for small nonprofits and startup nonprofits that need strong accounting but don’t yet require extra features.
Pros
- Free nonprofit modules
- Numerous accounting features
- Free plan available
- Easy to use
Cons
- Not suitable for large nonprofits
Zoho Books Features
With Zoho Books, you’ll get plenty of great accounting features including invoicing, inventory, expense tracking, mileage tracking, and more. You can get even more from the software by using one of its add-ons for your nonprofit.
With the Donor Management add-on, you have access to:
- Database of donors, volunteers, and visitors
- Manage donations
- Request donations
- Donation application
With the Volunteer Portal add-on, you get these features:
- Contact management
- Donor management
- Volunteer management
- Manage volunteer tasks
- Event planning
- Event registration
- Reports
Zoho Books Pricing
Zoho Books has four plans, including a new plan that’s completely free. If you want access to more features and users, you will have to upgrade to a paid plan. Paid plans range from $20/month to $70/month, although you can get a discount by paying annually. Both the Donor Management and Volunteer Portal add-ons are completely free and can be found in the Zoho Books Marketplace.
Zoho Books is a great option for new/small nonprofits that need strong accounting as well as donor or volunteer management. This cloud-based accounting nonprofit accounting software is easy to use and offers strong mobile apps. Many larger nonprofits will find this option too limited, but for nonprofits looking for an affordable way to keep the books, this could be the way to go.
Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT Reviews
Pros
“Interfaces with our Fund Raising software (Raiser’s Edge, I am equally thrilled with that too, and mostly for the same reasons cited herein).”
“I love the fact that you can create journal entries and invoices and include that information in reports before posting them. This helps to avoid mistakes.”
“At the end of the day Blackbaud wants your success with their software and they offer the solution in awesome training opportunities.”
Cons
“Once blackbaud lures you in you are trapped, then they raise the prices , sometimes by three times the original amount, and your company suffers.”
“I have encountered many organizations that purchased Blackbaud Software without being properly trained. As a result, they become frustrated with the product which leads to negative comments.”
“Sometimes, the updates mess up small items. It may be minor, but it’s just annoying.”
Quickbook Online
QB online is always ready when we are
Cloud services make everything more secure. Not having to purchase an upgrade year after year is one of the best benefits. Our business is sized so that the online version, which does have less functionality than the desktop version, still works for exactly what we need. The tutorials are helpful and there are plenty of YouTube videos to find a resolution for any problem you have.
Pros
The online version of QB makes it easy to always have the necessary updates and current edition. The file sharing capabilities are the exact tool that is needed for the accountant to easily have a hassle-free exchange of the data they need to keep your books and do taxes. QB payroll that can be accessed through the software and there is easy access to QuickBook loan funding should you ever need it. Anytime, anywhere access is a plus.
Cons
The naming convention for some processes are a bit daunting until you learn exactly where they are and what they are called. The updates can cause features to be relocated, making them difficult to find. As with all cloud-based software, sometimes there are issues with the online connectivity.
Reasons for Switching to QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
Ease of use and cloud security with automated backup
reat eCommerce system highly integrated with backend ERP and CRM
We were able to grow and scale our business up to improve our internal processes. Ability to convert support Cases into Quotes and then in turn convert those Quotes into Orders was huge for us. It allows to track the conversion of our quotes into orders. Provide better response times and organize our quoting and order entry processes. Improved SEO tools for online store.
Newsuite
Great ERP
Help us at a time we were growing the company, so right now we are more efficient and have real time data because of Netsuite.
Pros
Great deal of features. Ability to customize your system to accommodate practically any type of business process. Seamless Integration between eCommerce, CRM and ERP systems, all-in-one data storage. Easy to integrate with third party NetSuite modules for variety of ecommerce channels – Amazon, etc. Security. Cloud Computing Model.
Cons
Suite Commerce Advanced vs NetSuite version compatibility. Once you selected certain SCA implementation of the online store and once you invested into modifications of this particular version you are locked in this version. It doesnt have the same software update cycle as NetSuite ERP and CRM. That results in two disadvantages – first, the web store becomes eventually outdated and second, with each upgrade of the NetSuite we have to go through extensive testing to make sure that compatibility between New Back End ERP and CRM and Old Online Store has not been broken.
Reasons for Choosing NetSuite
Not a legacy system . . better technology and capabilities.
Reasons for Switching to NetSuite
Our volume of transactions and products exceeded QuickBooks capacity.
Conclusion
Nonprofits generate a lot of revenue from donations and public grants, but there are still a lot of costs to cover. Let’s look at the best accounting software for nonprofits, focusing on features for managing revenue, expenses, grants and more!