This online course gives a detailed overview of Best Tax Software for Nonprofits. It is designed to aid the non-profit treasurer in understanding the role that software plays in non-profit accounting.
As a nonprofit organization treasurer, your biggest challenges are managing finances and maximizing gains. Our program can help you achieve both. The premier solution for nonprofit organizations, our software packages your financial data into clear reports that cut setup time in half and ensure secure financial transactions. Look for this package of 11 tax software products at Best Accounting Software for Nonprofits.
FastFund Online Nonprofit Fund Accounting
FastFund Online Nonprofit Fund Accounting is an all-in-one accounting, fundraising, and payroll software program. It was designed by nonprofit experts to meet the needs of nonprofit and small governmental agencies.
There are four plans to choose from. The all-inclusive Premium plan starts at $94 per month and includes fund accounting, fundraising, and payroll tools all in one program. If you don’t need the all-inclusive option, you can purchase just the plans that you need. The fund accounting plan and fundraising plans both start at $42 per month, and the payroll plan starts at $66 per month. There is no setup fee, you can cancel anytime, and technical support is included in all four plans.
We chose FastFund Online Nonprofit Fund Accounting as the best overall accounting software for nonprofits because it meets the accounting, fundraising, and payroll requirements at the best price, less than $100 per month.
Features of each of the plans offered by FastFund include:
Nonprofit Accounting Plan
- Customized chart of accounts
- FASB-compliant financial statements
- Reports to assist with completing IRS Form 990
- Tracking of cash receipts and disbursements
- Customized financial statements
- Budgets
Nonprofit Fundraising Plan
- Constituent management
- Campaign management
- Membership management
- Cash, pledge, in-kind gift processing
- Automated receipts
- Pledge reminders
- Customized reports
Nonprofit Payroll Plan
- Payroll payment options
- Built-in payroll tax tables
- Automatic payroll tax payments
- Payroll tax filings
- Customized reports
You can schedule a free one-hour demo to learn more about how the software works. Tech support includes access to free webinars and YouTube video tutorials, and you also can schedule a private training session for your staff at an hourly rate of $100.
Aplos
Since 2009, Aplos has provided an accounting software solution nonprofit organizations can rely on to keep track of donors, contributions, and fundraising events.
Like most of the providers on our list, Aplos is a cloud-based program, which makes it compatible with any computer or mobile device with an Internet connection. We chose Aplos as the runner-up because it includes several features starting at $59 per month.
Aplos Features
- Fund accounting
- Donor management
- Online donations
- People database
- Create and manage groups
- Fundraising tools
- Event registration
- Website builder
- Financial statements
- Budget reports
Aplos also offers software customized to meet the needs of any church. The advanced accounting upgrade package starts at $159 per month. It includes budgeting by fund or tag; creating reports by project, campaign, or department; creating and sharing giving statements; tracking fixed assets; and a groups and team portal. If you have employees, you can add payroll with Gusto for an additional fee or, if you prefer to outsource your bookkeeping, Aplos offers bookkeeping services.
If you need help, Aplos has online tools as well as telephone, chat, and email support. Sign up for a free 15-day trial to take Aplos for a test drive. Finally, if you dread completing the IRS Form 990, you can purchase software from Aplos that will complete the form for you.
Intuit QuickBooks Desktop for Nonprofit
Intuit QuickBooks Desktop is one of the most widely used small business tools ever made, and the Nonprofit edition was created to meet the tracking and reporting needs of nonprofit organizations specifically.
There are three plans to choose from: the Plus plan, with a monthly payment of $80, the Advanced plan, with a monthly payment of $180, and the Enterprise Nonprofit plan, which is $125 a month. The differences revolve around the number of users, access to premium apps, advanced data and analytics, and access to the latest features and updates.
We chose Intuit QuickBooks Desktop for Nonprofit as the best desktop solution because Intuit QuickBooks is used by more small businesses than any other software.
Quickbooks Desktop Plan Features
- Financial reports specific to the nonprofit industry
- Customized chart of accounts for nonprofit
- Access for up to five users
- Track income and expenses
- Manage bills (accounts payable)
- Manage outstanding donations (accounts receivable)
- Budgeting and reporting
- Recurring donations
Unlike Aplos and QuickBooks Online, these versions of QuickBooks Desktop for Nonprofit must be installed on a Windows computer. QuickBooks Mac 2022 is a separate product available for $349.99 per year for one user, $549.99/year for two users, or $749.99/year for three users.
If you need to backup your data, you can sign up for this service for an additional fee. If you need to pay employees, you can add the payroll service for an additional fee. With the payroll service, you can process paychecks, calculate payroll taxes, and pay and report payroll taxes to all local, state, and federal authorities. Similar to QuickBooks Online, you can generate a report that can be used to complete IRS Form 990.
ACCOUNTS from Software4Nonprofits
For small organizations like churches or community organizations, we selected ACCOUNTS as the best accounting software. It’s affordable and easy to use, with all of the necessary features you need to track income and expenses and create reports.Pros
- 60-day free trial and 30-day money back guarantee
- The standard version costs just $130 for the first year
- The program can be used for the accounting of multiple organizations (up to 5) at no additional cost
Cons
- The desktop program can only be used on Windows
- You have to purchase a separate donation program to track donors
- Only one user can do data entry at a time with the standard version
ACCOUNTS through Software4Nonprofits is a program offered by Cooperstock Software, a small company based in Canada. The company was founded by the treasurer of a religious finance committee because he had difficulties finding software that met his needs. He created ACCOUNTS as an alternative to the more expensive and complex accounting programs available at the time.
ACCOUNTS is an easy-to-use platform designed specifically for small organizations and churches who need basic bookkeeping and accounting services. The program allows you to track income and expenses, track fund balances, associate accounts with lines on your IRS tax forms, and create detailed reports.
If you’re responsible for managing the accounting for multiple organizations, such as the school PTA and your child’s sports team, you can use the software to handle the accounting for both at no additional cost.
The standard version of ACCOUNTS is $130 for the first year. After that, it costs $65 per year. You can try ACCOUNTS for free for 60 days, and you can download the free version online. ACCOUNTS also has a 30-day guarantee if you purchase the program. If you’re not satisfied with your purchase and no longer intend to use it, the company will give you a full refund.
Unfortunately, ACCOUNTS was designed for Microsoft Windows and the desktop version is only available for that operating system. However, there is a cloud-based, browser version called OnDemand that works on most platforms including Mac. Under the standard version, only one user can do data entry at a time. If you upgrade to the local network version—which costs $220 for the first year—up to five users can access the database at once.
If you want to track donations and donor information, you’ll need to purchase additional software. Cooperstock Software offers another program called DONATIONS, which is free if you have 100 donors or less per year. Larger organizations will need the paid version of DONATIONS.
Sage Intacct: Best overall
Best overall nonprofit softwareSage Intacct
4.1
- Contact for quote
Fund accounting
Support for multiple locations and currencies
Donation tracking and dues management
Sage Intacct sets a high standard for what nonprofit organizers should expect from their fund accounting software. Along with typical accounting features like bank reconciliation, the software has a host of nonprofit-specific tools:
- Donation tracking
- Fundraising, membership, and dues management
- Multi-currency support (for international donations)
- Nonprofit-specific financial reports, including budgeting and forecasting
- Task automation to reduce redundant data entry
Sage Intacct also offers free seminars to help nonprofit organizers get off the ground, which is particularly useful for nonprofits struggling to make ends meet after COVID-19. And on the review site TrustRadius, Sage Intacct gets 8.7 stars out of 101 with customers indicating they’re happy with Sage’s fast customer service response time.
However, Sage Intacct is definitely on the pricy end of the nonprofit software spectrum. (Pricing isn’t listed on the site, so you’ll need to contact Sage Intacct for a quote.) If you’re just launching a nonprofit, Sage Intacct probably isn’t right for you—it works better for established national or international nonprofits with multiple locations and a large staff.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a small nonprofit just starting out, a large corporation interested in giving back, or an international charity organization, we have accounting software for every need. Our easy-to-use solution is tailored to the unique requirements of nonprofits and charities, helping you meet your goals with quality and ease.