Nonprofit organizations have a limited budget, especially start-ups. This becomes an even more important concern when the nonprofit is entering into the realm of managing its finances and operations. Don’t worry! There are free tools that can help you manage your non-profit organization. This infographic has all of the best free nonprofit management software in one place.
Inexpensive Software for Nonprofits Who doesn’t want to save money? Especially when you’re running a nonprofit organization, which already involves much cost, resources, and time. Having the knowledge of free nonprofit management software can not only make you a better manager for free, but also be able to plan your actions more effectively. If this is not good enough reason to read on, then I don’t know what is.
QuickBooks Enterprise Nonprofit
Many nonprofit organizations end up cobbling together accounting, donor management, and payroll services by using multiple programs, making things confusing during end-of-year reporting. QuickBooks Enterprise Nonprofit is our choice as the best overall accounting software for nonprofits because it is a full-service program that allows you to track your finances, manage your donor lists, and even pay your staff. Pros
- Combines donation management, financial statements, and payroll services into one package
- Online backup and protection of your QuickBooks data
- Syncs with apps like Kindful
Cons
- Free trial unavailable on Enterprise edition
- You must pay an additional fee to get remote access
- Adding users can quickly drive up the monthly cost
QuickBooks Enterprise Nonprofit is issued by Intuit, the financial services and tax software company. Intuit was founded in 1983. Since its launch, it has become a household name, earning over $7.7 billion in revenue in 2020.
While there are cheaper versions of QuickBooks available for nonprofit organizations, we selected QuickBooks Enterprise Nonprofit because of its robustness. For large or growing organizations who need comprehensive accounting services, this program can be a good fit.
You can use QuickBooks Enterprise Nonprofit to track expenses and donations, budget by program and compare to actuals, and create donor and grant reports. This version of QuickBooks allows you to accept donations and securely store donor information in your database. If you upgrade to the Gold, Platinum, or Diamond plans, you can even get payroll services for your organization and pay your staff directly through QuickBooks.
QuickBooks integrates with several apps used by nonprofits including Kindful. If you use these apps as part of your fundraising campaigns, you can sync the data and import transaction details to streamline your reporting.
While other versions of QuickBooks have free trials, QuickBooks Enterprise Nonprofit does not. This version starts at $1,275 per year, but the price can increase based on what additional services you need. For example, the Platinum plan costs $2,035 per year.
The default version is only available via desktop, so employees cannot access it remotely. If you want to add cloud-based access, you’ll need to pay an additional fee for hosting for each user that will be using the program. For example, the cost for two users to remotely access the Diamond plan is $3,572.40.
For smaller nonprofits or nonprofits who are just starting out, you probably don’t need software with as many features as QuickBooks Enterprise Nonprofit. For smaller organizations and charities with more basic accounting needs, QuickBooks has other plans that start at lower prices such $25 per month.
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.
Financial Edge by Blackbaud
For large organizations that want enterprise-level accounting, Financial Edge is the clear choice. It integrates with Raiser’s Edge, a program of choice for donor and constituent management, and allows you to track expenses and budget across fiscal years. Pros
- Cloud-based software that can be managed remotely
- Integrates with Raiser’s Edge donor management software
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency on the site
Financial Edge is a product released by Blackbaud, a leading software company that caters to nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities. It serves millions of users in over a hundred countries worldwide.
For large nonprofit organizations that have significant accounting needs as well as employees and a large donor-base, Financial Edge can be an excellent fit and it’s our top choice for large organizations.
Financial Edge is a cloud-based program, so you can use it from any laptop. You can use Financial Edge to create budgets, track expenses, manage cash flow, and handle the general ledger. It has expanded budgeting capabilities, so you can forecast different scenarios and budget across fiscal years.
Financial Edge also integrates with Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge, the gold-standard program for donor management and fundraising, so you can make sure your organization’s efforts are cohesive.
The pricing for Financial Edge was not readily available on the website, but Financial Edge has a 4.2-star rating on Capterra.
Sage Intacct
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.
Aplos
Aplos’s software has been nonprofit and church-specific since day one. It’s grounded in fund-based accounting, so you don’t need to customize your software’s built-in general ledger for nonprofit-specific accounting needs. Aplos Lite, which starts at $59 a month, includes a full range of features that work for nonprofit and church accounting alike:
- Donor management (CRM software)
- Automated donation receipts, thank-you emails, and donation reminders
- Fundraising campaign management
- Secure online donor portal
- 1099, 990-N, and 990-EZ tax form preparation
If you’re interested in text-to-donate capabilities, you can upgrade to Aplos Core at $79 a month. And if you own a larger nonprofit with multiple ongoing projects, Aplos’s customized solutions start at $179 a month.
Unfortunately, while Aplos’s nonprofit features stand out, its accounting features are more limited. Only the customized plan includes in-depth income and expense tracking, budgeting by project or fund, asset tracking, and recurring transactions.
Sumac by Silent Partner
For nonprofit organizations that need customizable donation tracking and donor management tools, Sumac is our top choice in our review. With affordable pricing, free training sessions, and built-in email marketing, Sumac is a powerful fundraising tool. Pros
- Affordable pricing and different packages available
- Staff and volunteers can access databases simultaneously from anywhere
- Customizable donor profiles
Cons
- Does not include general accounting capabilities
- Implementation services and data migration may be an additional cost
- Additional training costs $150 per hour
Many small and midsize nonprofit organizations have excellent accounting software and keep their financials in good order, but need help when it comes to donor management and donation tracking. If you’re relying on multiple spreadsheets or outdated databases, Sumac can be an affordable upgrade that can streamline how you work with your constituents.
Sumac was launched in 2003 and supports thousands of nonprofit professionals around the world. In 2018, Sumac became part of Silent Partner Software Inc and is offered alongside other products like PartnerHR.
With Sumac’s fundraising program, staff can access critical data from anywhere, and they can view databases at the same time, so they always have the most up-to-date information. The program allows you to create customizable donor profiles so you can adjust fields to meet your organization’s needs.
Within Sumac, you can see each donor’s history with your organization, including past donations and communications. You can also create reminders to follow up with key donors.
Donation details can be converted into ledger entries and reports for your bookkeeper or accountant, and you can craft summarized annual giving reports.
The price for Sumac ranges from $35 per month to $250 and up per month, depending on your organization’s needs and number of records. Other services, like online donation acceptance, website management, and course registration require additional fees. With your fee, you get free training. If you need additional training, you’ll have to pay $150 per hour.
Conclusion:
Nonprofits are generally always on a budget, and it’s no secret that many have a difficult time being 100% digital in the way they communicate with their clients. Software can be extremely expensive and sometimes out of reach for everyone. There is something that you can do though: there are free tools available on the internet which will help your organization use technology to improve your work flow and organize your team more efficiently.