Category: "Best Practices"
February 22, 2018
How Can Nonprofits Measure Success and Impact?How do you know if your nonprofit is making an impact—if your mission is a success? The answer to this question affects everything about your organization, from day-to-day operations to the success of your fundraising efforts. The National Council of Nonprofits alludes to five actions: Identify what success looks like to you. Make a plan…
August 10, 2017
How Finance Can Support Traveling Nonprofit EmployeesRunning a nonprofit means having meetings. And many of those meetings mean travel. Whether the purpose of the trip is to scout a new location, visit a major donor, or cementing a partnership with an affiliate, it’s important that traveling workers have what they need to make their journeys successful. According to current statistics,…
June 8, 2017
How to Make Sure Your Nonprofit Gets the Most Out of #GivingTuesdayGiving Tuesday is November 28, 2017. With summer just beginning, it’s hard to think about something so far away. But as a nonprofit, Giving Tuesday campaigns should be part of your strategy, and—if done right—the kickoff to your year-end push for donations Last year, on this global day of giving, people gave over $168 million…
May 17, 2017
How to Know When it’s Time to Ditch QuickbooksAs Nonprofits Grow, They Quickly Outgrow Quickbooks Quickbooks offers an effective introductory accounting system for new, small businesses. It’s easy to use, efficient and provides solid reports. However, as nonprofits grow, organizations invariably face new financial management challenges and they quickly find that Quickbooks isn’t a scalable solution for their accounting needs. Data entry and…
April 27, 2017
Get Accessibility Anywhere with Cloud-Based Financial ManagementMore Nonprofits are Switching to Cloud-Based Financial Management Systems The trend is clear. Cloud-based options offer benefits that include automated billing and revenue management, simplified compliance with regulations, cheaper IT support and increased efficiency for organizations. One of the most alluring assets provided by cloud-based systems, however, is the incredible mobility they provide. The mobile…
April 21, 2017
What’s wrong with your chart of accounts and the solutions you need to make it rightIn the most basic terms, a Chart of Accounts (COA) gives a complete listing of every account in your accounting system. To a nonprofit financial manager or controller, a chart of accounts is much more than that. Your chart of accounts is the framework that gives insight into your nonprofit organization’s financial health. If well-designed,…
March 30, 2017
From Managers to the Board Members: How to Show Them the Data They WantManaging finances for a nonprofit organization means getting visibility into how your organization is achieving its mission. Program managers, CFOs, CEOs, and board members all need insight into different aspects of the financial and operational data to make the right decisions. How can you be sure every decision maker on every level is equipped with…
March 16, 2017
Why Your Nonprofit Needs to Measure KPIs (and How to Get Started)When working with nonprofit organizations, I see the same common financial management challenges time and again: lack of visibility, data pulled from too many sources without integration, disparate types of data, and extensive use of manual processes like spreadsheets to analyze, track, and report. Does any of this sound familiar in your organization? Because of…
February 9, 2017
How to Plan for Better Nonprofit Financial Management in 2017While 2016 might be over, 2017 is off to a fast start. It’s important for financial managers to have the right planning in place for their nonprofits in the new year. Between reports and taxes and grants and compliance, things can get lost in the mix. Don’t fear getting lost in the chaos—we put together…
January 4, 2017
Key Fund Accounting Questions Your Board Should Be AskingAll nonprofit board members have a fiduciary responsibility to diligently oversee the fund accounting and financial operations of the nonprofits they govern. Failure to receive timely, accurate information from the organization’s finance team can prevent the board and the finance committee from successfully executing on their responsibility. This can create disastrous consequences for the board…
September 21, 2016
A Cloud Solution Should Provide More Value, Not Create More WorkNonprofit organizations need to remain focused on the mission, not distracted by software systems. Whether you have a strong IT team or not, a cloud-based financial management solution may provide more value and versatility than you may think. Here are three benefits for replacing inefficient software with a cloud-based solution. The technology available to nonprofit…
April 25, 2016
VISIBILITY DOESN’T CURE BLINDNESSIt seems as if every day we are hearing the buzz word “visibility” more and more when it comes to financial management and analytical software. And well we should as one of the key benefits of modern financial management solutions such as Intacct is the visibility they can provide to the finance team, the organization’s…
