Nonprofit budgeting is a critical activity that involves more than establishing financial spending limits for the new fiscal year. It can be part of an exercise led by accounting that helps department managers think through and prioritize plans for the year.

Analyzing budget history, reviewing what-if scenarios, and estimating revenues and expenses helps everyone consider all aspects of proposed activities and better plan for the new fiscal year.

In this first of a three-part article series, we’ll discuss budgeting basics: types of budgets, with an emphasis on the three most popular types of budgets for nonprofits. In Part 2, we

Accounts Payable (AP) automation leverages technology to simplify and automate the accounts payable process. By eliminating manual data entry and minimizing human errors, this technology enhances efficiency and accuracy. It helps governments become more efficient. It can also be a valuable tool to spot fraud and waste. Adding AP automation to your government accounting system cost-effectively accomplishes several goals simultaneously, making it an intelligent choice for governments on a tight budget.

Five Big Benefits of AP Automation for Government Entities

While AP automation may be found in typical business accounting programs and nonprofit accounting systems, it is being added to

Organizations gain many benefits from working with a reseller. AccuFund’s resellers are an integral part of our customers’ success. Our reseller community helps customers identify the best fund accounting system for their needs. Then, they provide important services including implementation, training, and ongoing support.

“AccuFund works closely with its Resellers and customers to continue enhancing the solutions they rely on,” explains Ian Scotland, General Manager and Vice President of AccuFund. “We continually evolve with technology advancements, expanded integrations, and cutting-edge solutions, and our Value-Added Resellers continue providing superior implementation, training, support, service, and products to enable customers to continue servicing

Accounts Payable (AP) automation refers to the use of technology to streamline and automate the accounts payable process. From start to finish, this technology eliminates the need for manual data entry and reduces the risk of human errors, making the process more efficient and accurate. It adds to organizational efficiency and enables faster, easier accounting.

The Benefits of AP Automation

One of the main benefits of AP automation is efficiency. It saves a great deal of time as invoices are processed faster and with fewer delays. It also enhances visibility and control over financial data, providing real-time insights and comprehensive

In the realm of governmental financial management, specialized accounting software is essential.

Unlike businesses, governmental entities must operate within stringent regulatory frameworks, necessitating meticulous adherence to standards and transparency in financial reporting. Added to these parameters are the unique complexities of government and municipality accounting, such as tracking taxes, utility bills, license fees, and more.

Having the right government accounting software makes these tasks easier and more efficient.

Understanding Governmental Accounting Requirements

Governmental accounting is vastly different from standard business accounting142. Typically, governments adopt Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to maintain consistency and comparability in financial reporting. Additionally, public sector-specific

Preparing accounting and financial records for year-end closing is a big task. Many steps must be taken to ensure an accurate year-end close. Much depends on the accuracy of the final numbers: budgets, forecasting, and public presentations.

For governments and municipalities using a government accounting system, there are a few additional steps to ready the software for the next fiscal year and ensure success in closing out the old. Ready? Let's get started with this step-by-step guide to government year-end fiscal closing.

1. Establish the Closing Period

As part of the fiscal year-end preparation, it is important to close

"Recently I attended #GFOA2024. I was sitting in a large conference breakout room with approximately 200 attendees and the session speaker asked, “How many of you are considering changing ERP systems in the next year?” I was amazed to see the hands raise around me and as I assessed the room, there had to be 80% who planned to make an ERP switch” – Ian Scotland, Vice President and General Manager, AccuFund.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems aren’t new, but they are new to some people. These software platforms integrate multiple systems into one, providing exceptional 360-degree visibility into

Nonprofit ERPs are powerful systems that integrate various business functions into one unified platform.

Accounting software handles the financial side of the organization, but a nonprofit ERP provides a centralized database that facilitates data sharing and communication across different departments, improving efficiency, better decision-making, and enhanced collaboration.

Specifically, a nonprofit ERP streamlines and automates information and tasks related to accounting, human resources, sales, program management, donor relationship management, and grant management.

If you're new to nonprofit ERP software, let’s explore what these popular platforms offer and the benefits they provide. If your organization has outgrown its current system or

Many government and public sector agencies struggle with outdated or siloed systems. Such systems are no longer merely inefficient; they're frustrating for both employees and citizens trying to use them.Everyone interacts with modern systems and expects government systems to behave the same way as their favorite consumer platforms. Unfortunately, many governments lag when it comes to integrated systems, efficiencies, and modern platforms.

Government ERP, also called public sector ERP, offers a solution to this common problem. ERP stands for ‘enterprise resource planning’ system. In this ultimate guide to government and public sector ERPs, you’ll learn what ERPs are and

A Guide for Agencies, Nonprofits, and Governments

Shifting demographic and societal patterns are both contributing to an anticipated increase in the need for representative payee services. According to the Social Security Administration, the number of payee clients is expected to increase significantly. Of course, some of these clients will have family or friends care for them. But some will need a reliable and proficient representative payee service.

Is your organization or agency ready to serve them? We’ve put together the following overview to help you prepare for this anticipated increase. Now is the time to review your procedures, improve efficiencies,

In the realm of government operations, efficiency and transparency are top priorities. This holds true not only for government employees, but also for the constituents they serve. That's where the introduction of a web pay portal comes into play, revolutionizing financial management in the public sector. With this technological advancement, both government employees and constituents can experience a win-win.

By leveraging a fully integrated web pay portal – a key component of your accounting system -– government employees can streamline their financial tasks, easing the burden of administrative work and enabling them to focus on their core responsibilities. Payments are

As any professional will tell you, collaboration enhances the ability of each party to get more done. Separately, only so much can be accomplished, but together, greater things can be achieved. Examples abound of brands collaborating with other brands to enhance and amplify their success.

The same scenario plays out with your accounting system. Your current accounting system may be great at handling nonprofit accounting – but what about endowments?

Endowment accounting can be complex. AccuFund offers an Endowment Management System that can work with your existing accounting software to streamline the complexities of endowment accounting. Separately, each system is

What is government accounting software? How can it help you with government accounting basics?

Government accounting software is specifically designed with the financial, accounting, and reporting needs of municipalities, counties, townships, special districts, and other local government entities in mind. Such software differs considerably from general business accounting software. Most government accounting software is set up to handle the unique needs and regulatory requirements of local governments, which often have complex budgeting, accounting, and reporting structures in place.

Think of it like this: many software companies release specialized editions of their basic business packages for various industries. A contractor or

This past year may have been the breakthrough year for artificial intelligence (AI). It seems as if you couldn't turn on the news or visit your favorite website without stories breathlessly touting the latest AI innovation. While it may appear like AI is new, it's not entirely new; the technology behind the latest surge of AI-based products has been on the market for several years, quietly improving automation and saving nonprofits time, money, and resources.

According to a survey from Smartsheet, 40% of workers surveyed say that they spend at least a quarter of the work week on repetitive

As the year draws to a close, everyone's to-do list grows longer and longer. For the nonprofit accounting team, the to-do list includes year-end close.

It's a labor-intensive and all-encompassing process, but one that is vital for the financial health and success of a nonprofit organization. Ensuring you have the data you need in the correct format will help you deliver critical reports to stakeholders as required.

The following steps have withstood the test of time among many NPOs who have found them to save time and effort. Taking time now to prepare for your nonprofit’s year-end financial close will

Building dashboards for your nonprofit is like baking a cake – you must have the right ingredients. But even the right ingredients can make a terrible cake if they aren’t combined in the right proportions.

A nonprofit dashboard varies according to the users’ needs. Some users need a deeper look into an organization’s finances. For them, the “ingredients” draw more from the accounting and financial side of the software than other data. For others, the final “cake” has to be shared with people outside of the organization, so the presentation is everything. Here’s how to make the ultimate nonprofit dashboard.

Like any good novel, a writer’s ability to integrate multiple storylines helps create an engaging and impactful experience for their audience. A great novel leaves you thinking about its story days, weeks, and months after you’ve finished.

The same holds true for nonprofit financial storytelling – with the weaving together of financial data/results/analysis from all departments, you can show a great story – the effectiveness and reach of your organization and its impact on your community.

The result?
Unite team members. Improve transparency. Secure more donors. Secure more grants. Attract skilled talent. Build Trust. Build Confidence. Build strong sense of

We’ve all sat through meetings with gritted teeth, thinking, “When will they get to the information that I need?”

Each of us views our work through our own unique lens. We go through our workdays with an automatic filter in place that screens information flowing in our environment for the nuggets specific to what we need to better do our jobs. That’s why it can be so frustrating when information comes at us that’s clearly not something we need. We have to spend time thinking, considering, discarding, or sending on that information to those who may need it, and that’s

If you're actively exploring cloud-based options for municipal government software, you’re in good company.

Nationwide, among both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, cloud software adoption has never been stronger. Estimates vary, but the most recent one suggests that 94% of enterprises use cloud-based products. That number is expected to increase, with fewer organizations relying upon site-based systems as the decade progresses.

As more and more local and municipal government software shifts to cloud-based solutions, what’s driving this change? And is cloud-based software the best choice for your local government accounting needs?

Benefits of Cloud Computing for Local Governments

More and

We bet that the title of this blog surprised you. After all, many articles lately focus on gloom and doom: how nonprofit revenues are down, how the pandemic is increasing services while decreasing volunteer hours and potential donations, and so on.

Yes, it’s all true. But here at AccuFund, we don’t believe in focusing on what’s wrong. We believe in focusing on what’s right, and there’s plenty of right in the nonprofit world. Although the research shows that nonprofits around the nation may still struggle, there’s also hope that nonprofits who can adapt and change, leveraging nonprofit software and unique

Is it time for local government accounting modernization?

Modernization sounds like a strange word to use when it comes to describing a local government initiative. But just like you may modernize your kitchen or bathroom, governments need to modernize their systems too.

Local government accounting modernization is more than a facelift. It may mean finally getting rid of the outdated wallpaper, but it also means upgrading the structure behind the scenes – perhaps adding additional outlets in the kitchen that can handle more appliances or a water connection to the refrigerator area for a built-in ice maker. Local governments choosing

When choosing public sector software, it’s vital to choose software that offers maximum security for sensitive data and systems.

The Department of Homeland Security requested a $2.6 billion cybersecurity budget for the fiscal year 2020-2021. The Federal Government is taking cybersecurity very seriously, and for good reason. This year alone, we've seen many bad actors. Over the past decade, we've seen systems containing defense contractors' information attacked, denial of service (DOS) attacks, and many other cyber threats against the federal government.

For local governments, the threat is just as real. Although you may think that your town or state

The best business ideas start with solving a problem. Twenty years ago, AccuFund had its beginnings in solving a business issue and grew into a software company focused on helping local governments and nonprofit organizations achieve their mission.

In 2001, AccuFund founder Gordon Holfelder and co-founder Peter Stam sensed a business opportunity printing checks for NASCAR race winners. At that time, businesses that wished to print their own checks needed not just unique software, but specialized printers and magnetic ink, too.

The duo came up with a system that incorporated all elements needed to print checks on the go and

From every corner of the world and including every community member, collectively, we are charged with operating under a new normal. Basic communication, friendly greetings, social interaction, making plans, helping others – everything we were accustomed to, is done differently now. With more caution, taking more precautions.

We are all trying to do our part in minimizing the spread of COVID-19, brought about by the novel coronavirus. Following reported safety measures to keep our friends, family, and community members safe during this challenging time is the least we can do.

The varying impact of this current health crisis has taken

As a nonprofit, you’re used to being on the front line helping your community members tackle the challenges they face every single day. From social services to arts and education to health and religion, you play a critical role in helping others. The positive impact you have on your community has the power to reach far beyond local geography, it is limitless.

But now, in the face of COVID-19, you feel its limits.

Everything seems to change, every single day. How do you keep track of all you need to do, normally, while having the resources to manage an ever-changing

Part of AccuFund's Small Formulas – Big Impact Series: Donor Participation Ratings    

HOW ESTABLISHING DONOR HISTORICAL DATA CAN LEAD TO INCREASED GIVING.

Who are your frequent donors?
Who are your major donors this year?
Who is close to moving into these categories?
How much has any one donor given in their lifetime?

A total sum of giving helps create a better picture of your donor. It helps you gauge the strength of a donor’s relationship to your organization. But, how easily can you access that information?

By establishing predefined segments in your database, it makes life easier at

For fundraisers, knowing the appropriate amount to ask of a potential donor is half the battle (and arguably, the most important). Ask too little and you miss an opportunity. Ask too much and you risk scaring the donor away.

A little known and scarcely used tool in Salesforce helps guide the fundraising/development team in knowing the appropriate amount to ask.

When you talk with a donor, is your database customized to tell you what that next appropriate ask should be?

This blog post will walk you through, step by step, to automate the appropriate donation ask amount.

The two previous

In an earlier blog post, we showed you how to increase last year’s giving total for ALL your contacts by 10%. Oftentimes, this standardized increase will help you achieve a specific fundraising goal set by your team.

In some cases, you might have a select group of donors that you’d like to increase well above the standard, perhaps by 25%, 50%, or even more. This is common practice for organizations using moves management.  

In this blog post, we’ll teach you how to create a calculator out of your Salesforce account to calculate individualized giving goals.  We’ll use

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make all the difference.
A friendly smile, a warm, sunny day,
a Salesforce formula that generates immediate results.

Yes, a Salesforce formula.

As an example, let’s say your nonprofit is looking to raise 10% more than it did in the previous Calendar Year.
How can you quickly and easily capitalize on the tools Salesforce provides, and take your giving to the next level?

Salesforce’s NPSP roll-up capabilities provide us with a field that is the total amount an individual person gave in the previous CY, named: Total Gifts Last Year.  We'll take

Thirty years ago the typical nonprofit relied on the paper memo to communicate with their employees, and letters or cards for their constituents.  Twenty years ago email began to appear at least for internal communication, and ten years ago instant communication came on the scene.

Now we have a plethora of options, social media- Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, SnapChat, Instagram and Google Hangouts, message systems like “What’s App”, stand-alone message boards, imbedded message systems and yes we still can use email and postal mail. 

The challenge for nonprofits is to match the appropriate communication media with the intent and importance of

Survey Says! Opportunities Abound for Organizations to Improve Endowment Management

AccuFund recently commissioned publisher Nonprofit PRO to survey its readers (nonprofit finance professionals and top organization management) to benchmark the methods used to manage endowment accounting.  With 272 endowment professionals responding, the vast majority of organizations (83%) manage endowments less than $100 million.

Opportunities Abound!

In spite of endowment management solutions available, only a small percentage of organizations (9.5%) are using one.  Rather, 35.5% are reliant on entry-level solutions requiring manual intervention and 55% are using an exorbitant system. The alarmingly high number of respondents (90.5%) using inefficient systems ultimately

We’re always looking for ways to make AccuFund easier for you to use – creating features that let you complete tasks fast and get to the information you need more quickly so that you can turn your attention to more important matters.

At our last user group meeting we shared 10 ways AccuFund can make routine tasks easier to execute.  What follows is a brief description. You may also download a handy tip sheet to have on hand for when you need to perform these tasks http://www.accufund.com/pdf15/10ThingsTipsheet.pdf .

10. Identifying signed on users.

Your license agreement designates a certain number

Do you ever wish you could spend more time in Excel?  We didn't think so. 

What you don't need is another spreadsheet.  What you do need is a nonprofit systems that provides the reports your nonprofit or government organization needs. We hope you enjoy the video!

The good news is you have multiple grants funding your mission.  The bad news is tracking and reporting on grant budgets can make anyone’s head spin – especially if grants cover multiple fiscal years and you’re using spreadsheets for tracking and reporting for your nonprofit.

Difficulties creep in when trying to match the grant year reporting with your fiscal year reporting.  Or the anticipated spending was either accelerated or delayed.  Perhaps you hired staff based on the grant and those candidates were found and hired faster than you had anticipated.  Or participant enrollment was slower than anticipated.  These and many

To watch the video Click Here

To watch the video Click Here

When Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District replaced their accounting software system with AccuFund Online hosted solution, they immediately gained 750 hours a year time savings.  On average, Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District creates 125 purchase orders each month.  They estimate AccuFund Online saves them about a half hour for each one.  That's 62.5 hours saved each month, or 750 hours per year - that's over 18 weeks!

But that was only a start to the efficiencies gained from making the move to AccuFund Online, you can read the full story here.   

Rancho SimiRecreation and Park District

Your staff is on edge.  You’re exhausted and stressed.  The only thing you can think about is getting through month-end.  

If that sounds familiar, read on, because while it’s not unusual for us to come across nonprofit accountants who experience the professional equivalent of going under house arrest during period-end closes; it is completely unnecessary.

Painful closings are a symptom of inadequate accounting systems.  Inadequate systems make your life harder, not easier. 

Beyond the monthly pain inflicted by inadequate accounting systems, the time chewed up by closing activities delays critical fund information getting into the hands of your organization’s

It may not be at the top of your priority list but regular system reviews are key when it comes to ensuring that you are getting the most out of your investment.

Your financial systems are the bedrock of responsible stewardship and organizational transparency.  In addition, access to financial data when evaluating grants, applying for new grants, determining fundraising campaign effectiveness, tracking operational expenses, etc., is critical to serving your constituents now and in the future.

We recommend an annual system review.  Just as you budget and plan for each new year, it makes sense to evaluate how your accounting

Implementing best practices is the gift that keeps on giving.  Best practices incorporated into the workflow of your nonprofit system helps you work smarter and usually faster that makeshift manual activities.

When best practices are combined with automation and offer a significant savings in time and money – that’s the best possible scenario, and going paperless is an activity that delivers each of those benefits.

We saw such positive results with clients that we recently conducted a series of webcasts showcasing ways nonprofits could benefit from going paperless.  You can view a recording of the presentation here.

So what’s

Nonprofits have more choices than they did a few years ago when it comes to operational software.  If you are shopping for new accounting software there’s a new consideration beyond features and functions:  is the best choice a cloud solution, a hosted solution or an on-premise solution?

• On-premise is the traditional method of housing your software.  You license a solution that is installed on a server that resides physically within your organization. 
• A hosted solution means that you license the software and it resides on a “host” server that resides in a facility operated by the hosting service company.
• A

Savvy donors want to make sure their gifts are being used properly and that the organizations they choose to champion are fiscally responsible and transparent.  GAAP compliance allows not only donors, but also creditors and other stakeholders, to view financial data in a format that is consistent from organization to organization.  

When it comes to GAAP Expense Rules, there are three things nonprofit organizations should be aware of when creating financial reports:

1. Expense should be reported as a decrease in unrestricted net assets
2. Expenses should be reported gross and not netted against revenue (investment expenses would be an exception)

Cloud Computing is at the top of the list for almost all organizations looking for their next fund accounting and donor management and fundraising systems – and for good reason. Cloud computing is the most revolutionary technology development since application software (once only available for mainframe computers) became available for personal computers and landed on the desktops of end users.

There are several hugely compelling aspects to cloud computing – in many cases it comes with:

• a lower cost of ownership
• significantly faster implementation
• full feature sets
• hassle-free upgrades
• enhanced security, up time, and disaster recovery
• can be available anytime,

Would you like to decrease the amount of time an effort that goes into your period-end close? Would you like more reporting options? Or the ability to upload large numbers of contributions at one time?

Then you might want to take a closer look at AccuFund Accounting Suite.

We are proud to report that AccuFund Accounting Suite received five out five stars in the all categories reviewed by the CPA Practice Advisor including: Basic System Functions; Core NFP/Fund Accounting Capabilities; Management Features; Financial Statements & Reports; Integration/Import/Export; and Help/Support.

The article concluded that "AccuFund Accounting Suite for Nonprofits is an