Best Accounting Software for Nonprofits for November 2024

We also looked at customer reviews on Capterra, a leading software review provider. Unfortunately, there aren’t many free nonprofit-specific accounting software options. (Nonprofit Treasurer, our favorite free option, recently closed its doors.) If you’re looking for fully featured free accounting software, though, your best bet is Wave Accounting. It offers accounting and bookkeeping features comparable to QuickBooks Online and Xero but for exactly no dollars. Blackbaud serves a variety of nonprofits, including faith communities and churches, arts organizations, educational institutions, and just about any other type of nonprofit you can imagine.

Smaller nonprofits may not need as many bells and whistles as larger ones, so it’s a good idea to look at the features offered before you choose. Regardless of the size and scope of your nonprofit, there are some features that you should always consider. Your organization may be structured differently and have specific needs that others do not. That’s why it’s important that you consider these factors as you explore different accounting software.

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QuickBooks Online users can invite their accountants to access their QuickBooks information directly. QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise users can send an accountant’s copy or use a shared server to share data with their accountants. Advanced Pricing / Control, customize, and automate pricing is included in the Platinum and Diamond subscriptions only. Our cloud access packages offer 5GB, 10GB, or 50GB of storage space, so you can find the right fit for your business storage needs. QuickBooks Enterprise also makes an ideal option if you’re seeking an alternative to the accounting and business management solutions that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Quicken is best for very small nonprofits that do not have employees for whom they have to process payroll.

Drawbacks of QuickBooks for Nonprofits

This includes investing in necessary overhead expenses such as technology, personnel, and other operational costs. Taking care of overhead before seeking out donors for a nonprofit demonstrates financial responsibility and a commitment to efficiency—important decision-making factors for potential donors. Cash basis is the more convenient method when your organization is new and small, but you should consider fund accrual accounting for the long term. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. Word and Excel integration requires Office 2010 SP2 and above, or Office 365. Synchronization with Outlook is also possible with Contact Sync for Outlook 2010 (32-bit) downloadable for free here.

Accounting software helps businesses record and keep track of their day-to-day financial transactions. But, many nonprofit organizations cobble together accounting, donor management, and payroll services by using multiple programs. Software can help simplify and streamline these tasks, ensuring that financial records are in order and reporting standards are met. Seamlessly organize financial statements and donor data with nonprofit accounting software.

Do more for others with our nonprofit accounting software

Determine if you are likely to be able to afford them and if they include the quicken for nonprofits necessary features your nonprofit needs as it grows. Many nonprofit organizations rely on volunteers to help with their accounting. Create unique user IDs for volunteers and assign access levels for each.

1. Categorize revenue expenditures by fund or program, and create custom reports based on the data that matters most to your nonprofit organization.
2. Zoho Books excels at collaboration—you can delegate as many tasks as you need to other organization members.
3. Typical small-business accounting revolves around profit—how much a company is making, spending, losing, and saving.
4. Financial Edge is a product released by Blackbaud, a leading software company that caters to nonprofits, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities.

You can see each donor’s history with your organization, including past donations and communications. Donation details can be converted into ledger entries and reports for a bookkeeper or accountant, and you can craft summarized annual giving reports. 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 create budgets across fiscal years.

This version of QuickBooks allows you to accept donations and securely store donor information in your database. Need to save money while you get your new nonprofit off the ground? Our list of the year’s best free accounting software can help you keep your books in order while you plan for growth.

QuickBooks offers discounted products for nonprofits through TechSoup, a nonprofit tech marketplace. We recommend that churches and other houses of worship use QuickBooks Online Plus or QuickBooks Advanced so they can get all the tools, tracking, and reporting features we offer. Sync your nonprofit accounting software with apps to help fundraise on the go and efficiently manage donations.