{"id":10017,"date":"2021-02-03T15:22:42","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T20:22:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=10017"},"modified":"2026-02-12T04:52:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:52:55","slug":"the-ultimate-guide-to-choosing-the-best-nonprofit-accounting-software","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/the-ultimate-guide-to-choosing-the-best-nonprofit-accounting-software\/","title":{"rendered":"The ultimate guide to choosing the best nonprofit accounting software"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/free-guides-templates\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Free guides and webcasts<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe ultimate guide to choosing the best nonprofit accounting software\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2021-02-03T15:22:42-05:00\">February 3, 2021<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"The ultimate guide to choosing the best nonprofit accounting software\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/the-ultimate-guide-to-choosing-the-best-nonprofit-accounting-software\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/nancy-master\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/03\/1533142329170-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/03\/1533142329170-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/03\/1533142329170.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Nancy Master<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If staying on top of reporting and financial performance for your nonprofit takes too much time and has become overly burdensome, it\u2019s not you \u2014 it\u2019s your software. It might be time to find a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/industry\/nonprofit\/\">nonprofit accounting software<\/a> system that is able to grow with your organization and help solve challenges, instead of creating them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is much to consider when you start the journey toward adopting a new nonprofit accounting software system. To make the journey easier, we created The Nonprofit Accounting Software Buyer\u2019s Guide. It\u2019s packed with information and guidance that nonprofits need to identify their requirements, compare solutions, and evaluate vendors. Inside this complimentary guide, you\u2019ll find:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A side-by-side comparison of three software delivery models<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gut check: 6 questions to ask before considering a cloud-based financial solution<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Real-world case study of a nonprofit that increased efficiency by 60% and productivity by 40% after moving to the cloud<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Step-by-step guidance for conducting a software evaluation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>7 attributes to look for in a cloud vendor<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>7 Service Level Agreement (SLA) must-haves<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2 factors to be wary of when you evaluate software pricing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">The Nonprofit Accounting Software Buyers Guide<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>The ultimate guide to selecting the best accounting and financial management software for your nonprofit.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-00008083-d376-4e58-9b85-32535d417557\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-965936890-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-965936890-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-signs-it-might-be-time-for-new-nonprofit-accounting-software\"><strong>5 signs it might be time for new nonprofit accounting software<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are 5 symptoms of an inadequate nonprofit accounting system:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Excessive data entry:<\/strong> You have to manually enter data from other systems and paper because your accounting system doesn\u2019t integrate well.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Too many spreadsheets:<\/strong> You shouldn\u2019t have to take data out of your accounting system and manipulate it in Excel in order to get the reports you need.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lag in reporting:<\/strong> Decision-making is hampered when reporting is so cumbersome that the finance team can\u2019t deliver current reporting to management and the board.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Data silos:<\/strong> If your accounting system doesn\u2019t enable you to share information easily, department and program managers may create separate records and reports outside the system.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Poor internal controls:<\/strong> If your accounting system doesn\u2019t provide adequate security to prevent fraud and maintain compliance, grants and donations can be thrown in jeopardy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-is-the-cloud-right-for-your-organization\"><strong>Is the cloud right for your organization?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Deciding what software delivery model is right for your organization is one of the first things to think about for your next nonprofit accounting software solution. There are three main options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>On-premise solutions<\/strong> are software solutions you license and run on your own internal servers. This means you need to invest in hardware and then maintain it, in addition to maintaining the software on the server.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hosted solutions<\/strong> (single tenant) reside at a remote data center operated by a third-party hosting provider on a server dedicated to your organization. You still license the software, but you avoid the upfront hardware costs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cloud computing solutions<\/strong> (multi-tenant), also known as \u201csoftware as a service or SaaS,\u201d offer direct, always-on access to the financial management system via the cloud. The vendor maintains everything you need, and you pay a subscription fee for the system on a per-user\/per-month basis. There is no upfront investment required and no maintenance to perform.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the past decade, cloud solutions have become more and more popular with nonprofit organizations. In addition to eliminating the need for upfront hardware investment or IT support, cloud nonprofit accounting software enables you to work securely from anywhere. The pandemic has made the need for this functionality crystal clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-get-the-software-evaluation-process-started\"><strong>How to get the software evaluation process started<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you plan to move to the cloud, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/sage-business-cloud\/intacct\/industry\/nonprofit\/\n\">nonprofit accounting software<\/a> is still a sophisticated and mission-critical application. So, you can\u2019t skip over the best practices that form the basic groundwork of traditional software evaluations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first step involves gathering your organization\u2019s requirements and documenting your needs. Remember to reach out beyond the finance and accounting team, because you will be sharing information and reporting across the organization. With what systems should your nonprofit financial management system integrate? What kinds of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/sage-business-cloud\/intacct\/product-capabilities\/extended-capabilities\/financial-reporting\/\n\">reporting and dashboard<\/a> capabilities are expected\/desired by your executive team and board?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, you need to identify the top priorities and challenges of your organization. Now take a look at your requirements list and rank the functionality you want according to how important it is to helping your organization overcome challenges or accomplish objectives. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/sage-business-cloud\/intacct\/resources\/white-papers\/nonprofit-accounting-software-buyers-checklist\/\n\">The Nonprofit Accounting Software Buyer\u2019s Checklist<\/a> provides a list of the 40 essential features of a modern accounting system. It will be helpful in completing this step and help you determine the \u201cmust-haves\u201d for your unique organization and mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have completed this heavy lifting in terms of thinking through your needs, there are five additional best practices in the evaluation and selection process. Each step is described in the Buyer\u2019s Guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusion\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cloud financial management vendors have to continue earning your business every month that you subscribe. Therefore, they\u2019re highly incentivized to deliver value to your organization and to establish a long-term service relationship. When you\u2019re ready to adopt a new solution, remember, you&#8217;re in control. Make sure you understand the pricing model and exactly what your organization will be paying for and when. If you have spent time carefully assessing your options, you will make an excellent decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Walk through the complete process for selecting the best nonprofit accounting software solution when you download The Nonprofit Accounting Software Buyer\u2019s Guide and the companion tool, The Nonprofit Accounting Software Buyer&#8217;s Checklist. These comprehensive tools can help you determine key requirements, choose a software delivery model, vet vendors, and evaluate SLAs in order to choose right solution for your specific needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">The Nonprofit Accounting Software Buyers Guide<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>The ultimate guide to selecting the best accounting and financial management software for your nonprofit.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-00008083-d376-4e58-9b85-32535d417557\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-965936890-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-965936890-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-about-the-author\">About the author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"752\" height=\"670\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/07\/nancy-master2.jpg\" alt=\"A headshot photograph of Nancy Master.\" class=\"wp-image-23740\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-nancy-master\">Nancy Master<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Nancy Master is a senior nonprofit industry marketing manager at Sage Intacct, dedicated to providing&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/industry\/nonprofit\/\">solutions for nonprofits<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/industry\/nonprofit\/church\/\">accounting software for churches<\/a>, community development, education, healthcare, governments to foundations and philanthropic organizations, Sage Intacct offers comprehensive tools to support mission success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With over 15 years of experience in software marketing and nearly 20 years of experience working with a human services nonprofit organization, Nancy is passionate about helping nonprofits achieve their goals.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-ab515c6e-7e90-4c2f-a67e-113872516e8b\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Working from home with tea in hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If staying on top of reporting and financial performance for your nonprofit takes too much time and has become overly burdensome, it\u2019s not you \u2014 it\u2019s your software. It might be time to find a nonprofit accounting software system that is able to grow with your organization and help solve challenges, instead of creating them. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1426,"featured_media":20215,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[348,48],"tags":[2,420,168,287],"business_type":[312],"lilypad":[],"context":[418,429],"industry":[58],"persona":[150,101],"imagine_tag":[209,436],"coauthors":[561],"class_list":["post-10017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-free-guides-templates","category-technology-innovation","tag-accountants","tag-cloud-financial-management","tag-sage-accounting","tag-sage-news","business_type-accountants","industry-nonprofit"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"Nancy Master","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1369567969-1.jpg","imagine_tags":{"209":"Accounting","436":"Intacct Accounting"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1426"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10017"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10017\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/20215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10017"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=10017"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=10017"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=10017"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=10017"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=10017"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=10017"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=10017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}