Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/511071
May 2015 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com 7 FROM THE TRENCHES With the rise of web sites and internet sa les, t he abi l it y to sel l t ickets or receive donat ions v ia t he web has become much more important. Yes, we can still run NFP organizations without complex computer support, but as fund source or donor expecta- t ion s r i se, gover n ment repor t i ng becomes more complex and account- ability is expected, computer system tracking becomes mandatory. Vendors a re prov id i ng t rack i ng applications that can sca le up and d o w n i n t h e N F P i n d u s t r y. Fo r e x a m pl e , l o n g- t e r m pl a y e r s l i k e CY M A NFP, Open Systems TR A- V ER SE NFP, Dynamics NAV with t h e S e r e n i c a d d - o n , A c c u F u n d , A p l o s , B l a c k b a u d , B U C S F u n d A ccou nt i ng by Dona ld R Frey & Company, DENA LI NonProf it by C o u g a r M o u n t a i n , F U N D E -Z , FundWare acquired by Blackbaud, Quick Books Nonproft, along with Abila that acquired much of the Sage N FP sof t ware including M IP, and n o w s e l l E l e v a t e , M I P F u n d A c c ou nt i ng , net FORU M , F u nd- raising Online, Millennium, Fund- raising 50, and Grant Management have all made successful businesses a nd products to suppor t t he N FP industries. Te youngest product on this list, Aplos, is a SaaS based product that can support very small NFP for accounting and donors. T here are many more s pec i a lt y produc t s t h at cou ld be named, but this is a good list of general products. For CPE purposes, w w w. a c c o u nt i n g s o f t w a r e w or ld . c o m / i ndu st r y-solut ion s/not-for-prof it maintains a list of current NFP prod- ucts. If solid NFP accounting is needed by you or your clients, this list contains the best of the best. How Can Systems Help the NFP? Controlling costs, tracking projects, understanding donor interests and communicating with the constituents, volunteers and donors can make or break a NFP organization. Frequently, participants are there for the cause, and want to do the work, sometimes at any cost. A system can drive down c o s t s a n d m a k e m o r e t i m e a n d resources available for the cause. Tracking and controlling source of f u nds a nd ex pend it u res a l low t he cause to move for ward or to select projects of greater impact. In today's world of the proactive donor, account- ability back to the donors is needed more than ever before. Further, it has become easier for NFP organizations to be created for a special short-term purpose and then to allow the organi- zation to expire enabling fraudulent activ it y. A s accountants, it may be hard for us to spot illegitimate organi- zat ions, but w it h t he proper N FP system, it is easier to show that an organization is obtaining and using funds to meet their stated cause. We won't ag ree w ith or suppor t ever y cause, but we do live in a country that e n a b l e s l e g i t i m a t e c a u s e s t o b e directly supported by individuals and organizations. Better Results for Constituents and Donors T he r ig ht prog r a m s c a n prov ide beter value for your NFP clients and t hei r con s t it uenc ie s , donor s a nd employees. Tr y to understand the needs of the organization, and how t hey f u nc t ion to deter m i ne i f t he system selected rea l ly meets their needs. Is t here d i rec t suppor t for critical operational systems? Does the system help w ith v isibilit y and t r a n s p a r e n c y? F i n a l l y, c a n y o u structure the system to produce the appropr iate repor t i ng for gover n- mental units, the board of directors, donors and the membership? It is a new world of proactive donors and members. Can you help them proft and carry out their cause? Nonprofi t Reporting on your mind? Help your nonprofi t clients meet their deadlines. • Internal reporting. • Funder/Grant reporting. • Board reporting. • Compliance reporting. AccuFund has your cloud or on-premise solution! Our complete, integrated accounting and fundraising solutions are designed exclusively for nonprofi ts. Enhance your reporting responsiveness, save time every month, and lower your costs with AccuFund. Learn more at www.accufund.com/reporting-cpa or call 877-872-2228 x215 . A SYSTEM CAN DRIVE DOWN COSTS AND MAKE MORE TIME AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR THE CAUSE.