6 nonprofit accounting software platforms to keep your books in line

If you want to be a good steward of your donations, you'll need to crunch some numbers.

Yes, we love seeing you create one-of-a-kind fundraising campaigns, and yes, we love providing the tools to executethose campaigns. But to stay in good standing with the IRS and achieve the highest levels of transparency on sites like Guidestar, you'll need to tally up your expenditures, subtract them from your total funds raised, and in some cases, even pay taxes (like employment taxes for full-time staff).

If the idea of punching numbers and running Excel formulas day in and day out gives you a headache, don't worry. There are plenty of reputable nonprofit accounting software platforms that make bookkeeping a breeze. Below, we share six reputable nonprofit accounting software services that integrate directly with your fundraising platform.

6 nonprofit accounting software platforms to keep your books in line

Just like a for-profit enterprise, nonprofit organizations need to keep track of their earnings, expenses, and taxes due. Plus, while nonprofit 501(c) organizations are exempt from federal taxes, sales taxes, and even property taxes, they do have to pay employment taxes.

Using a nonprofit accounting software can make all of the above much more manageable—even for a grassroots organization.

Here are a few services that can be integrated with Givebutter directly or through a Zapier connection.

1. QuickBooks 💰

QuickBooks by Intuit offers a complete accounting solution for nonprofits. A popular tool amongst small business owners, QuickBooks is known for its user-friendly interface—many times, you can get up and running with QuickBooks in less than 1–2 hours.

With QuickBooks Online, you can sync your bank accounts in just a few clicks, allowing you to easily track incoming and outgoing cash flow. QuickBooks accepts credit card, debit card, bank transfers, cash, or checks as payment options, allowing you to easily accept online donations. For all other payment types—like Venmo, Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal, and more—QuickBooks integrates with your Givebutter fundraising platform, making it easier to track donations and hit your goal. QuickBooks also offers a mobile app, so your team can keep track of expenses and reports while on the go. Finally, QuickBooks offers a number of financial reports beyond just a general ledger, allowing you to stay IRS compliant and track your fundraising efforts.

QuickBooks offers plans priced at $40, $90, and $125 per month (the only plan that comes with QuickBooks Desktop), and they all come with a 30-day trial. Their Plus (most basic) plan allows you to track miles, manage 1099 contractors, keep track of income and expenses, send invoices, and pay bills. Plus, five different users can access your QuickBooks account.

2. Sage Intacct 💪

Sage Intacct offers a cloud-based accounting solution built for nonprofits. With Sage Intacct, you can automate your accounts payable, keep tabs on your campaign efforts through various reporting dashboards, and create workflows for billing processes and approvals. Plus, Sage Intacct integrates with a number of third-party apps, including CRM, payroll, and fundraising platforms (like Givebutter).

Unfortunately, Sage Intacct does not list pricing online, so you will need to contact them for an accurate quote.

3. Xero 👊

If you're a grassroots nonprofit searching for your first accounting platform, you may want to check out Xero. Xero offers incredibly affordable subscriptions, fitting perfectly within your nonprofit budget.

Like other platforms on this list, Xero makes it easy to sync with your bank and other third-party applications. Plus, Xero allows you to automate invoicing and reporting, enabling you to spend more time fundraising and less time bookkeeping. If you're a scaling organization, Xero offers a number of team-friendly tools, allowing employees to leave comments, request time off, submit expenses, and send invoices.

Xero plans start at a jaw-dropping $5.50 per month (we told you it was affordable!). From there, prices increase to $16 or $31 per month—which are some of the lowest prices in the industry.

4. Fund EZ 🤑

Unlike the previous platforms on this list, Fund EZ is an accounting platform built exclusively for not-for-profit organizations. And because it was designed with nonprofits in mind—rather than small businesses or startups—it has a number of features to suit your organization's unique needs.

This nonprofit accounting solution offers bank reconciliation, budgeting, reporting dashboards, and automated accounts payable and receivable. In addition, it offers rarer features, like Medicaid billing, fixed asset reporting, and even foster care billing as potential add-ons. Plus, it offers unlimited phone support to help you get up and running on their platform.

Fund EZ does not publish its pricing on its website, but a report by Capterra claims plans start at $170 per month per user. You must request a demo to get an accurate quote, and all plans start with a 30-day free trial.

5. FastFund 👏

Like Fund EZ, FastFund by Araize is an accounting software solution built exclusively for nonprofits. Advertised as a one-stop shop for nonprofit operations, FastFund's capabilities handle all of your accounting, fundraising, and payroll needs for your organization.

FastFund makes it easy to stay legally compliant, generating IRS Form 990, FASB compliant financial statements, and other tax forms on your behalf. Plus, FastFund can handle cash management in real-time, taking care of your cash receipts and cash disbursements. FastFund allows you to easily track the success of your campaigns with a built-in project revenue and expense tracking system. Unfortunately, FastFund does not offer a Zapier integration, so you will not be able to integrate your accounting system with your fundraising platform.

FastFund starts at $42 per month per user. While they do not offer a free trial, there are no contracts, so you can cancel your plan at any time.

6. AccountingSuite 💸

AccountingSuite is a cloud accounting platform popular amongst small, scaling businesses—but it can be used for your nonprofit needs.

AccountingSuite easily connects with your bank accounts, so you can save time entering transactions. In addition, there are various accounting tools allowing you to track inventory, cashflows, and project and time tracking. It offers a number of customizable reports to track budgets, create an audit log, and keep tabs on accounts receivable and payable. To help you get up and running, AccountingSuite offers a number of webinars and modules to help you adapt to the system. Lastly, it can integrate with your Givebutter fundraising platform through Zapier.

AccountingSuite's business accounting plans start at just $19 per month per user, fitting into your nonprofit budget. From there, plans increase to $25, $55, and $129 per month, with each plan offering an increased number of users and accounting features.

Find the best nonprofit accounting software to streamline your bookkeeping needs

Proper financial management is crucial to be a good steward of donations and to be able to continue your mission.

To ensure a platform fills all your accounting needs, you'll need a service that offers a number of reporting templates, campaign forecasting, and third-party integration to keep your donor management, grant management, fundraising, and bookkeeping all in one place.

Givebutter integrates with a number of accounting platforms—both directly and through Zapier. With Givebutter, you can easily manage your bookkeeping and fundraising needs by syncing your campaign platform with QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct, and other popular platforms. If you’d prefer to manually reconcile transactions on Givebutter with your accounting software, you can alternatively export Payout Reconciliation Reports.

With the right accounting software, you can stay legally compliant while gaining a clear understanding of your financial standing. Ready to see how Givebutter can easily sync with your bookkeeping system? Check out our accounting integrations to get started.