The NonProfit Times - January 1, 2008 - (Page 19)

SPECIAL REPORT 6. Lather, rinse, repeat. Improving the connection between parts of the organization is an iterative process. Some decisions will be obvious, such as replacing handcrafted Excel spreadsheets with system-generated reports. Others, such as comparing a slower, but cheaper, export/import option with a faster API will require more consideration. A full-blown review might evaluate replacing the current fundraising, accounting, or client management applications to achieve significant improvements. In some instances, fully utilizing existing features would be equivalent to installing new software. Anticipating how the decentralization of responsibility with the centralizing of data will affect the organization is difficult, and opportunities will have to be traced through the information life cycle to determine the most workable choice. Look at the way things could work and make some decisions about how to get there. Some changes will require training and work flows or responsibilities; others might require new software and even hardware. Serenic Software’s Taylor added:“From a technical perspective they need to evaluate their infrastructure. As data gets pushed out to more users, organizations often have to invest in Web servers, opening up their firewalls, and dealing with client portals where they can log into their accounts. Security on what’s presented outside of the firewall is critical. That requires skill sets that don’t always exist within the organization.” Where responsibility for financial information resides has been cyclical. Kintera’s Scheuble recalled, “There Accounting Software To Consider AccuFund Inc. AccuFund Accounting Suite-Standard Single-user: $2,995; three-user: $6,495; add $895 for each additional user; AccuFund Accounting Suite-Professional Single-user: $6,595; three-user: $8,995; add $1,195 for each additional user (781) 433-0233 www.accufund.com Agilon Agilon Business Financials Starts at $27,000 for 1-4 users Starts at $42,000 for 5-10 users (319) 739-0773 www.myagilon.com Blackbaud The Financial Edge, version 7.7 Starts at $2,100 for single-user (800) 443-9441 www.blackbaud.com Cougar Mountain Software Cougar Mountain FUND Revenue Center Single-user: $1,199; four-user: $1,449; unlimited: $1,449; Cougar Mountain FUND Suite Single-user: $3,199; four-user: $4,199; unlimited: $5,299 (800) 388-3038 www.cougarmtn.com Deltek Deltek Costpoint Starts at $57,134 for 250-499 employee organization; starts at $108,491 for 500 and more employees Deltek GCS Premier Starts at $5,400 for 1-25 employees (800) 456-2009 www.deltek.com Donor2/Campus Management Corp. Donor2 Accounting Starts at $2,655 per user (800) 548-6708 www.donor2.com Executive Data Systems Nonprofit Starter Kit Single-user: $400; unlimited: $600; Fund Accounting Software Series Single-user: $1,000; unlimited: $1,500 (800) 272-3374 www.execdata.com Fund E-Z Development Corp. Fund E-Z Starts at $695 for single-user; add $495 for each additional user (877) 696-0900 www.fundez.com Intuit Inc. Quickbooks Premier for Nonprofits Single-user: $449.95; Enterprise Solutions for Nonprofits Five-user: $3,000 (650) 944-6000 www.quickbooks.com Kintera FundWare Starts at $1,295 (800) 551-4458 www.fundware.com Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Dynamics-GP Starts at $2,250 per user (701) 281-6500 www.microsoft.com/dynamics Open Systems Inc. TRAVERSE not-for-profit Starts at $1,500; add $200 for each additional user (800) 328-2276 www.traversenfp.com Sage Software Sage MIP Fund Accounting Starts at $2,995 for single-user (800) 811-0961 www.sagemip.com Sage Software (small business) Peachtree Premium for Nonprofits Starts at $599 for single-user (800) 228-0068 www.peachtree.com Serenic Corporation Serenic Navigator Starts at $3,000 per user for Business Essentials; starts at $6,000 per user for Advanced Management (Offers grant management system) (877) 737-3642 www.serenic.com Anticipating how the decentralization of responsibility with the centralizing of data will affect the organization is difficult. was a real push to decentralization in the 1990s where other departments could enter their own transactions and finance would just approve and cut the check. Earlier this decade there was a move back to centralization because the systems in place were inadequate for non-accounting people to make the right choices, plus there was a lack of training. Today JANUARY 1, 2008 people are more aware of financial practices and the software is better and there are fewer staff members -that drives the current decentralization of responsibility.” Changing how information gets in and out of the accounting system will change how the accounting function interacts with the rest of the organization.Staff responsible for basic transacwww.nptimes.com tions will understand the importance of their work throughout the organization, and that, in turn, will change how financial information is used in decision making. NPT Tim Mills-Groninger has been a contributing editor to The NonProfit Times for more than a decade. He is the former associate director of the IT Resource Center in Chicago, now called Lumity. THE NONPROFIT TIMES 19 http://www.fundez.com http://www.accufund.com http://www.quickbooks.com http://www.myagilon.com http://www.fundware.com http://www.blackbaud.com http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics http://www.cougarmtn.com http://www.traversenfp.com http://www.sagemip.com http://www.deltek.com http://www.peachtree.com http://www.donor2.com http://www.serenic.com http://www.execdata.com http://www.nptimes.com

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The NonProfit Times - January 1, 2008 Expenses Continue To Put Stress On Nonprofit Budgets Insuring Donors’ Goodwill Volunteers On Firing Line Contents Who...When...Where...How...What? Red Cross Audit Comes Up Clean Exit Doors Rear And Aft Calendar A Fresh Look Special Report: Accounting APIs Opportunity Is Knocking Middle Management Barrier Memorial NPT Jobs Resource Directory

The NonProfit Times - January 1, 2008

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