Volunteers are at the heart of all nonprofit organisations, and without them things just wouldn’t happen. But regrettably, you probably often face completely new teams, committees and treasurers, or the people who put their hand up do not have the abilities you need to keep your organisation’s finances up to date. It is particularly difficult when using systems that need the user to know accounting.

Now that’s not to criticise volunteers by any means! The majority are industrious, community minded people who are doing their bit and wish the very best for their group. But, within this fast-paced world, it is often difficult to find volunteers who will commit long-term or individuals who have the knowledge you are searching for.

This means you require a consistent, simple to use bookkeeping system to record your finances. It must be something that is easy enough for anybody to use and understand, and which facilitates the smooth running of the organisation.

Mandy, a small business owner who also volunteers in a nonprofit organisation told me recently that upon their treasurer departing, Mandy found herself taking over that position. She told me that she only found herself in that position when the organisation found out that she had experience in using accounting software, developed using Cashflow Manager to do the books for her own business. This is not an uncommon story. Actually, in lots of volunteer based organisations, individuals who have any type of bookkeeping experience have been known to step into the role of treasurer. But let’s just say if Mandy must move on; how will you find another volunteer with bookkeeping experience?

As you can see you will find numerous challenges when thinking about how to manage the finances. A few of these include:

• How can we attract people to accept the job of treasurer?
• What types of reports are needed by the organisation, and also by the governing body or association?
• If a new treasurer comes on board, is the bookkeeping system easy to use and transferable?
• If there are wages that must be paid, how will you organise the payroll?
• What is double entry accounting? Do we have to use this complex system, or is there a simple method of getting the same results without training someone up?
• Is the solution economical and are ongoing costs low?

As a nonprofit organisation, it is crucial that the accounting software you select has the capacity to handle contributions from grants, donor, investments, and fundraising, manage outgoing costs and wages, and produce reports easily.

In addition, you most likely do not have the spare cash to invest in costly software. To meet these challenges, the program you select should be simple to implement inexpensively, and contribute to your organisation’s efficiency.

Utilising a flexible bookkeeping system like Cashflow Manager that is simple enough for your treasurer to understand, will do wonders for your financial management. Finally your treasurer need not be an accountant!

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