NonprofitBooks

[CWiegmann]

I am currently looking for information regarding the Nonprofits version of Quickbooks. I work for a Catholic Diocese, and many of our individual parishes and grade schools use Quickbooks for their Accounting Software. However, our Diocesan High Schools all use a different type of Fund Accounting Software (i.e. Blackbaud, Peachtree fund accounting, and Kennrick).

I would like to recommend Quickbooks to the high schools since I am a user of the software, but understand their need for the fund accounting.

Has anyone used NonprofitBooks, and if so, would recommend it for a nonprofit school operation? From just a brief description of the Nonprofit, I am afraid it would not serve the schools needs, especially in the area of Accounts Receivable. Currently, each school has individual families set up for tuition.

Any information regarding the NonprofitBooks would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

[Bill Furr]

We use Quickbooks at our school for all of our accounting except accounts receivable. We have not figured out how to use it to bill tuition nor have we found a satisfactory add on. Quickbooks is not designed and does not have the flexibility to bill tuition or to produce the required reports. We used a locally developed DOS database for billing until recently when we changed to Hunter Systems School Minder Billing. While much more expensive, this software is custom made to bill tuition and other school fees.

[CCA]

At my small school, we use QB2001 for everything, including tuition billing. I set up an invoice in August with how much the parent owes for the whole school year. Then I just send out a statement each month. On the custom statement, I've included a box where I can list the amount they owe for that particular month.

Recently I've been wondering if I'm doing it wrong. In looking back in old student accounts I was throwing out, I realized that in the days of using ledgers, the bookkeepers billed month by month. On December 1st, they charged for Dec.; on Jan. 1, for Jan., etc. Is this how it should be done?

I'm also looking into school software, too, and fund management software, because I'm realizing that QB doesn't handle contributions very well.

[RetiredCPA Jim]

Hi
Below is a portion of our Sitemap which pertains to Christian School matters -- many of which pertain to what we call Schar (School Acct Rec) and /or Quickbooks. We trust you find it helpful

http://www.bcidot.org/sitemap.html#7

You might also find of value our two signature links below:

Fund Acctg http://www.bcidot.org/all/0041-01.html
QuickBooks http://www.bcidot.org/qbb/0601-06.html


Thanx - Jim@bcidot.org --- Prov. 16:3
We hope you enjoy JIMs JRNL found in:
http://www.bcidot.org/pub/9222-22.html

[ircinraq]

It has been a puzzle to me why a Non-Profit organization would NOT select the simplest, least expensive and easiest-to- operate software to use. Unless the complexity and the size of the organization requires "Fund Accounting" software.
And, so why not the QB?
However, contrary to QB's advertising slogan that one need not be a bookeeper to run the program, it is highly recommended to hire a BOOKKEEPER and not a computer operator. The program itself is a tool, and just as one would not be a carpenter when buying a hammer, he or she must be a competent bookkeeper to start with. And from that point on it is only the small matter of setting up the books properly. Tuitions, contributions or pledges make little difference on the books and QB handles it all.
My suggestion to starting Non-profits is to hire an accountant to set it up. The initial cost more than offsets the problems they would encounter with a botched up set of books.
I spoke.
:-)