Accounting – it’s probably not the most exciting topic when it comes to church ministries. But it’s one of the most important. Churches need church accounting software to stay on track and on budget.
Church accounting software is created for the church and integrated with your church management software (ChMS).
There are basic similarities of course – money comes in, and money goes out. But parishes aren’t businesses. And using accounting software designed for businesses is a missed opportunity on many levels.
Since our accounting functionalities are designed with parishes in mind, ParishSOFT can share six specific ways that a ministry-driven accounting program will strengthen your parish.
Made-for-the-Church Accounting Software Helps Parishes Save Time
A great accounting program that’s designed for ministry can streamline your parish’s financial processes and actions. This will help reduce administrative work and improve efficiency.
And church accounting software will save time because you won’t have to convert processes from a traditional business standpoint to fit within Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)principles. If you compare ParishSOFT accounting to QuickBooks, for example, you can see why it’s important to use a program specifically designed for Catholic churches.
Ministry-Driven Accounting Lets You Manage Parish Funds from Anywhere
With a cloud-based accounting program, you can gain secure access to your parish finances at any time, from anywhere. You can view data and reports in real-time. And with automatic data backups, you’ll have peace of mind. If someone on your team isn’t in the office but needs to balance the books or check the budget, they can do so from any device with internet access.
Church-Focused Accounting Offers Reporting That is Tailored to Your Parish
Systematic financial reporting that’s designed for churches can help a parish see how it is performing. It also helps parishes adhere to their budgets. Monthly or quarterly reports can keep parish leadership apprised of spending and budget variances.
Having access to financial reports is extremely important, mainly because parishes have a wide range of donors, clergy, and financial councils that need to view such reports.
Integrated Software Lets You Engage with Parishioners through Giving Statements
Providing giving statements to donors can help update parishioners about the progress of your parish’s vision. You get to emphasize the mission and impact that your organization is having on the community.
It’s a comprehensive way to show how donated funds are being used. You can build greater trust with parishioners by showing transparency among parish operations and finances.
When accounting is a cohesive part of the complete church management system, collecting info for giving statements is simple. You’ll also be able to easily track who has given what amount and then send them an update to their address or email on file. (And make sure to add a “thank you” message with the statement – it’s a great chance to let people know they’re appreciated.)
Great Accounting Software Protects Your Parish from Fraud
Unfortunately, embezzlement does happen at parishes. Sound accounting ensures that there are proper financial controls of parish assets.
Careful tracking of purchase orders, accounts payable, and other functions bring accountability and transparency to your books. And the reporting features mentioned above can help you keep track of funds and quickly notice any discrepancies.
Church-Based Accounting Simplifies Payroll
Just because parishes are non-profits doesn’t mean there aren’t people on staff. It takes a lot of hard work to run a parish and make a difference in the community. With a payroll system designed for ministry, managing payroll, deductions, benefits, special clergy allowances, and personal time is easier because it is made with ministries in mind.
ParishSOFT Accounting Payroll guides the user step-by step through the payroll process. It handles special clergy allocations and benefits. It saves costly checks by printing direct deposit receipts on standard copy paper. And it meets your data needs with its versatile reporting system.
As you likely know from experience, parishes have incredibly unique needs regarding how they handle their fund management, receivables, payables, and ledgers. ParishSOFT has developed our Ultimate Guide to Church Accounting to illustrate how software designed with the parish in mind can be extremely helpful.
Find out how ParishSOFT can help you! Get in touch with us here for more information about accounting that’s designed for your parish.
