When everyone carries a smartphone that can handle anything from buying coffee to paying bills, does your nonprofit really need to bother with old-fashioned paper checks? It may surprise you to hear that most of the organizations using MoneyMinder do accept checks, although most combine them with cash and digital options.

Checks offer a few advantages over other payment methods. Unlike credit cards or digital payment platforms that typically charge up to 5% in processing fees, checks ensure that every penny goes to your organization. 

And unlike cash that can vanish without explanation, every check creates an automatic record of who paid, when they paid, and how much. When people write the purpose on the memo line, you’ve got even better tracking. In fact, some school districts and governing organizations actually prefer checks for this exact reason. They’ve seen too many problems when digital platforms get mixed up with personal accounts, and they know checks keep everything clearly separated and official.

How to start accepting checks

Start with proper banking. Make sure you’re using a dedicated nonprofit bank account. Personal accounts are off-limits for organizational money, period. If you need guidance on nonprofit banking basics, our 10 Banking Rules for Small Nonprofit Groups walks through everything you need to know.

Train people on correct payee information. The payee line should always show your organization’s full legal name, never an individual person’s name. This might seem picky, but it matters for keeping your finances properly separated.

Create a tracking system. Each check should connect to something specific—a fundraiser, an event registration, a donation drive. (MoneyMinder makes this straightforward since you can categorize and track check payments right alongside your other transactions.)

Prepare for problems. Checks get lost in backpacks, bounce because of insufficient funds, or show up months after events end. Having a plan beats scrambling when these situations pop up.

Best practices for accepting checks

Get checks deposited quickly. Don’t let them pile up in someone’s car or sit on a kitchen counter for weeks. Besides the obvious risk of losing them, prompt deposits mean the money reaches your account sooner. Most banks offer mobile deposit now, so you can often handle this from wherever you are.

Watch for potential fraud red flags like unusual amounts, missing signatures, or checks that look altered. When in doubt, contact the bank listed on the check to verify before depositing. 

Regular reconciliation keeps your records accurate and catches problems early. MoneyMinder’s reconciliation tools make it easy to match what your bank shows with what you’ve recorded, so you can spot discrepancies before they become bigger issues.

Adding digital payment options

While checks do have their advantages, most people don’t regularly carry a checkbook with them, so offering additional methods gives you more flexibility. Just be thoughtful about digital options—their convenience sometimes creates new problems, especially when platforms connect to personal accounts instead of proper business accounts.

If you decide to add digital payments, look for solutions built specifically for nonprofits, like the MoneyMinder Store, which keeps everything properly separated and integrates smoothly with your accounting. 

The Bottom Line

Checks give you security, simplicity, and every dollar people intend to donate. They’re not exciting or cutting-edge, but they work reliably for nonprofit groups that need to account for every penny and keep detailed records. MoneyMinder can help streamline the whole process, so you spend less time wrestling with financial details and more time focusing on your organization’s actual mission.