Nonprofit New Year’s Resolution: Get Your Ducks in a Row

2015. Can you believe Y2K was a whole 15 years ago? We may not be facing a millennium-based computer bug meltdown, but time of year is wrought with its own set of challenges. Holiday shopping, school breaks, vacations, and more social interaction than you’re used to. All of that can add up to a lot of stress. But 2015 means a fresh start for you, your family, your job and your volunteer organizations.
That’s where we’d like to begin with this blog. How can you get a better hold on your nonprofit organization this year? Often, it starts with the software program you’ve chosen to line up those proverbial ducks.
1. Organize Your Volunteers. Sometimes your volunteer list gets pretty hefty. Keep them in one centralized location that you can tap into when you’re in need of help.
2. Tighten Up Your Accounting. All of your efforts take money, and without a reliable accounting system, you’re at risk of getting audited and accused of fraud. Always best to have a “paper trail”.
3. Centralize Your Schedule. Between fundraisers, meetings, events and your life, it’s vital to have a good calendar everyone can share.
4. Grasp Your Analytics. Yes, that’s right. We said “analytics”. Because even the smallest nonprofit organizations can benefit from analyzing reports to make more informed decisions.
5. Manage Your Fundraising. Having the proper documentation for your fundraisers is key for audits. Having easy access to things like Thank You letters and Donation Forms can just make your life easier.
6. See Your Contacts. Store, label and filter your contacts by type: member, volunteer, donor, vendor, 1099, etc.
7. Keep Your Records. Once you’ve recorded a Form 990, a bank statement or a meeting agenda, you’ll want to store them in one central location that can be accessed by the right people at the right time.
8. Share Your Forms. Having commonly used forms in one place makes everyones lives easier. If you’re in an organization with frequent board transition, having your forms in a cloud based, central location can really reduce training time and questions after you’re gone.
9. Back Up Your Everything. All of the above is great, but with some nonprofit software, it can go into a black hole if you get hacked or someone’s computer gets stolen. Ideally, all of your records and forms will be regularly backed up and stored safely with 128-bit encryption.
10. Have Fun! Don’t forget the reason you’re volunteering to begin with. You are doing a great thing for your community, your children, or your environment. Keep it up and if you can get things a little more organized you’re much less likely to be stressed about any of it.
We have great news. Money Minder Accounting Software for Nonprofits can do all of the above and more. Start your free trial by filling out the form below. It’s the first step to getting those ducks all lined up for a wonderful start to a wonderful year.