Working Together Can be a Challenge
You play for the same team, but somehow you feel like cross town rivals. This sometimes happens between the fundraising and finance departments of a nonprofit. You sit across from each other at meetings, but it doesn’t feel like you are on the same team. In reality, you are all working towards the same common goal. Accounting software for nonprofits can help merge these two departments onto the same team. It’s easier to work together when you understand the roles of each department.
It’s Not Easy to Walk in Someone Else’s Shoes
When thinking about your finance and fundraising departments remember the old saying, “You don’t know what it’s like to be someone else unless you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” When it comes to fundraising and finance, there are things that each department wished the other knew about their work and concerns.
Fundraising wishes that finance could…
- Understand the challenges and process of fundraising;
- Accept that you have to spend money to make money (or get donations);
- Help us maintain good donor relations;
- Offer us some flexibility – things aren’t always black and white in our world.
- Respect that fundraising isn’t easy.
And finance wishes that the fundraising team could…
- Understand the fact that finance’s job is complex and time-consuming;
- Accept help from experts in finance.
- Help us do our jobs better by providing us with information we need.
- Offer to sit with us to learn some basic accounting practices.
- Respect deadlines.
It’s often easier to come to consensus when you understand and respect one another’s positions in a situation. Knowing what the other ‘team’ wants can help you step closer to a compromise, and to support each other’s vital roles in an organization. One way to share information is through accounting software for nonprofits, which can help both teams step closer to one another through shared information.
Different Departments, Similar Challenges
Although finance and fundraising reflect different departments with varying needs, both seem to experience similar challenges when it comes to data and information. Ways in which both departments can help each other overcome their shared challenges include:
- Collaborate on budgets and tracking
- Improve reports and reconciliation of financial information
- Jointly plan and set goals
- Establish frequent, timely communications
- Identify ideal processes and procedures
- Integrate fundraising and accounting software
Software for nonprofits is a great tool that can help both departments communicate, collaborate, and plan together. Various software packages including Abila MIP and others can work independently or together to provide data sharing among teams, timely updates and more. Cloud-based solutions ability to be accessed anywhere that there is a web connection makes it easier for fundraisers who travel to visit donors. They can see and update accounts from the road, which in turn, will help the finance department do their jobs better.
The right accounting software for nonprofits won’t solve all of your internal struggles, but it can help to get fundraising and finance on the same team. This will be a win win for all the players involved.
Contact Us
Welter Consulting makes choosing the right accounting for nonprofit software easier. At Welter Consulting we are committed to finding you the most affordable technology, the most powerful solution, and providing expert support. We are dedicated to assist you in achieving your mission by leveraging technology and superior reporting. If you’re ready to cross the bridge to empowering technology, effective nonprofit solutions, and superior technology – let’s begin! We would love to talk to you about your specific needs. Contact us today or call 206-605-3113.
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