Category

Nonprofit

Nov 17
0

Abila Advocate of Distinction Awards

By | Abila, Nonprofit | No Comments

Advocate of DistinctionAbila has announced that nominations for the Advocate of Distinction Awards will open in December 2013.

This is an exciting opportunity to be recognized or nominate someone to be recognized for his or her work on behalf of a nonprofit organization.  The award is available to any individual who work for, or volunteers with a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Nominations will be accepted beginning December 2013 and Abila will begin announcing monthly winners.  The winner will be rewarded with a $1,000 donation to the nonprofit (501c3) cause or charity of their choice.

Do you know someone deserving of this reward?  Then be sure to nominate them for a chance to be recognized as they deserve but also for the opportunity to affect a $1,000 donation to charity.

Click here for more information

Nov 03
0

Why Every Nonprofit Needs Appropriate Fund Accounting Software

By | Nonprofit | No Comments

iStock_000023610470XSmallMost nonprofits start small. Someone has a dream or vision for how they can bring hope or help to their small corner of the globe. Over time, they get the word out and others get on board. Donations flow in, the money gets deposited in the bank, and thank you notes are sent out. As an impact is made, an organization grows out of someone’s home office or garage. Eventually, someone decides that it’s time for the organization to “grow up,” to set up a Board, file for 501(c)(3) status and “do things right.”

It’s usually at this point that someone on the brand-new Board asks about the financial records. Usually—although not always—founders are more interested in getting out their message, and getting on with their mission, than they are in making sure each penny is accounted for. This tends to mean that financial records have not been a priority—not through any intentional negligence, but through having other, higher priorities on which to spend limited time. Whether jotted down in a notebook, random scraps of paper, or in a simple Excel spreadsheet, chances are that the basic information is there, but that it’s not going to stand up to any sort of auditing process.

This is why the use of appropriate fund accounting software is crucial to the growth and success of any fledgling nonprofit. While setting up an accounting system may seem like a daunting task, professionals are available who can help convert those Excel spreadsheets and notebook entries into an accounting system that’s geared specifically for nonprofits. Systems such as this will actually improve organizational productivity, including:

  • Knowing how much money you have in each fund at any given time, so you know how much you have to spend
  • Making the monthly bank reconciliation process easy and painless
  • Generating meaningful and useful reports for the Board
  • Automatically producing donor information and even thank you notes, rather than relying on a separate manual process

These are just a few of the reasons why any growing nonprofit should move to professionally-designed nonprofit fund software. To learn more ways fund accounting can help your nonprofit grow, contact us today.

Oct 29
0

Fraud – Don’t Let It Happen To You

By | Nonprofit | No Comments

Fraud conceptIt’s always sad to read about fraud within the nonprofit sector we all love so much.

The most recent story in The Washington Post reports on how fraud is a problem affecting all types and sizes of nonprofits (which you can read here):  Inside the hidden world of thefts, scams and phantom purchases at the nation’s nonprofits

The report  highlights the potential for fraud and financial shenanigans, and how even large trusted institutions with significant infrastructure can be vulnerable.

It’s a great reminder how important formalized internal controls, board oversight to real financials, and financial software selection, set up, controls and audit trails are. These are the key bulwarks to spare nonprofits from this type of financial trauma and embarrassing publicity.

At Welter Consulting we help clients ensure proper security and controls every day. The report makes for sober reading, but there are guidelines and controls that can significantly improve security and drive accountability.

Take steps now to protect the reputation of your organization and ensure that your funds are safely directed to your mission and not falling prey to bad players.

Oct 12
0

Tribal Organizations Turn to Welter Consulting

By | Abila, Native American Tribes, Nonprofit | No Comments

iStock_000025770792LargeNative American Tribal organizations have complex financial accounting needs.  Understanding those needs, Welter Consulting knows that Native American Tribal Councils, Education, and Healthcare organizations require solutions that address the financial tracking and reporting necessary for these tribal entities.

Abila software (formerly Sage Fund Accounting, MIP) has been used by Native American Tribal organizations for almost three decades. “The software has a great reputation among Native American Tribal organizations for good reasons,” said Vicki Welter, founder of Welter Consulting LLC.  “Abila’s Chart of Account structure makes it easy for Finance Directors to track multiple organizations within the tribe, address multiple fiscal years and cross fiscal year reporting, and provide the Council and other stakeholders comprehensive financial statements and reports.”

Abila Fund Accounting is used by over 8,000 nonprofit and government organizations.  Abila Fund Accounting has won multiple Campbell Awards for its feature set and customer satisfaction.

Welter Consulting helps Native American Tribal Organization purchase, implement and get the most from Abila Fund Accounting. Clients have their choice of custom onsite training, classroom training, or online web-based training to ensure staff members gain proficiency on the software.

Welter Consulting is headquartered in Lynnwood, Washington and serves Native American tribes as well as nonprofit organizations throughout the United States.