How to Find the Right Church Accounting Software

Having a hard time keeping track of your church donations? This is not the only problem you’ll get if you’re not using the right church accounting software.

You could end up missing due dates on your bills. Your next church event could turn out to be lacking in funds because of wrong budgeting. The nightmarish experience of doing tax calculation days before the deadline is notorious.

An accounting application that has the right kind of features is essential. When you have this, money management becomes as easy as pie.

However, the diversity of software available today can be overwhelming.

You don’t have to worry, though. Allow us to be the instrument that answers your prayers. Here are seven questions to ask when choosing the best church accounting software:

1. Does It Have All the Accounting Basics Covered?

Does your accounting involve advanced tasks such as comparing profit and loss statements? If not, the best choice would be to go for software that only has basic accounting features.

A church accounting software focuses on providing tools for non-accountants. These basic components make them easier to use.

Picking an accounting software bloated with too many features is harder to learn. Aside from that, you could also end up paying more for functionalities you don’t actually need.

2. Can You Track Donations With It?

Having software that tracks church donations will help keep you from over-giving. You can also prevent losing out on funding for other ministry projects.

A good account software for churches allows you to enter donations per member or group. It can create monthly or weekly reports on average giving per giving unit.

The software should help you track giving trends and giving distributions. It should offer efficient support in forecasting a stable annual budget.

The complexities of managing church finances can be overwhelming. A donation tracking feature can eliminate the stress that comes with the task.

3. Which Platforms Does the Software Run On?

Your software must run on the operating systems that your church uses. It can be macOS, Windows, or even Android if you’re using a Chromebook. You might also need the software accessible on mobile platforms.

Modern accounting applications are web-based, which covers any operating system. All you need is a web browser and internet access to use it.

Choosing web-based software also allows you to have an offsite backup for your data. In case you need to upgrade to new hardware or gadget, you don’t have to go through the installation process.

4. Is It Easy To Learn and Use?

Most software products come with a comprehensive user manual. However, software with confusing design and layout can still be perplexing to get used to.

You should look for software that has a clean interface. Proper organization of menus and components is what you should be looking for. Also, make sure that the arrangements are logical.

Options for customization are a big plus, allowing you to remove fields or text boxes you don’t need.

Some software products come with both PC and mobile versions. If you’re choosing cross-platform software, make sure it works well in all screen sizes. Switching between desktop to mobile and vice versa should be seamless.

Web-based accounting software has a user-intuitive design in both desktop and mobile view. Since it doesn’t use local storage, you can access data from any device that has internet access.

5. Does It Have Payroll Integration?

Management of a church’s payroll is different from regular employee payrolls. The church account software should be able to handle the specific intricacies involved.

Look for features that allow you to do easy payroll processing. Considering that ministers are self-employed, the clergy payroll requires that tax be withheld. Software functions should help you with the proper withholding of taxes.

Payroll management can get even more complicated. Most of the time, you need to track payments for church freelancers and contractors. Choose the software which allows you to create entries that accommodate these differences.

Having the ability to enter your own calculations is a big plus. It can take the load off from manual entering of your tax formulas every pay period. If you prefer to use tax tables instead, a good church accounting tool should have its own built-in tax table too.

6. Will It Help in Tracking Funding Goals?

When looking for good church account software, you need to consider all features. It should also provide options that help with funding management. You should compare expenses and revenue to the actual budget allocated.

A cash-based accounting method should be part of the features, as well. This will help you write checks and reconcile checkbook activities.

Do you need to create reports, too? The application should be able to automate them from your existing data.

7. Does It Have Unique Features?

The benefits of accounting software for churches must encompass a lot of details. It should go beyond helping you only with accounting tasks. It should also help you with other aspects of your church’s operation.

Search for an application that helps in tracking group attendance. These specific church groups include choirs, committees, and ushers. The ability to communicate with particular groups through email is also a big plus.

Some accounting software even allows you to send text messages. They are excellent for last-minute reminders and updates to church members.
Other unique features that you should look for are:

• Visitor management that helps you schedule pastoral visits
• Attendance tracking to keep tabs on individuals who attend services and church events
• Calendar to help track special events, such as anniversaries, baptism, and other events

These days, robust church accounting software such as Iconcmo.com adds church-specific functionalities. It’s not something you’ll find in general accounting applications designed for business use.

Choose the Best Church Accounting Software

These seven questions can help you narrow down what to look for in church account software. They make choosing a church accounting software a lot easier.

Do you need more help with money management? We recommend you to check our other related articles. They will help you stay organized while handling church finances.