2018 Review of Cougar Mountain Denali FUND Nonprofit Accounting

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From the 2018 reviews of nonprofit accounting systems.

Denali FUND Nonprofit Accounting from Cougar Mountain Software is well suited for small to mid-sized organizations. Denali FUND is available in three versions; Basecamp, Ascent, and Summit, with smaller users able to easily scale up to a more robust version or simply add more modules if necessary.

Traditionally designed as an on-premise application, Denali now offers Denali Nonprofit Cloud, which includes the same functionality as the traditional desktop application. The latest version of Denali offers several system enhancements including enhanced reporting capability.

Denali supports unlimited fund accounts, with users able to create a separate chart of accounts for each fund managed. The product also offers a flexible chart of accounts structure that can utilize up to six segments, and a maximum of 50 characters. The fund segment cannot exceed six characters. Users can also import a current chart of accounts from another application if desired. Users can add additional funds in the GL Set Up Funds option, including fund transfer type. Denali uses a batch processing system which may be beneficial to some.

Denali FUND handles multiple transaction types, including journal entries, cash receipts, invoicing, bill payment, including ACH capability, and order entry and payroll processing, along with automatic fund balancing through the GL fund option.

Denali offers a Budget Management feature that allows users to easily set up and manage all necessary budgets. Users can also copy existing budget data to a new budget or import an existing budget into Denali FUND.  Users can create multiple budgets, and the budget grid simplifies the budget management process for those managing multiple budgets. Users can also manage a single budget for up to five years if necessary.

Denali FUND does not offer donor management capability, but does integrate with Donor Express, a third-party donor management application that manages donor data, donation levels, pledges, campaigns, and appeals.

Users can easily manage grants and other funds, with each fund having its own chart of accounts, fiscal year, and calendar. When setting up fund options, users can also choose to allocate expenses to specified accounts as needed. Mentioned earlier, Denali FUND includes a Due To/From function that ensures that all funds remain in balance.

The Controller module is where administrators set up system users. Denali FUND offers multi-level security, with users assigned individual rights or added to a group of similar users. System access is determined by module, and then by features found in each module.

Denali FUND offers a great selection of reports, which are available in each of the Denali FUND modules. All reports are fully customizable, and those using the Ascent or Summit version of the product have access to Denali Reports, which offers easy customization capability using Crystal Reports. Denali FUND also offers nonprofit specific reports such as Statement of Financial Position, Statement of Cash Flows, and Statement of Activities. Users can also run reports by fund, making it easy to report on grant revenues and expenditures. All Denali FUND reports can be exported to Microsoft Word or Excel or to Crystal Reports.

All Denali FUND modules fully integrate, with a variety of modules available including GL, Bank Reconciliation, Controller, Software Assurance and Cougar Dtails (Basecamp) with additional modules such as AP and Denali Reports available in the Ascent edition, and AR, Purchase Order, and Payroll modules available in the Summit edition. Cougar Mountain also offers a variety of add-on modules such as eCommerce Integration, Job Cost, Inventory, Order Entry, Fixed Assets, Denali eDelivery, and Cougar Forms. The product also integrates with a variety of third-party strategic partners including Donor Express, Applianz, TSheets, Avalara, MAX Giving, and Microsoft Office applications such as Word and Excel.

Denali FUND offers excellent help functionality, which is accessible from any interface screen in the application. The Support and Training page provides quick access to user guides, product documentation, and a comprehensive list of all products and services offered. There is also a training schedule displayed, with various training options available including online, onsite, and classroom training at Cougar Mountain headquarters. Customer support is available during regular business hours, or users can fill out the support request online. A software assurance plan is also available that helps to ensure access to all the latest software updates as well as 20 hours of online/telephone support.

Denali FUND from Cougar Mountain Software is a good fit for small to mid-sized nonprofits that manage multiple funds and are looking for a product that can grow with them. Pricing for Denali FUND starts at $1,999.00 for a single user, with custom pricing available upon request.    

2018 Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars