GMS, Inc. – Grants Management System

GMS uses five-digit codes to describe GL asset, liability, equity, and revenue
and expenditure accounts. Grant activities and components found within projects
or grants are classified as Program Elements and are given a six digit code.
Because Program Elements are pre-linked to the specific grants or projects with
which they are associated, entering and posting information is much easier,
with less time required and fewer data-entry mistakes. GL accounts should be
classified as active or inactive, but cannot be deleted once transactions have
been posted.

MODULES/SCALABILITY-
GMS is a pre-packaged financial solution and includes GL, AP, Budget Preparations,
Cash Receipts, Cost Allocation, Payroll and Security modules. Add-on modules
include AR, Purchase Order, Fixed Assets, Report Writer and Direct Deposit.
Also available is the Cut-Down GL, an interesting and useful product that is
ideal for nonprofits that do not require AP, Payroll or Cost Allocation functionality.
The Cut-Down GL contains a chart of accounts, cash receipts, general journal,
month-end reporting, budgeting and prior year maintenance capability.

GMS also offers a Revolving Loan Servicing Software (RLSS) module that will
integrate with the GMS Accounting and Financial Management system. This is an
excellent option for nonprofits that carry state or federally funded loans.
RLSS allows users to enter financing data, collateral type, use of funds, repayment
terms, and escrow information for easy data tracking.

GMS also offers more than 60 Software Supplements, a variety of products designed
to work with GMS and RLSS.

FEATURES/FUNCTIONALITY-
GMS allows for easy tracking of multiple grants, easily handling all budgeting,
accounting transactions and reporting requirements. Five different types of
budgets are available. Program Budgets are designed to track grant or project
expenses as a whole. Indirect Cost Budgets tracks all indirect cost pools, including
year-to-date totals. The Fringe Benefit Budget monitors all charges to fringe
benefits. The YTD Timesheet Budget tracks budgeted amounts in hours. The Agency
Budget tracks data for agency fiscal year.

GMS also complies with FASB 116 and 117 reporting requirements. The Cost Allocation
module allows for the allocation of leave expenses, fringe benefits and indirect
costs. Cost allocation supplements are also available and allow monthly allocations
using an external base such as square footage. Payroll functionality is timesheet
generated, with regular payroll, labor distribution, leave cost accounting and
leave balance maintenance all calculated. The GMS Cash Receipts feature allows
for coding of receipts directly to the specified grant or project.

REPORTING-
A variety of budgets can be created, including those for Programs and Indirect
Costs, as well as an Agency-Wide budget.

Reports include Monthly and YTD Labor Distribution, General Ledger and subsidiaries,
Leave, Fringe and Indirect Cost Rate Computation and Analyses, Year-to-Date
Cost Allocation Summary, Balance Sheet, Revenues and Expenditures by Program
Element, Agency-wide Revenue and Expenditure Report, and Revenues and Expenditures
by Project. For additional reporting capability, the optional Report Writer
allows users to design custom reports based on the report format and data needed.
All standard system reports can be exported to Excel, Lotus or Crystal Reports
for additional customization.

SUPPORT/HELP-
GMS requires new customers to purchase a support plan for the first 12 months.
Support costs $210 for Accounting and $65 for RLSS per month per agency, and
can be reverted to the Pay As You Go plan after the first year. Training for
Accounting is also required by GMS, with an estimate of two weeks of onsite
training required for a one- to two-user system. Support and training costs
will likely run as high as the system cost, and may place the product out of
the reach of the smaller nonprofit.

RELATIVE VALUE-
The GMS Access Basic Package currently costs $7,200 for a one- to two-user system.
The SQL Server Package is $9,200 for a one- to two-user system. Add-on modules
range in cost from $800 to $2,000, and supplemental software add-ons vary, as
well. Though not suitable for all nonprofits, GMS is designed for the grant/project
heavy nonprofit organization and may prove to be an excellent choice well worth
the cost.

2009 OVERALL RATING: