Intuit - QuickBooks Accounting Premier Nonprofit Edition 2009

From the Nov. 2009 Review of Not-for-Profit
Accounting Programs.

With
QuickBooks’ dedicated focus on small businesses, it’s no secret
that it has quickly become the product of choice for small business owners.
When Intuit began adding industry-specific versions and opening up the product
through its SDK, it spread to even more markets. QuickBooks Accounting Premier
Nonprofit Edition 2009 successfully combines the ease of QuickBooks with industry-specific
functionality that will suit smaller nonprofit organizations very well.

EASE OF USE/FLEXIBILITY-
Upon installation, users will choose the Nonprofit Edition of QuickBooks. The
Easy Step Interview feature guides users through a series of relevant screens
ranging from company information to fiscal year to organization type. The QuickBooks
user interface is easily navigated, with functions segregated into related centers.
Each center displays a workflow diagram where system functions can be accessed,
or the drop-down menu at the top of the screen can be utilized. The Nonprofit
selection displayed on the toolbar offers access to all nonprofit-specific activities.

While QuickBooks continues to add updated functions in each product release,
the program has retained its easy navigation, with several options available
to customize the user interface to suit any business or organization. Organizations
that are outgrowing QuickBooks Premier can easily migrate to QuickBooks Enterprise,
which offers a more robust financial solution and increased user capability.

MODULES/SCALABILITY-
QuickBooks Accounting Premier Nonprofit Edition 2009 contains GL, AP, AR, Inventory,
Time Tracking, Audit Trail, Purchase Orders, and Customizable Reports. A Nonprofit
option is available that provides access to nonprofit-specific features and
functions. Organizations can track valuable customer/donor information, accept
credit cards and customize forms for a more professional appearance. And as
previously noted, the product line offers scalability through it Enterprise
edition.

FEATURES/FUNCTIONALITY-
QuickBooks Accounting Premier Nonprofit Edition 2009 contains several system
enhancements, including the ability to run reports while in multi-user mode
and the multi-user chat. The Company Snapshot offers a real-time view of an
organization, including money owed, bills to pay, and necessary tasks to be
completed. The new Online Banking feature allows users to easily download transactions
from any bank account, making it easier than ever to maintain real-time cash
availability.

The addition of Accountants Tools makes it easy to work directly with an accountant.
The Client Data Review in the Accountant Edition (which can be used with the
Nonprofit Edition) allows the accountant to assist with finding and correcting
data errors, and importing client data is now easier than ever. Nonprofit-specific
features include options to set up a budget, enter donations, enter pledges,
and the ability to send follow-up letters to donors. Letter templates can be
customized as needed. From the nonprofit selection, users can also make deposits,
enter and pay bills, and write checks. When setting up an industry-specific
edition of QuickBooks, the system swaps out all common names with nonprofit
related names, so donation receipt forms will actually say ‘donation’
at the top of the form. Also of use to many users will be the multi-currency
feature.

QuickBooks works with a variety of add-ons and third-party applications, including
the Remote Access feature, which starts at $3.95 per month.
QuickBooks also offers a free three-page website, with 12 months of free hosting.
More than 2,000 web templates are available from which to choose, along with
100+ sample sites for various industries.

REPORTING-
QuickBooks Accounting Premier Nonprofit Edition offers an excellent selection
of reports. Report types can be reviewed in the Report Center prior to printing,
including a brief explanation of the report and its purpose. QuickBooks produces
several nonprofit reports, including Form 990. Other reports available include
Biggest Donors/Grants, Donors Contribution Summary, Budget vs. Actual by Programs,
and the Statement of Financial Income and Expense.

An excellent audit trail report is available that details all transactions
entered and edited in QuickBooks along with user information. Reports can be
customized to reflect organizational needs and grouped together for easy future
access. Reports can also be saved as PDF files for easy distribution, as well
as exported to Word or Excel, or emailed to recipients directly from the report
interface.

SUPPORT/HELP-
A traditionally friendly user interface has helped QuickBooks retain its popularity
through the years. A comprehensive Help file is included with the product, and
the Easy Step Interview process makes it easy to set up an organization. The
Learning Center offers brief (less than 10 minutes) online tutorials that provide
an overview of QuickBooks along with various product features. Thirty days of
free product support is included with the purchase of QuickBooks, with numerous
support packages available thereafter.

RELATIVE VALUE-
Intuit QuickBooks Accounting Premier Nonprofit Edition 2009 is currently priced
at $399.95 for a single-user system. With the flexibility that QuickBooks continues
to provide small business owners and small organizations, it would be an excellent
choice for the smaller nonprofit organization.

2009 OVERALL RATING: