Non-Profits (501C)3 support

[Mike or Penny Novack]

On 12/4/2016 9:08 PM, Mark Phillips wrote:
> I will add one point about reports. The "built-in" reports may not work for
> your needs. However, selecting the right transactions and exporting the
> data into a spreadsheet is very easy, and then one can use the spreadsheet
> to create whatever reports are required.
Things like what to include in the reports, the titles of reports, and 
how things are grouped (for 990-990EZ reporting plus in my case MA Form 
PC) are not hard to deal with. Remember, how you want things to appear 
for your board of directors and how for the IRS, etc. not going to be 
the same.

The main problem (what is missing/awkward) you shouldn't fault gnucash. 
Commercial alternatives like QuickBooks Pro for Non-Profits have the 
SAME problems << you may want/need "dues statements" but dues are not 
legally receivable, pledges are, but maybe have a schedule associated, 
etc. >> There are possible work arounds for all of these things.

a "real" package for non-profits would include
a) donor/member as a category (they really are different from vendors 
and customers)
b) ability to invoice without being on the accrual basis --- I can 
suggest work arounds
c) some of the standard reports that would be wanted -- though exporting 
the pieces and assembling outside of gnucash isn't hard.
d) pledge accounting ---- pledges ARE receivable but only according to 
the terms of the individual pledge << thus a pledge of $1000 per year 
for the next five years is NOT $5000 immediately receivable >>

Michael D Novack