Aplos Review: Accounting for Nonprofits and Churches

Finding the right accounting software is a constant challenge for nonprofits and churches.

Aplos offers a cloud-based accounting solution specifically designed to meet the unique needs of charitable organizations and religious institutions.

In this review, we'll explore Aplos' key features, including its fund accounting tools, donor management capabilities, integrations with other software platforms, and support resources. We'll help you determine if Aplos is the right fit to handle your organization's financial management and reporting needs.

Introduction to Aplos Accounting

Founded in 2009 by Tim Goetz and Gregg A. Bossen, Aplos is a cloud-based nonprofit accounting software designed specifically to meet the unique needs of nonprofit organizations and churches.

With features like fund accounting, donor management, payment processing, and analytics, Aplos aims to help nonprofits improve their financial operations and focus more on their missions.

History and Founding of Aplos

Tim Goetz, an experienced CPA, initially created the software now known as Aplos Accounting to help his wife manage the finances of the nonprofit she ran. He realized the accounting systems available at the time were not tailored to how nonprofits operate and saw an opportunity to create software to truly serve that market.

In 2009, Goetz teamed up with Gregg Bossen, another CPA with extensive experience working with nonprofits, to found Aplos and build out their cloud-based accounting platform. They designed it from the ground up based on decades of hands-on expertise in nonprofit financial management.

Main Features and Benefits

Some of the main features and benefits of Aplos Accounting include:

• Online Accounting - Web-based general ledger, easy invoice creation, bill paying, reporting, and other core accounting tools specialized for nonprofits.

• Donor Management - Track donors and gifts with unlimited customizable funds and campaigns.

• Payment Processing - Accept online donations, event registrations, tuition payments, fees, and more.

• Analytics - Measure KPIs and get actionable insights into financial performance.

• Mobility - Access Aplos on any device from wherever you are to manage finances on the go.

• Integration - Connect Aplos to everyday nonprofit tools like email, CRMs, banks, and more.

• Support - Get ongoing assistance from Aplos' nonprofit accounting experts whenever needed.

Aplos Accounting Capabilities

Aplos provides robust accounting capabilities tailored to the needs of nonprofits and churches.

General Ledger and Chart of Accounts

Aplos enables easy setup and management of a general ledger and custom chart of accounts. Users can track financial transactions across multiple funds and programs. The software automatically categorizes transactions for reporting. Users can create custom accounts and organize them in a hierarchy that matches their programs and financial structure.

Multicurrency Support

Aplos supports multicurrency transactions for nonprofits operating internationally. Users can record income, expenses, and asset transactions in different currencies. Aplos automatically calculates exchange gains and losses and translates foreign currency balances for financial reporting. This simplifies accounting and ensures accuracy for global nonprofits.

Financial Reporting

Aplos offers canned and customizable reporting to analyze financial data. The software includes standard reports for nonprofits such as statement of financial position, statement of activities, cash flow statement, budget vs. actuals, and more. Users can also create custom reports and dashboards filtered by date, fund, program, region, etc. The reporting provides transparency into financial performance to support data-driven decision making.

Aplos Fund Accounting Capabilities

Aplos provides robust tools for nonprofit fund accounting and reporting. Proper fund management is critical for transparency and good governance.

Restricted vs Unrestricted Funds

Aplos enables clear tracking and reporting by fund type:

• Restricted funds have donor-imposed restrictions on how they can be used. Aplos tracks these funds separately to ensure compliance.
• Temporarily restricted funds are restricted funds that become unrestricted once the donor's restrictions are met. Aplos automates this release process.
• Unrestricted funds have no restrictions and can be used freely for mission-driven programs and operations.

Setting up funds correctly in Aplos ensures accurate record-keeping and reporting.

Automated Fund Rules

Aplos allows creating rule-based templates to automatically allocate transactions across funds based on criteria like:

• Transaction type
• Vendor
• Customer
• Campaign

This saves time and minimizes errors in properly recording income and expenses per fund.

Fund Configuration Options

Aplos provides flexibility in setting up funds tracking:

• Create unlimited custom funds
• Organize funds into hierarchies
• Track custom attributes by fund

Customizable funds setup streamlines reporting and provides clear visibility into all revenue and expense sources.

Proper nonprofit fund accounting is essential for good financial management. Aplos equips organizations with the tools needed to track funds correctly and generate accurate reports. Its flexibility and automation capabilities facilitate transparency and governance.

Donor and Grant Management

Donor Database

The Aplos donor database provides robust tools to manage donor information and relationships. Key features include:

• Customizable donor profiles with unlimited custom fields to track relevant details - giving history, communications, interests, and more
• Tools to record interactions and communications with donors
• Segmentation and filtering to create targeted donor groups and email lists
• Integrations with email providers to send personalized appeals and stewardship messages

With flexible donor profiles and built-in communication tools, Aplos enables nonprofits to build meaningful long-term relationships with supporters.

Online Fundraising Pages

Aplos offers simple online fundraising pages that make accepting one-time and recurring donations easy. Nonprofits can quickly set up customized pages tied to campaigns, events, teams, individuals, and more. Key features include:

• Beautiful pre-built page templates
• Tools to share pages and fundraise on social media
• Accept one-time or recurring monthly/annual gifts
• Seamless donor management from new gifts directly into database

By providing easy DIY fundraising pages, Aplos helps nonprofits quickly launch online campaigns to attract and retain donors.

Grant Tracking Module

The Aplos grant tracking module enables organizations to easily manage government, foundation, corporate grants with key features like:

• Central database to track grant details - requirements, deadlines, tasks
• Tools for collaborating with grant managers and teams
• Automatic reminders for reporting deadlines, renewals, and more
• Reporting to track grant income and program expenses

With robust grant tracking tools, Aplos provides oversight into grant portfolios to help nonprofits secure and manage funding.

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Aplos Payment Processing

Aplos offers integrated payment processing and banking tools to help nonprofits and churches easily accept and manage donations and other payments.

Accepting Online Payments

Aplos allows nonprofits and churches to accept online payments through:

• Credit and debit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover
• ACH electronic checks
• Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Recurring donations

Donations can be accepted through customizable donation forms on the organization's website powered by Aplos. All payment information is securely stored and processed using industry-standard encryption.

Aplos also enables event registration and ticket sales, with the ability to collect payments online. This streamlines collecting registration fees, donations, or other payments tied to events.

Bank Account Integration

Aplos integrates with the organization's bank accounts for seamless payment deposit and reconciliation.

As soon as a payment is made through Aplos, whether one-time or recurring, the funds are automatically deposited into the connected bank account. Transactions are clearly tagged and labeled for easy reconciliation.

Aplos supports connecting business checking accounts, savings accounts, credit card processing accounts, and investment accounts. Secure read-only access enables Aplos to pull transaction data for reporting without impacting account controls.

Aplos Payments Pricing

Aplos charges competitive transaction fees for payment processing:

• Credit/Debit Card Payments: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
• ACH Payments: 1% + $0.30 per transaction

There are no monthly fees or monthly minimums to use Aplos Payments. Only pay transaction fees on collected donations and payments.

Volume discounts are available for high transaction volumes. Nonprofits and churches processing over $5,000/month in payments through Aplos qualify for custom pricing.

Aplos Payments is seamlessly bundled into Aplos software subscriptions for added convenience. No separate payment gateway contract is required.

Aplos Mobile App

Managing Data on the Go

The Aplos mobile app enables users to access key accounting data and donor information on the go from their Android or iOS devices. Users can view and update contacts, pledges, donations, and accounting transactions remotely. The app syncs with the main Aplos platform in real-time, ensuring data is always up-to-date.

Some examples of managing data through the mobile app include:

• Viewing donor profiles and contact information
• Recording new donations or updating existing donation details
• Emailing donors directly through the app
• Approving accounting transactions
• Checking fund balances and financial reports

By providing easy remote access, the Aplos mobile app empowers users to monitor and manage critical nonprofit data from anywhere.

Mobile Fundraising

The Aplos mobile app allows nonprofits to monitor the status of fundraising campaigns in real-time. Users can view key metrics like dollars raised, number of donations received, and top performing appeals.

The app also enables users to create and send fundraising appeals on-the-go. Appeals can be customized with the nonprofit's branding and sent directly to donor contacts.

Key mobile fundraising features include:

• Send personalized appeals via email or SMS
• Track appeal performance and monitor donations received
• Thank donors automatically when they give
• Identify top donors and send targeted outreach

With mobile access, Aplos enables users to capitalize on fundraising opportunities as they arise no matter where they are.

Receipt Tracking

Aplos' mobile app allows nonprofits to easily record and track tax receipts for donations received. Users can quickly log donor gifts, record receipt details, and mark when thank you notes are sent.

Key receipt tracking features include:

• Log donations and auto-generate receipts
• Record receipt numbers and dates issued
• Mark when thank yous are sent to each donor
• Run reports on donations received and receipts issued

With mobile receipt tracking, Aplos makes it easy for nonprofits to stay on top of critical donation and acknowledgment tasks on the go.

Aplos Integrations

Aplos offers integrations with several popular software platforms to expand the capabilities of its accounting software for nonprofits and churches. These integrations allow organizations to connect their financial data with other critical systems to streamline operations.

Salesforce Integration

Integrating Aplos with Salesforce provides several key benefits:

• Syncs donor and fundraising data between the systems in real-time, eliminating duplicate data entry
• Provides users with a 360-degree view of constituents across development, programs, finance, and administration
• Enables segmenting donors and tracking relationships for better targeting and stewardship
• Automates processes like revenue allocation and pledge management

By connecting Aplos and Salesforce, faith-based and nonprofit organizations can leverage Salesforce's robust CRM and marketing features alongside Aplos' tailored accounting tools optimized for their unique needs.

Payroll System Partners

Aplos integrates with the following compatible payroll systems to simplify payroll tax filing, compliance, and processing:

• Gusto: Popular payroll platform for managing benefits, payments, and payroll taxes. Integration automates transfer of payroll data.
• Patriot Payroll: Full-service payroll solution focused on the nonprofit industry. Integration reduces duplicate data entry.
• SurePayroll: Provides online payroll services tailored for small businesses. Integration enables seamless payroll syncing.

These integrations allow streamlining payroll activities between the systems. Organizations can process employee payments and tax filings directly within their integrated payroll tool.

Email Marketing and Form Tools

To support fundraising and donor outreach efforts, Aplos offers integrations with leading email marketing, email automation, and online form platforms.

Key capabilities from integrating these tools include:

• MailChimp: Synchronize email lists and campaigns between Aplos and MailChimp to track engagement.
• Constant Contact: Automate segmented donor email sends based on activity and history tracked in Aplos.
• Wufoo: Create custom online forms for event registrations, donations pages, surveys and embed directly into Aplos.

With these integrations, faith-based and nonprofit groups can manage constituent data in Aplos while leveraging the email marketing and form tools necessary for modern supporter engagement and outreach.

Aplos Support and Resources

Aplos offers several options for getting started and receiving ongoing support with their accounting software.

Standard Onboarding

The standard onboarding process includes:

• Data migration - Aplos helps transfer your existing financial data into the new system to ensure continuity. This makes the transition smooth and minimizes business disruption.

• Setup overview call - A dedicated implementation specialist will walk you through key features, configuration options, and answer initial questions during a 30-60 minute call.

• Online knowledge base access - All users receive unlimited access to Aplos' searchable knowledge base with support articles, video tutorials, and how-to guides.

Ongoing Training Options

Aplos wants customers to maximize their use of the software. To that end they provide:

• Live webinars - Attend regular webinars tailored to nonprofit and church accounting needs. Learn new features, ask questions, and connect with other users.

• Office hours - Sign up for a 30 minute session for personalized troubleshooting and advice from an Aplos accounting expert.

• Certification courses - Gain in-depth training and become a certified Aplos user through self-guided certification courses. Earn credentials that validate your skills.

Support Channels

Aplos offers phone, email, chat, and community support:

• Email support 7 days a week for prompt responses within 24 hours.

• Toll-free phone and chat support available Monday to Friday during business hours.

• Active user forums to connect with other customers, share best practices, and crowdsource solutions.

Conclusion and Summary

Aplos provides tailored accounting software designed specifically for nonprofits and churches. With its easy-to-use interface, robust reporting, and fundraising tools, Aplos aims to help mission-driven organizations streamline operations and focus on their cause.

Ideal Customer Profile

The nonprofits and churches that can benefit most from Aplos typically:

• Have limited accounting knowledge and need an intuitive system
• Require robust reporting for transparency and compliance
• Depend heavily on donations and fundraising
• Need help tracking programs, grants, funds, etc.
• Want accounting software built just for nonprofits and churches

Key Takeaways

Key strengths and benefits of Aplos nonprofit accounting software:

• Easy-to-use even for beginners while still providing advanced capabilities
• Customized reports for nonprofits including Form 990
• Integrated fundraising tools to manage donations and appeals
• Flexible tracking for funds, grants, programs, etc.
• Affordable pricing tailored to organization size

Aplos focuses specifically on serving the needs of nonprofits and churches. For mission-driven organizations requiring purpose-built accounting software, Aplos is worth considering.

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