Intuit Inc. — QuickBooks: Premier Nonprofit Edition 2005

From the October 2005 Review of Not-for-Profit
Accounting Software

QuickBooks continues to dominate the small business accounting software market
with its affordable, easy-to-use software. QuickBooks: Premier Nonprofit Edition
2005 is an industry-specific version of QuickBooks Premier that targets small
to midsize nonprofit organizations.

EASE OF USE/FLEXIBILITY — 5 Stars
The main screen of QuickBooks: Nonprofit Edition features the Non-Profit Navigator,
which displays a diagram of functions within the navigator window. One-click
access is provided to system features such as enter bills; pay bills; enter
pledges; and receive payments, deposits and donations. Other navigators are
available and are listed on the vertical table to the left of the navigator
screen. A drop-down menu bar provides additional access to all system functions,
and a toolbar contains shortcuts to frequently used tasks such as transfer funds,
pay bills, receive payments and journal entries. You also have access to system
lists such as the chart of accounts, class and customer lists. Data-entry screens
are easily navigated throughout the program. Fields have drop-down lists or
a lookup option available to speed data entry.

MODULES/SCALABILITY — 4 Stars
Using function descriptions such as company, vendors, customers and employees
in place of more traditional accounting terms, QuickBooks offers a complete
financial solution in terms that non-accountants can understand. Along with
a complete GL, including AP and AR functions, QuickBooks: Premier Nonprofit
Edition also includes good reporting capability and a business services feature
that provides links to various business services, printing supplies and merchant
services. A variety of payroll options is available through QuickBooks, including
QuickBooks Assisted Payroll service.

QuickBooks: Premier Nonprofit Edition 2005 is available in both single-user
and a five-user Value Pack. Peer-to-peer networks need to have Windows 98 or
higher installed. Multi-users and Enterprise users must have Windows 2000 Server
or 2003. Import and export capability is also excellent. With one click, you
can import Excel or Web files into your database, along with the option to make
a copy of your database for accountant review. Data can be easily exported to
a variety of third-party software products, including add-ons or outside payroll
vendors.

FEATURES/FUNCTIONALITY — 5 Stars
QuickBooks includes a copy of the UCOA (Unified Chart of Accounts) for nonprofits.
This file is automatically imported when you set up a nonprofit organization
company file. Using QuickBooks’ customization feature, you can add up
to seven user-defined fields to better track data. An extensive Help file found
in the nonprofit navigator provides excellent user help exclusively for nonprofits,
which is very helpful when initially setting up your organization.

You can create a class for each of your funds in order to better track financial
history, and a working budget can be built instantly based on historical data.
Templates for “thank you” letters, acknowledgements and pledge forms
can be created in Microsoft Word and exported to QuickBooks. You can review
contact information and account activity for any donor, vendor or organization.
Employee hours can be tracked by program, and direct deposit is available using
one of Intuit’s payroll programs.

REPORTING — 5 Stars
QuickBooks: Premier Nonprofit Edition has a good variety of standard reports
available. Donor reports include Statement of Financial Positions, Budget vs.
Actual, Programs and Projects. You can easily find out who your biggest contributors
are with the Biggest Donors and Grants report. You can print the Form 990 report
(Statement of Functional Expenses), and standard financial statements are also
available. Financial spreadsheets can be created by exporting data to Excel.

SUPPORT/HELP — 5 Stars
QuickBooks: Premier Nonprofit Edition provides all new users with free support
during the installation and setup phase. Quarterly and annual support contracts
are available thereafter. An annual support contract will cost $349. The contract
covers 24/7 toll-free support, and you can also obtain support on an as-needed
basis. As noted earlier, QuickBooks: Premier Nonprofit Edition contains an excellent
Help feature, which will probably answer many of the questions you may have.
Training CDs, online seminars and instructor-led training are also available.

RELATIVE VALUE — 5 Stars
At $499.95 for a single-user system, QuickBooks: Premier Nonprofit Edition 2005
is an outstanding value. QuickBooks: Premier Nonprofit Edition five-user Value
Pack 2005 can support up to five simultaneous users and costs $1,499.95. For
six to 10 simultaneous users, you’ll need to purchase QuickBooks Enterprise
Solutions: Nonprofit Edition, which costs $3,500, and includes a full year of
product upgrades, technical support with a dedicated service engineer, and password
and data recovery support. QuickBooks: Premier Nonprofit Edition’s affordable
pricing, coupled with an easily navigated user interface and excellent help
function, make this a viable and economical option for the budget-conscious
or new nonprofit organization.

2005 Overall Rating — 4.5 Stars