Firm Management
Apps We Love – Dec. 2021: Giving Back
the pandemic and recent changes to tax deductions for donations have also adversely affected many charitable organizations, with as many as a third now at risk of shuttering due to dwindling funds, according to a recent study.
Dec. 10, 2021
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The societal and economic effects of the pandemic have impacted Americans and people around the world in vastly different ways. While most professional services firms, such as accountants, were able to rapidly adapt and have even seen financial growth during the last year and a half, many individuals and businesses simply were not able to adapt in as efficient a manner. Likewise, the pandemic and recent changes to tax deductions for donations have also adversely affected many charitable organizations, with as many as a third now at risk of shuttering due to dwindling funds, according to a recent study (https://tinyurl.com/yskfuc25).
Fortunately, apps are making it more convenient to find and donate to charitable causes. With the new year just ahead, now’s a good time to reflect on your successes, and to consider sharing some with groups that share your concerns and that are working to make at least one part of the world a little better. We previously connected with members of the CPA Practice Advisor community to see which giving apps they find useful.
“My favorite donation app is Charity Miles,” said Cindy Schroeder, owner of Bright Bookkeeping. “They make donations based on how many miles you walk/run. You can make a difference by working out. It is super encouraging to get up and exercise when you know that it also helps your favorite charity.”
Anne-Lise Dorry, senior director, corporate finance products at Thomson Reuters, agrees. “I like the Charity Miles app. It allows me to give back just by recording the runs (or walks) I do anyway. You download the app, choose which charity you want to run for, and get moving. You earn money for your charity of choice for each mile you log. It is both motivating and good for the community. It is literally allowing me to go the extra mile for both my health and a cause I care about.”
“A friend recently introduced me to the Be My Eyes app,” said Karen Abramson, CEO, Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting. “This app connects seeing people with people who cannot see and need immediate help with day to day things, like reading recipes, advising if a tie and shirt match, advising if a manicure was painted the right color. It’s a wonderful way to help someone with a quick answer they really need and it takes only a couple of minutes of your time. It’s a great example of technology connecting people and making life a little easier!”
GIVE was voted the best app last year at the APP Showdown at the QuickBooks Connect conference in San Jose. Geni Whitehouse, CPA.CITP, countess of communication at Brotemarkle, Davis & Co., said, “It enables small business employers to support employee giving in an easy and very impactful way.”
Clayton Oates, founder and chief solutions officer at QB Business, agrees. “It’s an innovative solution that calculates and automates donations to nominated charities. The things I love is that you can establish rules (such as a % of monthly sales) and G1VE will calculate the pledge and flag it for approval based on your calculating criteria.
“I like eating and I like charity, so I was happy to learn that Grubhub has a new feature where you can automatically round up your purchase and donate the change to support No Kid Hungry, a national campaign to end childhood hunger in America,” said Blake Oliver, CPA, accounting technologist at FloQast.
Elizabeth Pittelkow, CPA.CITP, CGMA, DTM, controller at Litera Microsystems, recommends ShareTheMeal. “You can pick a place of need and donate money for food. It is easy and rewarding to use! The app is funded by a grant from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and donations from businesses and individual philanthropists. Keep giving! It is important!”
Even small donations can make a big difference. GiveTide is an app that you link to your bank account. You can make small donations to the charity of your choice by rounding up your transactions to the next dollar.
The Givers App offered by Continue to Give allows participants to set up recurring gifts and choose from various causes. Charitable organizations can set up fundraising options through Continue to Give. “I love the ability with Continue to Give to create recurring donations to multiple charitable organizations and it allows me to manage my donations via their website or mobile app if I want to change my recurring donation dollar amount or give a one-time donation,” said Caleb Jenkins, EA, CQP, of RLJ Financial. “I can also search on their website for a charitable organization if I want to give to a new organization.”
Another option for organizations trying to set up fundraising for their causes is CommitChange. Kevin Bong, co-founder and COO of AuditFile, said “They handle the entire donation process for not-for-profits, it’s pretty neat!” According to the company website, “CommitChange makes life as easy as possible for fundraising teams because your mission is important, and you need software that gets you to your goals faster.”