Guest Blog: Speaking the Language | Reconciling Fundraising and Accounting (part 1 of 2)

This is the first of two posts by Pam Dechert, Senior eTapestry Consultant, about reconciling your fundraising and accounting solutions. The second half of this post will post the week of October 20. 

“Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” was a popular book by John Gray about the differences between men and women. The general idea of the book is that if you understand your differences, you can build a happy and fulfilling relationship.

Now what the heck does that have to do with your eTapestry database?

As a senior consultant for eTapestry, one of my biggest roles is to help nonprofits integrate their new eTapestry fundraising database with their existing accounting software. And in doing so, it often feels like one department is speaking Martian, while the other is speaking Venusian.

Your fundraising and accounting teams should work together like a well-oiled machine. Together these two teams are responsible for managing every gift your organization receives, and yet they have very different needs.

Fundraisers are focused on cultivating donors and securing gifts.
They want to:

• 
  
• Acknowledge and receipt donations quickly and accurately
  
• Accurately record and report on gift sources and designations
  
• Promptly answer donor’s questions
  
• Acquire new donors
  
• Cultivate donor relationships
  
• Develop revenue needs based on strategic analysis of fundraising data
  
• Secure that next gift
  

On the other hand, accounting teams are focused on the financial health of the organization.
They want to:

• 
  
• Record cash, revenue, and receivables quickly and accurately
  
• Ensure that designated revenues are tracked, expensed, and released correctly
  
• Reconcile data entry, reports, and bank accounts
  
• Present accurate and usable financial statements
  
• Maintain control of cash
  

While many of these needs are similar, the two departments approach the information very differently. If you understand the needs and expectations of each department, you can improve how the two teams work together to be responsible stewards of your organization’s money – even if one of you is speaking Martian and the other is speaking Venusian.