08 Jul 10 Choosing a Church Accounting Program

There are many different kinds of church accounting programs. The advantage of installing such a program on your computer are many. It is a whole lot easier to work with an accounting program than it is to use Microsoft Excel or even worse, try to work out the church’s finances with pen, paper and calculator. The larger the church and the more money flows in and out, the greater the importance of having an accounting program that will keep tabs on it accurately.

With church donation software, it is not only a lot easier to keep track of money but also to spot errors. Everyone makes mistakes when it comes to accounting; while hiring an accountant is an alternative that may be helpful for your church, using a computer program will cut your margin of error down a lot.

The first step is to choose a program that you feel comfortable using. If you do not have a lot of experience with computers and accounting programs in general, then try asking a more computer-savvy friend or colleague for advice. When it comes to buying a church accounting program, you should also keep in mind that what is right for one church may not be right for yours. Some programs are geared more to smaller churches, others to larger churches. Buy one that suits the needs of your particular church.

A few of the many options are ChurchPro Church Management Software, PowerChurch software; even a general secular accounting program such as MYOB (Mind Your Own Business) could work well, depending on the size of your church and what activities you engage in. Some church accounting program websites offer not only the needed information on their program or programs, but also allow you to download the program for a trial use period, where you can get acquainted with the program, comfortable using it, and see if it is the right accounting program for you.

The cost of accounting programs, be they secular or church oriented, vary a lot depending on what kind of program you buy. There are some accounting programs that are ‘freeware’ – in other words, you simply download the program off the website and start using it; the site also has instructions and FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) that you can refer back to, as needed.

A final word of advice is to make sure the accounting software you purchase or download work on your computer’s operating system. It should be noted on the site or package what operating system the program is compatible with.

Tags: church accounting program, church accounting software, church donation software