Running QuickBooks in Nonprofits, by Kathy Ivens: Book Review

Running QuickBooks in Nonprofits, by Kathy Ivens,8. Managing Bank Accounts and Cash
is a must-have guide for anybody taking care of9. Budgets and Projections
bookkeeping chores in a nonprofit environment10. Producing Reports
using QuickBooks.11. Year End Activities
The author does an outstanding job organizing the12. Audits
material and making it easy to understand. The13. Managing QuickBooks Files
guide contains many topics that will be familiar to14. Managing Users and Security
experienced QuickBooks users, such as Entering15. QuickBooks Fundraising Tools
Bills, Making Bank Deposits, and Writing Checks.16. In-Kind (Non-Cash) Revenue
The author does an excellent job presentingAppendix: Nonprofit Accounting Issues
these mundane topics as they apply to nonprofits,Running QuickBooks in Nonprofits opens with a
often covering them quite deeply. The Enteringdiscussion of the limitations of QuickBooks for the
Bills section, for example, is almost 11 pages long,nonprofit environment. The author's reminder that
a few of the many subtopics being: Posting toQuickBooks was not designed for nonprofits, but
Multiple Expense Accounts, Allocating to Multiplerather reworked for them, helps readers
Programs, and Allocating to Grants and Contracts.understand why there is a need for workarounds
The guide also covers unique topics that pertainand other tips and tricks. These workarounds,
to nonprofits. Allocating payroll across multipletips, and tricks are more fully discussed in other
grants or programs, managing volunteers, andparts of the book.
preparing for an audit, are just a few of theThe 18 page index is well populated and will serve
difficult subjects found in this guide.as an effective research tool when important
The range of topics covered by this 498 pageinformation is needed.
volume is impressive, and includes the following:Anybody who has even dabbled in bookkeeping
1. QuickBooks Limitations for Nonprofitsfor nonprofits knows that it can be an extremely
2. Getting Startedcomplicated task. This guide will serve as a
3. Chart of Accountsvaluable reference for years to come, helping
4. Configuring Preferencesnonprofit organizations keep their books accurate
5. Configuring Classes and Listsand well-organized. Well worth the retail price of
6. Managing Revenue$34.95.
7. Managing Expenses