QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit is a special version of QuickBooks Desktop Premier designed to support the needs of small and midsize nonprofits and churches. It comes with a unified chart of accounts (UCOA) for nonprofit accounting and class tracking to help organizations keep track of revenue and expenses by program service.
The Nonprofit edition has the same annual prices as the general business edition of QuickBooks Desktop Premier, which range from $799 for one user to $1,999 for five users. While it can be potentially expensive for a single user, it becomes relatively affordable when you reach the five-user tier. Discover whether QuickBooks Premier for nonprofits is right for you through our detailed QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit review.
| Annual Pricing |
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|---|---|
| Discounts | ✕ |
| Free Trial | ✕ |
| Money-back Guarantee | 60 days from the purchase date |
| Standout Features |
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| Internet Connection | Required for software installation |
| Storage & Backups | Requires local storage and backup |
| Ease of Use | Can be easy to use after a bit of a learning curve; not as user-friendly as a cloud-based solution |
| Customer Support | Phone support (receive a call after submitting a request), live chat support, chatbot, and online self-help guides |
| Average User Reviews | Mostly positive; easy to use with enough practice and is great for churches |
- Nonprofits required to file Form 990 or 990-EZ: QuickBooks Nonprofit supports Form 990, an annual information return required from many organizations exempt from income tax. This makes QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit one of our best nonprofit accounting software.
- Nonprofits with multiple program services: Classes and subclasses can be created to separate income and expenses into several program services. Churches can use class tracking for activities like regular worship services, child daycare, outreach activities, and fundraising.
- Startup nonprofits or nonprofits looking for better reporting: You can download the UCOA for nonprofits, which is designed around the required Form 990 reporting.
- Nonprofits with unrelated business taxable income (UBTI): You can create a separate class for unrelated business taxable income to track income and expenses for Form 990-T.
- Is QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Right for You?
- Is QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit for You?
- QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Alternatives & Comparison
- QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Reviews From Users
- QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Pricing
- QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit New Features for 2023
- QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Accounting Features
- QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Edition Features
- QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Ease of Use
- QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Customer Support
- QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Bottom Line
Is QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Right for You?
Is QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit for You?
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Alternatives & Comparison
| Pricing | Number of Users Included | Deployment Type | Nonprofit Features | General Accounting Features | Default Nonprofit COA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $799 to $1,999 per year | 1 to 5 | Desktop | ★★ | ★★★★★ | ✓ |
 | Custom-priced | Unlimited | Cloud | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ | ✓ |
| Visit NonProfit+ | ||||||
 | $38 to $275 per month | 1 to 25 | Cloud | N/A | ★★★★★ | ✕ |
| Visit QuickBooks Online | ||||||
 | Undisclosed for standard plans; from $189 monthly for custom plan | Undisclosed | Cloud | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ | ✓ |
| Visit Aplos | ||||||
| Rating Explanation: ★★★★★: Excellent ★★★★: Very good ★★★: Good ★★: Fair ★: Poor N/A: Feature is unavailable | ||||||
| Best For | Learn More | |
|---|---|---|
| Large nonprofits that require restricted fund management: NonProfit+ is a great alternative for nonprofits relying on numerous donations and grants that are designated for specific purposes or projects. When donations are received, they can be allocated to the appropriate restricted funds so that they are not commingled with unrestricted funds. | No review available |
| Nonprofits without a central office: QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit must be installed on a desktop computer, which might be problematic for extremely small nonprofits without an office. If you do your own books or work with a remote accountant, we recommend a cloud-based program like QuickBooks Online. You can read our QuickBooks Online vs QuickBooks Desktop comparison for the differences between the two solutions. | Read our QuickBooks Online review |
| Users looking for an end-to-end solution for accounting and nonprofit processes: QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit only deals with the accounting side of managing your church. Aplos Accounting is an excellent application that combines accounting with nonprofit management features, like donation, event, and member—making it our overall best nonprofit accounting software. | Read our Aplos review |
Are you looking for something else? If you think that a general-purpose bookkeeping solution is suitable for your nonprofit, explore our list of the best small business accounting software.
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Reviews From Users
4.5 / 5
| Users Like | Users Dislike |
|---|---|
| Can keep the books of churches | Is a bit costly for small businesses |
| Is easy to use after enough practice | Is not cloud-based |
| Has nonprofit management tools like donation tracking | |
One user who left a positive QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit review commented that they use the edition for their church and that they like that it keeps their books organized. We believe that QuickBooks Premier for nonprofits indeed offers features that are relevant for churches, such as tracking donations and facilitating compliance with nonprofit reporting requirements.
The reviewer also noted that the platform has become more user-friendly with practice. However, we would like to emphasize that it does have an initial learning curve and that we recommend it for nonprofits working with an in-house bookkeeper.
On the flip side, one user complained that it is a bit costly for small businesses that are just starting out. We believe that the price can be expensive for a single user, but the discounted prices for multiple users appear to be relatively reasonable. Moreover, another reviewer pointed out that a significant drawback is the lack of cloud-based functionality, which aligns with our assessment of the software’s ease of use.
As of this writing, QuickBooks Desktop Premier earned the following average ratings on top review sites:
- Capterra[1]: 4.5 out of 5 based on around 100 reviews
- TrustRadius[2]: 8.2 out of 10 based on over 400 reviews
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Pricing
3 / 5
QuickBooks Premier earned an average score in our evaluation as the starting price ($799 per year for one user) is a bit high. However, when considering the discounted prices for three to five users, it becomes relatively affordable.
The QuickBooks Nonprofit pricing structure is the same as that of QuickBooks Desktop Premier general business edition, which is summarized in the table below:
| Number of Users | Pricing ($/Year) | Access to Accounting and Nonprofit Features | 60-day Money-back Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $799 | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2 | $1,099 | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3 | $1,399 | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4 | $1,699 | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5 | $1,999 | ✓ | ✓ |
If you’re considering other QuickBooks Desktop solutions for your organization, we compare the QuickBooks Desktop products to help you decide which version is right for you.
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit New Features for 2023
- Cash Flow Hub: You can use the new Cash Flow Hub to track pledges and donations and run a financial forecast to predict your revenue and expenses in the future.
- Contactless payments: If you’re using QuickBooks Payments, then your donor can send donations through credit or debit card payments and mobile payment processors, like Google Pay and Apple Pay. Read our review of QuickBooks Payments to see if the platform’s right for you.
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Accounting Features
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Edition has the same accounting features as the general business edition, which are evaluated using our internal case study. The results of our case study—including the rubric scores across each criterion—are thoroughly explained in our QuickBooks Premier review. We’ll use the remainder of this review to discuss its features specific for nonprofits.
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Edition Features
In addition to the general accounting features in our QuickBooks Premier review, Nonprofit Edition has industry-specific features that are useful for nonprofits and churches.
Just like the other QuickBooks Desktop Premier editions, Nonprofit has an industry-specific menu that allows you to access features relevant to nonprofit organizations. These include the ability to set up budgets, create pledges, and view nonprofit reports.
Good accounting at any organization starts with a good COA, and nonprofits should use the UCOA. The custom-designed COA aligns with the reporting requirements of both the IRS and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
QuickBooks Desktop Premier Nonprofit’s budgeting feature lets you predict your expenses and the revenue you expect to receive over a certain period. You can create a budget from scratch or by using prior year numbers as a reference point. The budget you created can create important reports, such as Budget vs Actual, to help you better track the financial standing of your organization.
Donations your organization receives can easily be recorded in QuickBooks. You can keep track of all donations made by check, e-check, credit card, debit card, and cash. QuickBooks Premier records donations using the sales receipt form, where you’ll be able to select an existing donor or add a new one, indicate the donation amount, and add a donor message, among others.
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit allows you to enter pledges or promised donations. If your organization receives pledges regularly, then it’s important to record them to keep your finances accurate. Pledges are entered using the invoicing form, which means it’s recorded as receivable and can be tracked until paid.
If your church offers services like renting facilities, special services like weddings or funerals, or columbarium spaces, the A/R module can help you keep track of receivables from church members. Nonprofits can also use the A/R module to record receivables from nonprofit products and services. For example, nonprofits offering financial products can use it to record customer information, track payments, and create aging schedules.
Nonprofits and churches can use the A/P module to monitor accrued expenses like telecommunication bills, utility bills, and other payables. You can also use purchase orders (POs) if your nonprofit or church orders office supplies, church supplies, and inventories for sale.
You can create, print, and send donor letters easily with QuickBooks Desktop Premier and Enterprise. You can use a preexisting template or customize a template to make it truly your own.
The platform has class tracking features that can be customized based on your needs. Nonprofits can use class tracking to monitor income and expenses from nonprofit activities like fundraisers, charity work, donation drives, community outreach, and promotions. You can even create an income statement by class to see net contributions or donations after deducting necessary expenses.
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit comes with nonprofit-specific reports like basic financial statements and other management reports. You can generate a statement of financial position, a statement of activities, a statement of functional income and expense, and a cash flow statement. You can also generate an income statement per class, donor contribution summaries, biggest donors or grants reports, balance per class, and much more.
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Ease of Use
3 / 5
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit received an average score in our evaluation primarily because it’s not cloud-based software. It features a traditional, desktop-based user interface that can feel outdated when compared to the more modern and user-friendly interfaces of cloud-based accounting software. Unless your organization has a dedicated bookkeeper, we believe an easier-to-use alternative is a cloud-based software like QuickBooks Online.
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Customer Support
3.8 / 5
We find QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit’s customer support generally effective—meaning there are different ways for users to seek assistance, such as phone support (callback), live chat, online resources, and user communities. The platform would have scored higher in our evaluation if users had the option to directly call a support agent instead of having to initiate a support request and wait for a callback.
How We Evaluated QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do nonprofit organizations need accounting software?
Nonprofits are often financed by grants and donations, so they have strict accounting standards to follow. Accounting software can help nonprofits track those grants, meet strict reporting requirements, and manage their revenue and expenses.
What’s the best nonprofit accounting software for me?
The right platform for your operation depends on your needs. Our evaluation of the best nonprofit accounting software can help you choose one that fits the bill.
What types of organizations does QuickBooks Desktop support?
QuickBooks Desktop supports any type of nonprofit organization, including charities, clubs, societies, and churches.
Bottom Line
QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit can’t handle fund accounting, but it’s useful for managing pledges, donations, and grants. Its class tracking feature comes in handy if you often conduct multiple programs to raise money for your organization. Plus, the customized COA helps you make nonprofit reporting as easy as possible.
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