[gentoo-dev] Gentooo 501(c) accounting

[james]

Hello,


There was some discussion before about the software used for gentoo the 
charity (501)(c). It seems to have perked up a bit of discussion on 
gnucash, where all of the posting I have read suggest that gnucash is a 
wonderful accounting system for  charity organizations. There also 
appears to be lots of experience and help to. I thought this issue need 
a separate thread on gentoo-dev, a robust decision, and a team based 
solution, if  not a council item.

Here is the latest posting I have received on the 501(c) subject matter,
I thought I share and formally open up a discussion on the subject:



Here's my original post::

Hello gnucash users.

I use gnucash for my small business, for years and I'm quite happy with 
it. Recently, I was ask if Gnucash has as good of support for 501(c)3
non-profits as does ledger (www.ledger-cli.org)?

Any and all comments are warmly received.

James
........................................

The the most recent reply:

 >
 > [1] http://www.ledger-cli.org/

I regard cli accounting as a friend of GnuCash rather than the
competition, there isn't anything one can do that the other can't in
accounting terms, also notice that cli accounting is becoming less so as
time passes, there are UIs and SQL type reports and so on being added
all the time, the principle is that compared to commercial products you
can, if you really want to, see a stream of transactions in ordinary ABC
and 123 terms, gnc can be dumped to cli and vice versa.

I'm not saying you or someone else should choose one or the other, I'm
asking you to thunk which is most likely to get people keeping good
records for the benefit of their non-profit.  I know that for one
non-profit I help out with a basic cli would be a non-starter, no UI and
the tx simply wouldn't get entered.

 > [2] http://www.accountingcoach.com/nonprofit-accounting/explanation/1

worth reading, note the bits about restricted funds, that is what people
that are familiar with for-profit orgs usually struggle with conceptually

 > [3] https://sfconservancy.org/npoacct/

that's been updated since I read it last but seems to be more face lift
than new content

James, you've got some good links there but don't actually say what the
imperatives for your correspondent are.

I, and I am sure others, are happy to espouse GnuCash, *if we think it
is right* for your org.  I don't have enough to go on.  There is little
harm in trying it, however, as it is easy enough to get your tx in and
out if cli accounting is your alternative.

Happy helping and non-profiteering (if that is even a concept in merka
post Trump)
-- 
Wm

.............................................................................


Surely our code of conduct, evidence by principled and publish documents 
and the records of expenditures over the years, are quintessential 
documents and should experience governance in the sunshine, or no?

hth,
James