Brownsburg Public Library Scrubs its Books with FundWare

The User

Founded in 1917, Brownsburg Public Library in Brownsburg, Indiana, provides resources and services to the taxpayers of Brown and Lincoln Township. The mission of the Library’s 33 employees is to provide literacy, lifelong learning and cultural programs that maintain a standard of excellence in the community. The Library’s physical and human resources are dedicated to ensuring a nurturing and welcoming environment that encourages library use and meets the informational, educational and technological needs of its patrons.

The Problem

According to Denise Feldman, the Library’s fiscal administrator, a software product was needed to perform and manage all bookkeeping tasks, such as accounts payable, payroll, investment, and general ledger. Feldman’s specific job responsibilities include the monthly preparation of claims for the board of directors, the bi-weekly processing of payroll, reconciling bank accounts, and reviewing investment of funds. She needed a product that was very flexible -- one that could be customized to the specific accounting structure used by the Library. As Feldman says, “We structure our accounts differently than the library down the road or across the country, but we can all learn from each other even though we perform some operations differently. It was essential that we find an accounting package that was flexibile enough to conform to our accounting structure, rather than trying to shoehorn our structure into a product with limited flexibility.” Feldman adds that ease-of-use was also a priority when selecting an accounting package. Because the Library operates as efficiently as possible, Feldman often personally installs and updates any software that she uses. As such, an easy-to-use product, supported by well-written documentation and a responsive customer support staff, was essential.

The Solution

In 1990, one of the Library’s board members worked for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, which at the time was conducting a thorough review of accounting systems. The Archdiocese selected FundWare from FundWare, and the board member recommended that the Library also purchase and deploy FundWare. The Brownsburg Public Library heeded the board member’s advice and has been a FundWare customer for the past 11 years.

Award-winning*FundWare is accounting software that delivers the unique functionality required by non-profit organizations and government agencies, all for the lowest total cost of ownership as compared with competing products. FundWare is comprised of a suite of easy-to-use software modules that let clients better manage and report on their business, stay in compliance with government regulations, and improve productivity so they can focus on their mission rather than their accounting system.

The software is available in two configurations: FundWare Pro Edition and FundWare Enterprise Edition. FundWare Pro Edition is designed for smaller organizations with five users or less. FundWare Enterprise Edition is designed for larger organizations with more than five concurrent users. Both versions are available with the a suite of accounting modules, which include General Ledger, Project/Grant with Budget Control, Accounts Payable/Purchasing, Payroll, Budget Preparation, Cash Receipts, Allocation Management, Fixed Assets, Bank Reconciliation, Reporting, and Import/Export tools.

FundWare has been installed at over 4,000 client locations worldwide. These clients are supported by a direct sales force and a national network of value-added resellers. The company also offers a professional services group that will install and customize FundWare to a client’s exact specifications for a fee.

Benefits & Results

Feldman, a 15-year veteran of the Library and the primary FundWare user, says, “the product works great for the size and accounting structure of our organization.” After recently upgrading to FundWare 7.14, the Library has realized faster and more accurate results with regard to its accounting process. And Feldman again cites FundWare’s flexibility as a huge benefit to the Library. “I can add to it, take away from it, or otherwise change it from one year to the next with mimimal effort,” she says. “That kind of flexibility and power is rarely attained without heavy customization. Because I’m able to easily getFundWare to do what I want when I want it, the Library has a more productive and less-stressed employee.”

Feldman adds that FundWare technical support staff is “fantastic,” rapidly resolving any issues, thereby improving the efficiency and productivity of not just Feldman, but also any Library employee who interacts with the accounting group.

Client Satisfaction

“My overall impression of FundWare is that they like their job, they see the importance of their role in my organization, and they work hard to provide outstanding products and service,” Feldman says. “Fundware is constantly improving its products by upgrading its proven technology, instead of starting from scratch, which would make for a very painful transition.” In addition, Feldman praises the company’s strategy to integrate best-of-breed technology into FundWare. “Fundware recognizes its strengths and the strengths of complimentary products. By integrating some third-party technology into FundWare, as the company has done with Best Fixed Assets and Advanced Printer Control, Fundware has made its customers the real winners because we get the best of both worlds.”

*FundWare was ranked #1 by the Nonprofit Financial Center in its independent review of 19 accounting software packages. In addition, FundWare recently received the top rating (5-Star) from CPA Software News in its annual review of NPO software packages.