What Are the Different Types of NGO Software?

NGO software includes various software platforms devoted to accounting, grant writing and donor tracking. Other types may also include those featuring newsletter templates, software to track volunteer and employee hours, and special reporting software. NGO software may be offered for free or may be purchased by a non-governmental organization for a price. Some may not be created solely to be used as NGO software, but certain manufacturers will make software that can be used for this purpose available to not-for-profit organizations for free or at a specially reduced fee.

As is common with a lot of for-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations often used specialized software to assist in various bookkeeping accounting operations. Software programs such as these may also be designed and offered to assist with bookkeeping in one or more currencies, as necessary. Some developers design software specifically for NGOs while other software developers may develop programs for personal or business use in general, but offer social organizations and other NGOs the opportunity to use the software for free or to purchase it at a reduced rate. NGO software that was especially created for non-governmental organizations, however, is usually tailored to help in tracking and scheduling donations, funds raised via charity events and a host of other relevant NGO accounting matters.

Organizations with a variety of different charitable missions frequently use NGO software to track grant funding, grant writing schedules and to report on the progress of programs funded by various grant sources. Often, software is directly supplied by a particular grantor and may be used to regularly share tracking data gathered by an NGO with a grantor. NGO software such as this helps to increase communication between granting sources and an NGO, as well as aids in transparency to assure that funds are being spent as agreed upon during the initial request and funding process.

Software developers sometimes offer open source NGO software that can be downloaded directly from a developer’s website or that can be shared freely among users. The intent of such software is usually to assist social organizations and other independent organizations focused on benefiting the public-at-large in streamlining bookkeeping and accounting processes without having to pay for similar software or services elsewhere. Additionally, some developers offer NGO software to assist with the desktop publishing of newsletters, as well as to help with the creation of websites and a variety of other content publishing needs.