Expense management for NGOs and non-profits
Every rupee, dollar or euro you spend has to be explained to a donor, a board or an auditor. Give field staff a simple way to claim with receipts, have the programme head approve, and pull the figures by project whenever a report is due.
Free for 3 users, for as long as you like. Works on any device.
Spending you can explain to any donor
Non-profits are asked to show more about their spending than most businesses. These are the knots field teams and finance know well.
Field staff far from the office
Coordinators in villages and camps pay from their own pocket and wait weeks while paper bills travel to head office.
They snap each bill on the phone and send the report from the field. Approvers get it the same day, wherever they are.
Donor reports built by hand
Every quarter, finance goes through files to find what was spent on which programme.
Tie each expense to a project and add a grant code field. Analytics shows spend by project, category and month, downloaded as CSV.
Advances that never get settled
Money given for a training camp sits on the books for months with no report and no change returned.
Advances stay on each person's account until a report takes them off or the money is given back. Analytics lists advances not settled.
Rules that depend on who remembers them
Some claims come without bills, others months late, and the approver has to spot it.
Policies ask for a receipt on every expense, set a claim deadline and a daily limit, and flag every break for the approver.
From a field programme to a donor report
- Plan and advance
The coordinator plans the field trip with an advance; the programme head approves both together.
- Receipts in the field
Transport, venue and materials are snapped and tagged to the programme's project and grant code.
- Approved by the right people
Approval rules send it to the programme head, and to the director above a set amount.
- Ready for the donor
Spend by project and category is downloaded for the report, with every receipt kept.
Controls that make audits easier
Receipt on every claim
Turn on "every expense needs a receipt" and a report cannot be sent without them.
Approval rules
Steps by amount, category, department or project - the department head, project owner or a chosen person.
Per diem for field days
Daily allowances by location, with part days and meals provided taken off.
Programme budgets
A budget per project or department, with alerts to its head when it nears the limit.
Pay many people at once
Pay approved reports together and download a bank file for your bank's bulk payment.
Audit log
On Business, see who changed policies, approvals, bank details and payouts, and when.
Ready before the next programme starts
- Create a project for each programme or grant, and a "Grant code" custom field.
- Turn on "every expense needs a receipt" and set a claim deadline in the policy.
- Add departments with their heads and set approval rules by amount.
- Set per diem rates for the places your field teams travel to.
- Ask everyone to add their bank account so payouts can go in one bank file.
Add more Ellibo apps when you need them
One account, the same customers, items and team in every app.
AccountingEvery approval and payment already in your books for the auditor. ProjectsProgramme costs gathered on each project. HRStaff records, leave and payroll for the team.Expense for NGOs & non-profits: FAQ
Can we track expenses by grant or programme?
Yes. Tie each expense to a project for the programme, and add a custom field such as Grant code. Analytics shows spend by project, and the CSV export includes your custom fields.
Can field staff claim without internet all day?
Expense works in the phone's browser, so there is nothing to install. Staff can snap receipts with the camera on the spot, or keep the paper and drop many receipts at once into the receipt inbox when they are back.
How do we manage advances to field staff?
Pay an advance (Standard plan and up). It is taken off the person's next report, and any money given back is recorded. Analytics lists advances that are not settled yet.
Can a report need two approvals above an amount?
Yes. Send reports up the reporting chain with approval limits, or set approval rules on Professional so larger reports go to the director as a second step.
Do we get a record for auditors?
Each report keeps who sent, approved, rejected and paid it, with dates, and the journals are in your books. The Business plan adds an audit log of setting and payout changes.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. Free for 3 users for ever, with receipts, reports, approvals and reimbursements. Every new organisation gets a 14-day trial of everything.
Expense for other businesses
More Ellibo apps for teams, people & paperwork
Spend on the mission, account for every bit of it
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