Nonprofit organizations face growing demands to deliver more impact with fewer resources. Nonprofits also face unique financial management challenges, from tracking restricted funds to managing grants and donor contributions. Financial leaders are being asked to improve transparency, streamline operations, and make faster, insight-led decisions. This article explores how Sage Intacct for nonprofits can help teams align finance with mission and meet challenges with faster close cycles, improved visibility, and automation and artificial intelligence (AI).
For many organizations, legacy systems like QuickBooks can no longer meet their reporting, planning, and automation needs—be it managing restricted funds, preparing for audits, or reporting to donors. The pressure to modernize financial operations is real.
The Shift Away From Legacy Systems
Nonprofits are increasingly outgrowing entry-level accounting systems. As operations scale and funding sources diversify, the limitations of manual reporting, lack of real-time visibility, and inefficient consolidation become more pronounced. According to Sage’s 2025 Nonprofit Technology Impact Report, Sage Intacct users report significantly fewer challenges than those using legacy systems.1
The report data indicates that legacy systems continue to pose significant challenges for nonprofit finance teams, often hindering efficiency and visibility.2 Organizations relying on these outdated platforms report high levels of manual reporting, limited real-time visibility, and difficulties with budgeting and planning.3 Manual consolidation and process inefficiencies are also common pain points, contributing to slower decision making and increased administrative burden. In contrast, users of modern solutions like Sage Intacct experience far fewer of these issues, highlighting the advantages of cloud-based, integrated systems that support automation, real-time insights, and streamlined workflows.4 This contrast underscores the growing need for nonprofits to move away from legacy systems in favor of more agile and transparent financial management tools.
The report shows a clear trend: nonprofits are seeking smarter, more scalable solutions to meet their growing needs.
Real-World Impact: Efficiency & Insight
Organizations that have adopted Sage Intacct for nonprofits are reporting meaningful improvements in operational efficiency. Month-end close cycles are being shortened dramatically, audit preparation is taking less time, and processes like accounts payable and payroll are becoming more streamlined. Several nonprofits have reported substantial cost savings and reductions in overhead, allowing them to redirect resources toward mission-critical initiatives.5
One finance leader shared their experience with the transition:
“We worked with Forvis Mazars on the integration of Sage Intacct. The Forvis Mazars team made this transition very smooth. Any problem that was encountered was handled and resolved head-on with virtually no waiting. We are very pleased with the length of time (just a few months) and the lack of difficulty with this implementation. This could not have been completed without the help of the Forvis Mazars team who provided prompt communication, planning, and transparency throughout this process. This is a huge step forward for our system as we are now able to go completely paperless! It has been a pleasure.”
These aren’t just operational wins—they’re mission wins. Every dollar saved and every hour reclaimed can be redirected toward impact.
In addition, Sage Intacct Fundraising powered by DonorPerfect offers a robust solution designed to help nonprofits enhance donor engagement, streamline fundraising operations, and improve financial transparency. It includes tools for personalized outreach, predictive analytics, mobile access, and integrated donation experiences, while providing real-time dashboards and detailed reporting to support insight-led decision making and demonstrate impact.
AI & Automation: The Next Frontier
Sage Intacct is a cloud-based financial management platform, built by an accountant for accountants, and endorsed by the American Institute of CPAs for its ability to deliver intelligent, GAAP-compliant financial operations.6 With tools like GL Outlier Detection, AP Automation, and Sage Copilot, nonprofits can:
- Detect anomalies before they become issues
- Automate vendor matching and invoice processing
- Use natural language queries to explore financial data, e.g., “How many invoices do I have that are over $5,000 and 60 days old?”
- Forecast trends with AI-generated visualizations
These capabilities can help finance teams move from reactive to proactive, supporting strategic decisions with real-time data.
Sage Intacct is a cloud-based platform built for intelligent financial management.
Making the Move: What to Consider
For nonprofits considering the transition, here are a few strategic steps:
- Start with a pain point: Identify the area where your current system is falling short—reporting, budgeting, audit prep—and build your case from there.
- Build an innovative, technology-empowered culture: Change management and training are key to adoption.
- Track adoption and performance metrics early: Capture user feedback, logins, time savings, cost reductions, and reporting improvements to help build internal support and adoption.
- Choose the right partner: Look for an implementation and support team with certified experience, deep nonprofit industry knowledge, and a commitment to ethical AI.
How Forvis Mazars Can Help
The move from a legacy system to Sage Intacct is more than a technology upgrade; it’s a transition that can empower nonprofit leaders to unlock efficiency, improve transparency, and drive improved outcomes.
Sage Intacct for nonprofits provides a modern, cloud-based accounting platform that can help organizations streamline operations, improve transparency, and make informed decisions. It can automate routine tasks, elevate reporting and forecasting, and support grant and donor tracking. Sage Intacct can help nonprofit teams reclaim time for mission impact.
Business Technology Services at Forvis Mazars is a Sage accounting and Sage Intacct software value-added reseller, offering a full suite of consulting services. As a certified Sage Partner, our experienced team of technology consultants can help you transform your financial processes. Connect with us to learn more about Sage Intacct and start your next project today.