Charities are under constant pressure to do more with less – limited resources, rising demand for funds, and increasing scrutiny from donors and regulators. Yet many are still held back by outdated finance systems and manual processes that are costly, clunky, and time-consuming, making it harder to demonstrate impact.
Today, technology is reshaping the way charities manage their finances. Cloud-native, AI-enhanced finance software, like Aqilla, offers a more affordable, secure, and accessible solution. Switching to a cloud-native finance system makes financial information more accessible across the organisation, improving collaboration, transparency, and decision-making.
Why traditional finance systems fall short
Typically, as mentioned earlier, traditional finance systems are expensive, but this goes beyond just the upfront price – maintenance and upgrades make the commitment to an older finance system feel like more of a burden than anything else. There are clearly still limitations in the ability to adopt modern innovation such as AI, which is more relevant now than ever before.
First and foremost, older systems have great difficulty in adapting alongside the growth of your organisation. This in turn causes a ripple effect, resulting in your team having a large backlog of manual tasks to catch up on, taking up valuable time. And with that, of course leaving you with inaccurate real-time data, making reporting for trustees, funders, and regulators harder.
How cloud-native finance software transforms charities
First things first, it is important to keep in mind that whilst the terms cloud-native and cloud-based are used interchangeably, they hold different definitions completely.
Cloud-based systems are traditional software systems that were originally designed to run on-premise, installed on local servers, but have since been adapted to run in the cloud.These systems can still carry some of the limitations of older architecture.
Cloud-native systems are designed from the ground up, to run in the cloud. They are built using modern cloud technologies like microservices, containers, and APIs. These systems offer more flexibility, scalability, automation, and are all around more reliable to implement.
If any of your team work remotely or from different locations, Aqilla makes for a smooth experience, you won’t look back. You can also rest assured that your system will be enterprise-grade-secure and compliant – so no matter where you are in the world, your data is completely safe in the cloud. These are other benefits of cloud-native finance software, but also not forgetting that you will notice a hefty drop in IT costs, and there is so much potential to save admin time.
Key considerations for mid-sized charities choosing an accounting system
Multi-currency: For international projects or funding.
Multi-entity: For organisations with subsidiaries or trading arms.
Advanced reporting: Clear insights for trustees, funders and auditors.
Cost and scalability: Affordable software, flexible enough to grow inexpensively.
Ease of use: Intuitive enough for small finance teams to manage in-house.
Security and compliance: Safeguarding donor and beneficiary data.
The bigger picture: Demonstrating impact
Aqilla’s real-time reporting functionality helps to show you exactly how funds are being spent - you can rest assured that your data is accurate and up to date, at all times. This enables you to be more transparent with donors, funders, and stakeholders which allows you to build trust, and stronger relationships. It is also worth noting that having a stronger finance system directly supports a charity's ability to deliver outcomes.
Conclusion
It’s important to recognise that moving out to cloud-native finance systems isn’t just an upgrade in terms of technology - it’s a strategic business decision that enables mid-sized non-profit organisations like yours to thrive. With AI-enhanced and cloud-native systems, finance teams can work smarter, scale easily, and focus resources where they matter most - achieving your mission.
