We are just beginning our use of FlockBase. However, we could not be more pleased with the support given to us as we set up our financial management structure. No member of our staff has an accounting background; but with the help of [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN], all of our finances are now in perfect order! Our financial workload has been greatly reduced, making our office administrator positively giddy! Perhaps best of all, our governing board is thankful that they now receive financial reports that they can easily understand ... for the first time ... ever!
Pros
The ease with which our staff learned to use the membership, contribution, and financial management modules.
Cons
We have not yet found the capability to print a member directory to give to our members. If this feature exists, it should be more obvious to the user. If it does not yet exist, please consider adding it!
Mark,
Thank you for your kind words! Thank you also for your feedback. At this point, our directory is very basic. Upgrading it is on our short list of product updates.
To print a member directory, select Membership-->Reports-->Directory. You can then select from a couple of options on formatting. This will produce a basic directory.
Again, thank you for your feedback.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 10/10
Pros
FlockBase was affordable. It has everything we need: Membership data, Contributions, Register and Payroll plus other functions we don't use. We just installed the newest version, FlockBase 2020. I like the way it works. I especially like that you don't have to open FlackBase and FlockBase Accounting separately. Entering and changing dates has been improved. I would say the learning curve for FlockBase is moderate. Customer support is excellent. Response time is very short. They are always positive and encouraging while helping solve a problem. They explain what the problem is and teach you how to solve it. FlockBase helps us keep track of our members and our finances.
Cons
Since we just installed FlockBase 2020, I'm still learning how to use it and haven't found any negative issues. Reports and printing are locked, which can sometimes be frustrating, if you want a different output.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 10/10
We loved the old version of Flockbase and are extremely disappointed with the new system. I will say that every time I have contacted Support they have responded promptly and were very courteous and willing to help. Unfortunately, they just don't provide what we need anymore. We take our records to an outside auditor every 3 years and the documents we need simply cannot be printed any longer. We are looking for a better solution. We need help and we need it now.
Pros
I used this software for 4 years and while it had some features that were slightly cumbersome, it was very workable and affordable. The financial report could show monthly and annual actual vs budget on a single report. I could print a membership list and include email addresses and birth dates.
Cons
Flockbase recently re-designed it's software and it is a nightmare to use. The check register reads going up to the top of the screen instead of down. The check numbers are not sequential making bank statement balancing time consuming while hunting for the check you want to clear. I cannot print a check register, instead I have to print a general ledger. I cannot print a 941 report. We work offline and I usually print the report, take it home and make the EFTPS payment, then return the reoprt and receipt to the church. I now have to take a picture of the 941 report with my cell phone in order to perform the same task. I'm trying to teach another person how to use the system but cannot print a chart of accounts. I have to print a budget instead. I can still enter household and member information but cannot print out any information other than name, address & phone number. I cannot print email addresses or birthdays, etc. The household and membership information is on one screen and I have to constantly scroll down about 3 screens to access the membership portion. After entering information, it reverts all the way back to household and I have to scroll down 3 screens again for each and every member . The new program is not user friendly by any means. It does not give us the reports we once had, there is no step by step guide to tell you if you want to find something you have to look in a completely different module. Confusing beyond belief.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 0/10
We have not yet fully implemented the software, that is, we are still keeping duplicate financial records, but the experience has so far been superior to all other software. Real people answer the phone, real CPA’s respond to accounting questions.
Pros
As a church the two parts of finance that need to integrate 100% are tracking contributions and handling the day to day finances of the church. Most of the churches use Quickbooks or Quicken because they are the two leading accounting packages, and they most resemble the checkbook for non-accounting purposes. Tracking contributions is impossible in Quickbooks, unless you treat each contribution as a pledge. Flockbase easily integrates what was a three step process into a one step basis for a church.
Cons
The only concern I have is in the documentation that is provided for how to use the accounting software. There is an assumption that the people using or setting up the software have an accounting background. Funds accounting is not the simplest method to use, and a more detailed explanation, particularly in the beginning on the “how-to’s” of entering beginning balances etc would be nice. The documentation on the membership module is more explanatory and easy to follow. The best solution is that so far the help desk and the accountant, [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN], who answered my phone call have been right on top of the request for help.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 9/10
I began using FlockBase Accounting (FBA) shortly after becoming Treasurer of Riverside United Church in New Brunswick, Canada. I had very little accounting experience or knowledge, and virtually none specifically in church finances. Learning the program and its intricacies was challenging. It is not a business-oriented accounting program, and thus some familiar reports and items are not available, and there are some new ones. Throughout this process, the telephone and email support from FBA was simply excellent: very knowledgeable, very thorough, and very patient. Once I got familiar with the program and its potential, I realized just how good it really is. Not only does it track all income and expenses, but it also ties each of these to a specific fund and account. It is this incorporation of fund accounting that makes the program so unique and so valuable. At any time, I can get exact fund balances as well as account balances, and thus get an in-depth picture of our financial status instantly. Reports (eg for Annual Congregational Meetings) are both more complete and more informative, because I have far better material to use in preparing them. Arranging and maintaining back-ups is very straightforward. Because of a recent computer crash, I have had occasion to test this. The system works like a charm, with no lost data and easy re-establishment of the system. I recommend this program in the highest possible way. Though it does require some work to understand how it works (and that may say more about me than the program), the effort expended is more than justified by the results. The superb support and quick and easy access to that support is a real bonus, and far superior to any I have experienced with ANY other computer-related matter. The fact that the program is so inexpensive makes the $50 annual fee for support and upgrades a worthwhile investment.
Rating breakdown
FlockBase pricing starts at $16 per month for 2 users and scales with the number of users and features. Features expand across Cloud and Desktop options.
Cloud-
Basic: $16 for 2 users per month
Plus: $29 for 5 users per month
Pro: $59 for 10 users per month
Desktop-
Membership: $119
Combined: $229
Accounting: $149
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