Harlequin has come top in Charity Finance’s accounting software survey 2011 - including a 100% customer recommendation rate. As the charity sector’s most respected independent accounting software survey, the team at Harlequin are incredibly proud to have topped the rating figures this year.

100% of Harlequin customers surveyed would recommend the Harlequin Charitable Accounting system and full marks were given for compatibility with charity accounting requirements, ease-of-use, commitment to the sector, knowledge of the sector, provision of upgrades, technical support and functionality. Out of 21 accounting packages included in the survey, the Harlequin Charitable Accounting system also scored the highest on integration with other systems and came second on cost and reporting functionality.

MD of Harlequin, Tom Ellis, comments: “Customer service has always been our top priority, so, above everything, we are delighted with the 100% score on: ‘Would you recommend your current supplier to other charities’. Unlike some of the major generic accounting solutions listed in the survey, we are of the size where we can offer high quality,
user-friendly software and services – as the results reveal.”

Speaking further on being a provider of specialist accounting software designed especially for not-for-profit organisations, Tom continues: “As we only work in the not-for-profit world, it is natural that we stand out for our knowledge and commitment to the sector in the results. We live and breathe the sector – unlike some suppliers who seem to be shoe-horning generic products into charities or are spending only a small proportion of time and resources on developing their software to meet the sectors’ needs. Also, within one company, we offer an integrated accounting, CRM and fundraising solution that is designed purely with not-for-profits in mind; this makes us stand out in this survey and within the market. I was pleased to be quoted in the survey on this point.”

• 'Harlequin…provides full integration of its Charitable Accounting system and its CRM for Charities packages. “Integration enables accountants to reconcile fundraising income and expenditure more easily and more charities are asking for this,” says Harlequin managing director Tom Ellis. “Human error and inconsistencies creep in when there is no integration between CRM and finance systems,” he adds.' Accounting software survey 2001, Charity Finance, May 2011.

When asked how the results may affect Harlequin, Tom continues: “We have been providing charitable accounting software for 25 years, many of which are charities based within our nation’s hospitals. 150 not-for-profit organisations now use our solutions so it is good to appear in this survey. As we have done over the years, we will continue to grow gradually in the future and will work with organisations where there is a strong match in ethos. The survey results certainly emphasise that we offer good quality software and services to the not-for-profit arena.”

As part of the annual technology survey complied by Civil Society Media - publishers of Charity Finance, Fundraising and Governance magazines – the full results of the Accounting Software Survey appear in the May 2011 edition of Charity Finance.