Non-profit organization share many of the same concerns and issues as their private sector counterparts.  They need to control expenditures, and buy goods and services through contracts with pre-negotiated pricing.  They need an e-procurement platform from which to manage their spend, but cannot afford lengthy and costly software implementations.  They need rapid deployment of an affordable solution so they can start saving money immediately.

But non-profits are different from businesses in that most non-profits depend on donors to fund their programs.  To maintain the confidence of an increasingly cost-conscious donor network, non-profits are doubling down on their efforts to scrutinize every dollar and operate more efficiently.  This includes making investments in e-Procurement solutions like Coupa.

It is important for non-profits to:

• deploy a very high percentage of their donations toward core programs (versus overhead expenses)
• maintain core programs and services in times of high demand, even as donations decline
• minimize paper-pushing by key personnel

How can Coupa e-Procurement help?

• By providing real-time, detailed visibility into spending. Control costs without cutting personnel or programs, by tracking each dollar with proper approvals for all types of spend.   In a normal economy, non-profit organizations operate on tight budgets with small, dedicated staffs.  In difficult economic environments like what we see today, the situation can quickly turn dire.  Coupa helps non-profits make their budgets stretch further and last longer by ensuring there is no maverick spending, and that every dollar spent has the proper approval.  Nonprofits leverage Coupa’s automation with suppliers to ensure that information flows quickly and automatically, lessening the need for a dedicated purchasing person.
• By helping non-profits operate more efficiently. Donors are more willing to contribute to organizations that can demonstrate they have the controls in place to ensure that a very high percentage of all donations go directly to the non-profit’s programs, and that they can make those dollars last longer through smarter spending practices.
• By removing the risks associated with e-Procurement. Non-profits have very limited resources, so complex and costly software implementations are not an option.   Coupa has worked with several organizations to streamline the deployment process down to days.  Coupa provides a true end-to-end service, managing all aspects of the implementation – including supplier enablement and user training – without the up-front costs and maintenance burden of traditional enterprise software applications.   Coupa’s rapid deployment allows the typical non-profits to show an  ROI in less than a month.