I recently became treasurer of the Stuyvesant Park Neighborhood Association, a long-running community organization in NYC. We run on an annual budget of about $100k with an endowment of about $150k, but our tools had not kept up with the organization.

This post covers the stack we implemented, why we chose each tool, and the order I would recommend for other small non-profits.

The Stack (in Implementation Order)

1. Website hosting: Squarespace (~$150/year, basic plan)
2. Email + identity: Google Workspace for Nonprofits (free tier)
3. Cards + AP + treasury: Ramp (free plan)
4. Accounting: QuickBooks Online via TechSoup (~$80/year)

The order matters. Set up your website and domain email first, then configure payments/cards, then connect accounting. Your card/AP platform often determines which accounting integrations are practical.

1) Website Hosting: Simplify and Consolidate

We moved from a legacy WordPress setup (InMotion Hosting + GoDaddy) to Squarespace.

Why we switched:

• Our old WordPress install had plugin conflicts and ongoing maintenance risk.
• Squarespace cut annual hosting cost materially (from roughly $600/year to roughly $150/year).
• It was easier to find contractors who can maintain Squarespace without ongoing custom development.
• We could consolidate domain and website under one vendor, which reduced operational overhead.

Permission model we use:

• Admin account: domain, billing, and high-risk settings.
• Designer account: content and layout updates.

This split lets board officers retain control while giving freelancers limited access.

2) Email Hosting: Create a Stable Operating Identity

Google Workspace for Nonprofits was the clear choice for us: free, reliable, and familiar for most volunteers.

What we implemented:

• Kept personal email flexibility for board members (no forced migration on day one).
• Created a shared admin identity for vendor logins and account recovery.
• Created groups:
  • info@... as the public inbound contact.
  • board@... as an internal distribution list.

Big practical win: no more fragile CC chains across many personal addresses.

3) Corporate Cards and AP: Replace Paper Checks

When I took over, payments were managed through handwritten checks and a physical check register. It worked, but it was slow and error-prone.

We adopted Ramp to modernize spending and approvals:

• Corporate cards + AP workflows in one system.
• No monthly fee on the basic plan.
• Yield on operating cash plus card rewards improved treasury efficiency.
• Faster approvals and cleaner audit trail than paper checks.

Governance setup:

• Four officers as administrators/approvers.
• Each department receives a shared “Fund” with a monthly spending cap.
• Staff and volunteers receive role-appropriate cards and limits.

Adoption was fast once people realized they no longer had to manage lost checks and reimbursement delays.

4) Accounting: Keep It Standard

We chose QuickBooks Online (QBO), primarily because:

• It is widely used and easy to hand off to accountants/bookkeepers.
• Non-profit pricing via TechSoup is very affordable.
• It integrates with our payments workflow.

What has worked:

• Monthly budget and P&L reporting by segment.
• Better visibility than spreadsheet-only processes.

Limitations we still feel:

• UI can be slow and reporting customization is inconsistent.
• Some useful report automations are oddly unavailable.
• 1099 e-filing pricing is high relative to newer alternatives.

What Changed Operationally

After these four moves, finance operations became much easier:

• Fewer vendors and fewer credentials to manage.
• Faster payment cycles and clearer approvals.
• Better board reporting with less manual work.
• Less key-person risk because access and process are documented.

For a small non-profit, “boring and reliable” is usually better than “custom and clever.”