Taking Care of the Numbers So Grace Cares Can Focus on Its Community

Grace Cares is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to keep care equipment out of landfill while using the proceeds to make a positive difference within its community.

The team collects care equipment that might otherwise be discarded, cleans and maintains it, carries out repairs where needed and makes it available again at less than half the original price.

The profits generated are then put back into the community through activities designed to tackle issues such as loneliness and encourage greater social connection. These include afternoon teas, rock painting, sustainable activities and intergenerational projects.

It is a model that combines sustainability with genuine social impact, which means the Grace Cares team needs to spend as much of its time as possible delivering that mission rather than dealing with financial administration.

For a not-for-profit organisation, accurate bookkeeping isn't simply about knowing what's in the bank. There needs to be clear financial information and transparency around how money is being managed and used.

At the same time, every hour spent dealing with receipts, reconciliations and day-to-day bookkeeping is time that could otherwise be spent raising funds, developing projects and supporting the community.

Grace Cares needed its day-to-day financial records to be accurate, organised and ready for its accountant, without requiring the team to take its attention away from the work the organisation exists to do.

The solution was therefore about more than outsourcing bookkeeping. Grace Cares needed a trusted team that could become part of its operation.

CASS works in partnership with Grace Cares and its accountant, taking responsibility for the day-to-day bookkeeping and making sure the underlying financial information is accurate and up to date.

Our support includes processing receipts through Apron, maintaining the day-to-day books and reconciling the bank in Xero. We also stay in regular contact with the Grace Cares team so that questions or issues can be dealt with as they arise.

By keeping the bookkeeping in good order throughout the year, the financial information is ready for the accountant when they need it, creating a much more joined-up process.

Most importantly, it means the Grace Cares team can spend more of its time raising funds and delivering the charitable and community activities that sit at the heart of the organisation.

Having CASS take care of the day-to-day bookkeeping gives Grace Cares confidence that its financial records are being maintained accurately without having to manage everything internally.

It also provides the financial clarity and transparency that are particularly important for a not-for-profit organisation, where being able to clearly understand and evidence the financial position matters.

The relationship goes beyond simply processing transactions. CASS works as an extension of the Grace Cares team, keeping the bookkeeping moving, communicating when support is needed and working alongside the organisation's accountant.

That means less time worrying about whether the books are up to date and more time available to concentrate on fundraising, sustainability projects and creating a positive impact within the community.

Grace Cares now has day-to-day bookkeeping support that keeps its financial records accurate, reconciled and ready for its accountant.

The organisation has greater confidence in the quality of its underlying financial information and the transparency needed to clearly demonstrate how its finances are being managed.

Just as importantly, bookkeeping doesn't have to distract the team from its wider purpose. With CASS handling the day-to-day financial processing, Grace Cares can concentrate more of its energy on raising funds, keeping care equipment out of landfill and supporting people within its community.

The relationship has become so integrated that Grace Cares describes CASS as “an integral part of the team.”

For CASS, supporting a not-for-profit organisation isn't just about keeping the books in order. It's about understanding what those organisations are trying to achieve and making sure their finance function supports rather than distracts from that purpose.

By working alongside Grace Cares and its accountant, we can provide the accurate bookkeeping and financial transparency they need while giving their team more time to concentrate on the work that makes the difference.

That's Giving You More Than Numbers in a very real sense.