Payroll software helps you manage one of the most arduous tasks you deal with. Like many office tasks, handling your payroll is a job that can take time away from leading your church in the ways you’d like. But without effective staff-management systems in place, your church can’t operate well or grow. An increasingly popular solution is automating your payroll. If you find the right program, the training and expenses can prove worthwhile, saving you or your staff members time and headaches. But what system do you choose? Your church is unique, so you should find software that fits your needs. Many programs allow you to split the payroll in order to pay employees on different days, organize employees by position or benefits, deduct withholding items, make electronic deposits and even manage the information from anywhere in the world. To help you start your search for the right program, here’s a brief guide to a few software programs and their features.

Company Name: Logos Management Software
Contact Info: Dan Smith, 800.266.3311 ext. 1623
Areas Served: National
Year Founded: 1980

Is your payroll software Internet-based?
Either desktop or Internet-hosted

What security features do your payroll software packages include?
Every function is access-controlled.

Do you offer ongoing tech support?
Yes – four different options

What operating system do churches need to use your software?
Windows; if Internet, it doesn’t matter

What are your installation costs?
$2,000

Upgrading costs?
$200 up to $1,200

For what size church is your product geared?
We provide to entire denominations that go from one to 250 employees.

What special features do you offer?
Automated direct deposit; clergy payroll understanding

Do you offer demos or samples?
Demonstration disk (video tour); live, online demonstrations

Are you looking forward to introducing any new features?
Programming is working every day. Upgrades are typically five per year. 

Company Name: Parish Data System
Contact Info: 800.892.5202, www.parishdata.com
Areas Served: Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools
Year Founded: 1978

Is your payroll software Internet-based?
Optional

What payroll software packages do you offer?
PDS Ledger/Payroll incorporates payroll management into PDS Ledger, a full accounting solution for parishes or schools. Calculate federal, state and local taxes; print paychecks from your computer; produce a variety of federal reports and forms.

What are your security features?
Choose who has access to each specific part of your data

Do you offer ongoing tech support?
Yes

What operating system do churches need to use your software?
Microsoft Windows Vista, XP SP (Service Pack) 2, 2003 SP1 or 2000 SP4 operating system

For what size church is your product geared?
All

What special features do you offer?
PDS’s 30-plus years of experience developing Catholic management software solutions, offering integrated products both desktop and Web-based, plus an industry-leading support staff set PDS apart from the competition.

Do you offer demos or samples?
Visit www.parishdata.com to download a free demo.

Are you looking forward to introducing any new features?
Interface enhancements are due in future releases.

Company Name: Church Windows 
Contact Info:info@churchwindows.com
Areas Served: U.S. and Canada 
Year Founded: 1987 

Is your payroll software Internet-based?
No 

What payroll software packages do you offer?
Church Windows Payroll handles pay (hourly and salaried), deductions (pre-tax and taxable), allowances (pre-tax and taxable), and federal, state and local taxes for both ministers and lay staff. It offers direct deposit and e-file capabilities, and prints tax reports such as W-2 and 941 forms.

What are your security features?
Church Windows Payroll is password-protected.

Do you offer ongoing tech support?
Yes 

What operating system do churches need to use your software?
Windows 2000, XP or Vista

What are your installation costs?
$200

Upgrading costs?
Either $110 per year for all annual upgrades and unlimited tech support, or $75 for annual tax update and pay-per-minute telephone support

For what size church is your product geared?
All sizes, from one employee to hundreds

What special features do you offer?
Church Windows Payroll easily handles ministers’ unique tax requirements and integrates with Church Windows Accounting software.

Do you offer demos or samples?
Yes – a free trial mailed out on request

Are you looking forward to introducing any new features?
We do have annual upgrades, but no major new features are upcoming, since the software is already full-featured and comprehensive.

Company Name: ParishSOFT/Church Management Solutions
Contact Info: www.parishsoft.com or 866.930.4774, www.churchmanagementsolutions.com or 800.247.8044
Areas Served: Church Management and Accounting Software 
Year Founded: 1978

Is your payroll software Internet-based?
Yes (via terminal services)

What payroll software packages do you offer?
ParishSOFT Payroll and CMS Payroll: true fund accounting according to FAS 117 designed for the Church

What are your security features?
Password controls, PCI Compliance

What operating system do churches need to use your software?
Windows 98 or higher

How are they priced?
By size of church 

What are your installation costs?
N/A 

Upgrading costs?
Included in annual maintenance 

Other fees?
Annual support and maintenance is 20 percent of current pricing.

For what size church is your product geared?
Small to large

What special features do you offer?
Designed specifically for church-fund accounting

Do you offer demos or samples?
Yes 

Are you looking forward to introducing any new features?
Browser online version to be released late in 2008

Company Name: Sage Software Nonprofit Solutions
Contact Info: 866.831.0615, www.sagenonprofit.com, info.nonprofit@sage.com
Areas Served: North America
Year Founded: 1982

Is your payroll software Internet-based?
No

What payroll software packages do you offer?
With the Sage MIP Fund Accounting Payroll Module, you can track employee service efforts; produce a timely and accurate nonprofit payroll; generate fully distributed accounting entries; maintain comprehensive employee records; save time with timesheet templates; use flexible payroll accounting codes; automatically allocate labor costs; process tax forms and eFile; and produce federal, state and local tax reporting.

What are your security features?
Security settings allow administrators to limit user access to payroll and tax information.

Do you offer ongoing tech support?
Yes

What operating system do churches need to use your software?
Microsoft Windows Vista Business, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000 Server, or Windows 2000 Professional

What are your installation costs?
Starting at $2,995 for the core system; add payroll for $1,495

Upgrading costs?
Maintenance & Support plan is $900.

Other fees?
Keeping a current Maintenance & Support agreement is important for receiving customer support services, new product versions, and special notifications.

For what size church is your product geared?
Any

What special features do you offer?
The payroll module is a fully integrated part of Sage MIP Fund Accounting, allowing users to process payroll and eFile or print tax forms directly within the system, distribute earning and benefits by program, and track employee information.

Do you offer demos or samples?
Please visit our Web site to download a demo, or sign up for a free Webcast to interact with an expert.

Are you looking forward to introducing any new features?
We regularly enhance Sage MIP Fund Accounting and annually release new versions to ensure compliance and improve usability.

Company Name: Shelby Systems Inc.
Contact Info:www.shelbyinc.com, 800.877.0222, sales@shelbyinc.com
Areas Served: U.S. and 40 international countries, faith-based and nonprofit companies
Year Founded: 1976

Is your payroll software Internet-based?
No. It is direct-deposit ACH compatible, desktop client, networkable and term-server compatible.

What payroll software packages do you offer?
We offer a payroll software, specifically designed for ministries, that fully integrates with all other Shelby software. Shelby Payroll is a total solutions package. It does everything from calculating pay and taxes, to printing IRS-approved tax forms.

What are your security features?
Shelby Payroll has user ID and password security with feature and view restrictions at user levels. It also provides special security for
executive levels.

Do you offer ongoing tech support?
Yes – Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Central Standard Time

What operating system do churches need to use your software?
Windows 2000 or above

How are they priced?
A single package covers an unlimited number of employees.

What are your upgrading costs?
No

Other fees?
Annual Support covers all upgrades and unlimited technical support

For what size church is your product geared?
All sizes

What special features do you offer?
Prints IRS-approved tax forms, prints payroll on preprinted or blank check stock with electronic signatures, capable of ACH processing and can e-mail secure ACH vouchers, automatic calculations for ministers

Do you offer demos or samples?
Yes. Contact 800.877.0222, sales@shelbyinc.com or go to www.shelbyinc.com.

Are you looking forward to introducing any new features?
Upgraded annually to include all taxing entity mandates as needed, including new tax tables and tax changes