The Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas, serves over 388,000 Catholics in several counties in along the Texas Gulf Coast. Established in 1912, the Diocese has experienced significant growth. Today they serve thousands by managing 98 parishes, 14 schools, and multiple charitable institutions throughout Texas.

Complex Reporting Needs, One Small Accounting Office

As the Diocese grew so did their complexity of their reporting and information requirements. After hearing the news that their accounting software, American Fundware, was no longer going to be supported, they realized a change was needed.

“The old system couldn’t keep up with our changing needs and we have to have a system that is going to grow with us,” comments Paul Damerow, CPA, Controller for the Diocese.

Paul turned to long-time trusted software adviser, Janice Patton, CEO and Founder of Cornsilk Company for assistance.

Due diligence included an RFP for new software, multiple phone consultations and many demos. Paul also called colleagues to learn their recommendations. The fund accounting software AccuFund was mentioned several times. The fact that the developers of Fundware also developed AccuFund made this an easy choice.

The clincher for Paul was learning that Cornsilk supported AccuFund.

“Cornsilk handled our last accounting system transition over 20 years ago and I knew they were equipped to handle this massive project.”

Cornsilk Brings Expertise and Peace of Mind

“We started with a clean slate,” Paul said. “I redid the chart of accounts, and I decided not to import historical data. I figured we could access the old data anytime we wanted.”

Outsourcing payroll also freed up considerable time, which the staff member responsible for payroll was able to apply to learning AccuFund and expanding her role within the team.

“I was very happy with the transition,” comments Paul. “After 20 years of the old system, making a move to new software comes with a big learning curve. Cornsilk provided a road map and oversaw the entire transition with attention to detail. The training added a lot of value and expedited user adoption. Overall, it could not have gone smoother.”

Paul was so happy with the transition to AccuFund that he’s since recommended it to other Catholic Diocese and offered their work as a template. Behind his recommendations is the confidence in AccuFund’s reliability as well as Cornsilk’s expertise.

“Working with Cornsilk for all those years, their patience, and then the process of going to a new software….there’s a lot to learn. You can’t just look at a manual and figure it out. Cornsilk knows what we need and we could not be happier with the results.”

AccuFund Exceeds Expectations and Offers Stability

Reliability and enhanced reporting were top requirements and AccuFund came through with flying colors.

“Creating reports without exporting to Excel has made my life a lot easier,” comments Paul. “I produce reports exactly as I would for an audit with one click. It’s a big improvement!”

Time saved is one of the biggest benefits of switching to AccuFund. The self-service features in the system save everyone, including nonprofit partners and bookkeepers in sister organizations, considerable time.

“We work with multiple organizations, and are often contacted for financial information,” Paul said. “Rather than fielding calls and running reports, we give them protected access to our reporting module which has streamlined my job and everyone else’s too. This feature alone has saved a lot of time and gives our colleagues what they need, when they need it.”

AccuFund’s reporting access and usability has been a game-changer for The Diocese.

“It’s a big time saver when department heads and management needs reports run quickly. My team is ecstatic that they can produce their own Board reports with details. I’ve set the reports up and they run them when they want to.”

“Making the move to AccuFund with Cornsilk handling the transition has allowed us to move forward with confidence. As we grow and our needs change, we know Cornsilk will be there, so we get the most out of our fund accounting system.”