Navigating Nonprofit Spend Management: Key Takeaways from Ramp + Kiwi Partners’ Webinar

Watch the webinar recording and demo here

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In our recent webinar with Ramp and Kiwi Partners, we unpacked the real cost of legacy expense management systems—and explored how modern tools can help nonprofits control spend before it happens. Here's a look at what we covered:

The Reality of Legacy Expense Management 

Let’s face it: the traditional expense reporting process is broken. It often involves employees collecting paper receipts, submitting them manually through platforms like Concur or Expensify, and then waiting for someone in accounting to review and (hopefully) catch any errors or out-of-policy expenses. 

As Lisa Toback, Head of Consulting Services at Kiwi Partners, put it: “If you have disorganized receipts, your team is not going to get you the information you need, when you need it. That puts your financial oversight—and your funding—at risk.” 

She shared a cautionary tale of a charter school that lost over half a million-dollar grant and had to delay another because of poor visibility into credit card spend and grant utilization. The cause? A lack of timely, integrated data between their expense tools and accounting system. 

Time Isn’t Just Money—It’s Mission 

Employees spend valuable hours submitting expense reports, tracking receipts, and re-entering data between disconnected systems. That’s time they could spend on programs and mission-critical work. 

Ramp’s solution? Automate the process from swipe to reconciliation. 

For example, when an employee uses a Ramp card, they’re instantly prompted via text to upload a receipt and a memo. No login. No spreadsheet. No Sunday-night backlog. 

As Danny Mohler, Channel Partners Manager from Ramp shared: “I got a text before my coffee was even handed to me asking for my memo and receipt. I responded right then, and I’m done. That’s it.” 

Debunking the "Too Many Cards" Myth 

Many nonprofits believe issuing more cards leads to less control. In reality, the opposite is true—if you put the right guardrails in place. (Article: Why More Credit Cards Can Improve Your Nonprofit's Financial Management)

Lisa described how one organization reduced month-end close time from several weeks to just two by distributing cards with specific restrictions (e.g., only usable at specific stores, with preset limits) to housing and program managers. This empowered staff, streamlined weekend emergency purchases, and improved accountability without sacrificing control. 

The Power of Real-Time Visibility 

Ramp’s platform integrates directly with your accounting system, bank, email, HR tools, and even ride-share apps. That means no more re-entering data, no more mismatched payments, and no more hunting for receipts buried in inboxes. 

 “It’s not enough to have a strong front-end tool. If it doesn’t push data to your accounting and banking systems, you’re adding manual work and creating blind spots.” – Lisa Toback, Head of Consulting, Kiwi Partners 

One Platform, All Spend (Except Payroll) 

Ramp aims to consolidate your spend management—from accounts payable to expense tracking—under one roof. The result? Streamlined workflows, fewer errors, faster month-end closes, and stronger financial oversight. 

Whether you're a two-person team or a multi-site operation, Ramp is designed to scale and simplify. 

Ramp Overview: Streamlined Spend Management for Nonprofits 

Ramp is an all-in-one spend management platform designed to automate and control expenses, simplify accounts payable, and improve financial visibility in real-time. It’s a powerful solution for nonprofits seeking better oversight, faster reporting, and scalable tools that grow with them. 

💡 Built for Nonprofits 

• Handles both low-volume and high-volume organizations. 

• Offers granular controls for program staff and field teams. 

• Ideal for grant-heavy orgs needing program-level tracking and documentation.

  
  

🌟 Key Features 

• Corporate Cards with Built-in Controls Issue physical or virtual cards with custom limits (by vendor, amount, category). Cards can be issued proactively to staff so spending is controlled before it happens—not after. 

• Automated Receipt & Memo Collection Ramp collects receipts and memos automatically, reducing manual follow-up. Built-in flags help enforce policy rules (e.g. no alcohol, over-tipping, weekend spend), and even detect AI-generated fake receipts. 

• Bill Pay with Vendor Onboarding Streamline bill payments with a built-in vendor request flow. Ramp emails vendors to collect ACH and W-9 info. Syncs directly with your accounting software, while routing bills through customizable approval chains. 

• Reimbursements (Minimal but Streamlined) While Ramp encourages proactive spend with cards, it offers simple reimbursements for exceptions like mileage. Employees submit expenses via mobile app and are reimbursed within 2–3 business days. 

• Repayments for Personal Spend on Cards If staff accidentally use a Ramp card for personal expenses (e.g. personal Uber charges), Ramp allows repayment back to the org. Flags help identify questionable transactions and request repayment. 

• Real-Time, Grant-Ready Reporting Get instant visibility into spend by department, person, vendor, grant code, and more. Export receipts and invoices in PDF format—ideal for grant compliance and voucher support. 

• Treasury Account for AP & Cash Management Use Ramp’s Treasury feature to hold funds and speed up payments, while earning up to 2.5% interest. 

• Mobile App + Policy Enforcement Everywhere Employees can request, spend, and upload receipts from their phones. Custom approval workflows enforce compliance by policy, department, or grant. 

  
  

Platform Philosophy 

Ramp is intentionally built to move away from legacy tools like Expensify or Concur. Rather than importing transactions after the fact from cards like AmEx (which lack pre-spend controls), Ramp enables real-time control and automation at the point of transaction. It still supports reimbursement-style workflows if needed—but its value lies in automation, control, and speed. 

Want to see it in action?

📺Watch the webinar recording and demo here or Skip to the Ramp platform demo

If your organization is still stuck in the expense-report past, this might be the right time to explore what modern nonprofit finance teams are doing differently—and more efficiently.

📊 Schedule a product demo with Ramp. Use our preferred Ramp partner LINK and earn a $500 sign-up bonus!*

Lisa Toback, CPA, PMP, is a nonprofit consulting expert with over 30 years of experience helping 300+ organizations optimize accounting processes and implement financial technology solutions. Since joining Kiwi Partners in 2008, she has led the consulting team in delivering best practice reviews and streamlining nonprofit financial operations using platforms like Sage Intacct, NetSuite, QuickBooks, Ramp, BILL, and more. Lisa's Bio