NetSuite is not just designed to support businesses to achieve growth, but also to help non-profit organisations to scale their efforts and use their resources more efficiently. NetSuite for non-profits provides a sophisticated solution with tailored functionality for charities that will help drive your mission forward.

So what does this look like in action? We hosted a webinar with Good360 Australia to learn more about how they’re using NetSuite to bring surplus household goods to people in need.

 

The arrival of Good360 in Australia

When Alison Covington learned of US-based Good360 in 2012, she was surprised there was no Australian non-profit providing a similar service. For 30 years, Good360 had been partnering with socially responsible companies in the USA to source highly needed goods and distribute them to people in need through a network of diverse not or-profits. By matching these non-profits with free surplus goods they supported these organisations to funnel their money towards other necessary programs, services and updates. In 2012 they had already matched $7 billion worth of goods with over 70,000 charities. Today, that figure has grown to $10 billion in donated goods and a network of more than 90,000 prequalified not- for- profits, with supporting businesses including Walmart, UPS, Amazon and Levi Strauss & Company.

While there were some Australian non profits matching food waste to those in need, when it came to matching brand new household goods with vulnerable people, despite the real need, there simply wasn’t anyone doing it in Australia. This was a wasted opportunity as it meant Australian businesses with spare or excess goods, such as clothing, toys and homewares, resigned to letting these go to waste. Alison realised her mission and set about bringing Good360 down under. In 2015, she did just that. Since launching Good360 in Australia, Alison and her team have matched over $180 million (21 million items) worth of brand-new goods – or 13 items every minute – to charities who have put the goods into the hands of vulnerable Australians. And with a goal of distributing a billion dollars by 2025, their impact is growing fast.

A key aspect of Good360’s mission is to distribute vital goods specifically to those affected by disasters or other challenging life circumstances. From the 2020 bushfires right through to the COVID-19 pandemic, record numbers of Australians have been experiencing job and income loss in recent years, putting the need to support communities with basic personal and household goods at an all-time high. In fact, as lockdowns drag on, Good360 has found demand for items tripling with the organisation currently matching 39 items every minute.

The technology powering Good360’s mission

So, how do Good360 fulfil their mission of product philanthropy and purposeful giving? After all, getting the right goods to the right people at the right time is logistically complex, particularly at the volume that Good360 is managing. 

Not- for- profits have very specific and unique operational needs, so finding affordable and appropriate systems isn’t easy. This is where NetSuite steps in. NetSuite for non-profits is a single, flexible and powerful business application that enables organisations to manage their entire end-to-end operations by integrating not- for- profit accounting software, fundraising, Constituent Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), inventory management, eCommerce and more.

Good360 in America were already using NetSuite to manage their complex operations, so to get a head start down under Good360 Australia leveraged their existing NetSuite systems and processes. But once established and experiencing significant growth, it soon became apparent that Good360 in Australia required a technology foundation more customised to Australian operations. This didn’t mean ditching NetSuite. Instead they required a NetSuite set-up, tailored to their Australian needs and ready to support operations at speed.

How has NetSuite ERP benefited Good360?

     1. Inventory complexity

Working with Australian NetSuite partners Annexa, Good360 was able to design and deploy a NetSuite solution that supported operations across inventory, warehousing and logistics. And of course, included NetSuite’s unified not- for- profit accounting software. In particular, their inventory system required considerable customisation. This is because when a business donates excess goods, it is unlikely Good360 has processed that inventory before. So while businesses usually have SKUs that can be reused in their supply chain, SKUs are rarely repeated for Good360.

     2. Auditing and compliance

Reporting customisation for the auditing processes was another unique specification for their Australian market. To assist their small financial team in accounting for every single dollar coming in and out of the organisation, NetSuite reporting was customised to help them rapidly meet the requirements of strict localised financial and project reporting.

     3. The power of data

Access to real-time data has been pivotal for Good360. By allowing the team to generate reports across programs, and operations, they are able to track and optimise the performance and impact of their programs, clearly communicate their value to constituents and media, and use their data to make decisions around future programs. 

     4. The right implementation partner

For Good360, working with an Australian partner who not only has proven experience in the non profit sector but also commercial warehousing and logistics was central to the success of their NetSuite solution. They were able to lean on Annexa’s considerable expertise and experience to ensure their customised solution was focused on allowing their resources to achieve social impact, not just manage IT complexity.

To learn more about Good360’s NetSuite journey, check out the case study or watch the webinar replay.

Annexa helps not-for-profit organisations to amplify their impact with custom NetSuite systems that enable sophisticated budget forecasting and planning, financial reporting, payroll solutions and customer relationship management.