For nonprofit finance teams, collecting receipts shouldn’t feel like chasing ghosts.
But too often, it does.
Receipts get lost in emails, buried in desks, or forgotten entirely, especially when teams are out in the field focusing on what matters: serving communities, running programs, and fulfilling the mission.
Meanwhile, finance is left scrambling at month-end, trying to match expenses to documentation for audits, grant reporting, and compliance. Without receipts, there’s no paper trail, making it difficult to stay compliant with donor requirements, grant restrictions, or IRS guidelines.
For nonprofits, collecting receipts isn’t just a paperwork hassle. It’s a compliance and audit risk. Without the right documentation, expense reports get delayed, audits become stressful, and teams spend hours chasing missing receipts.
Why Receipt Collection Is So Painful for Nonprofits
- Field staff forget to submit receipts on time
Outreach programs, volunteer events, or travel often mean expenses happen on the go. But receipts don’t get captured in the moment, they get lost in pockets or bags. - Digital receipts get buried in inboxes
Flight bookings, hotel stays, or Zoom subscriptions result in e-receipts sitting in staff emails, forgotten or forwarded late.
- Volunteers don’t know the right process
Many nonprofits rely on part-time staff or volunteers who aren’t trained in complicated expense workflows. This leads to missed steps or skipped submissions. - Month-end reconciliation becomes a nightmare
Without receipts, finance teams can’t verify expenses. This creates delays, audit risks, and potential compliance issues with grants or donor reporting.
How Fyle Simplifies Receipt Collection for Nonprofit Workflows
Fyle gives your nonprofit team multiple easy ways to submit receipts—no matter where they are or how they spend.
The goal is simple: No one should have to waste time on expense management, especially when they have more important work to do.
Here’s how Fyle helps:
1. Submit Receipts Instantly via Text Message (SMS)
If your nonprofit uses corporate cards, this is a game-changer.
Whenever an employee or volunteer swipes their card, Fyle sends them an SMS in real time.
All they have to do is reply to the text with a photo of the receipt.
Once they do, Fyle:
- Auto-creates the expense
- Automatically matches the receipt to the correct card transaction
- Extracts the merchant, date, amount, and other details using AI
No logins, no apps, no spreadsheets.
2. Capture Email Receipts With Gmail and Outlook Plugins
Whether it’s a hotel booking, a flight receipt, or a software subscription, digital receipts no longer need to be manually entered.
With Fyle, employees can:
- Use our Gmail or Outlook add-ins to scan receipts directly from their inbox
- Fyle extracts all the key details and creates a draft expense automatically
- Or simply forward any receipt to receipts@fylehq.com, and Fyle creates the expense for them
It’s fast, flexible, and eliminates the need for manual entry.
3. Capture Paper Receipts With the Mobile App
For paper receipts collected in the field, Fyle’s mobile app (iOS and Android) makes it easy.
Employees can:
- Open the Fyle app
- Snap a photo of each receipt
- Fyle’s AI reads the receipt and auto-fills the expense
If they have multiple receipts, they can use the Bulk Upload feature to scan them all at once.
4. Use the Web App for Office Workflows
For team members working at a desk, Fyle’s web app lets them:
- Drag and drop receipts into Fyle
- Fill in any additional details if needed
- Submit expenses in seconds
It’s Not Just Receipts, Fyle Supports Your Entire Expense Workflow
Fyle also helps nonprofits manage every part of the expense process, not just receipt collection.
You can:
- Track mileage expenses for outreach and travel
- Log per diem claims for volunteer trips and events
- Manage recurring expenses like monthly software subscriptions
- Reimburse employees via ACH transfers directly from Fyle, at no additional cost
All features are built into the same platform, no switching tabs or juggling tools.
Everything is coded, matched, stored digitally, and audit-ready, so your finance team can focus on what actually matters.
Close the Loop on Receipt Collection, Without Extra Work
Fyle helps your team submit receipts the moment a transaction happens, via text, email, mobile, or desktop. Finance teams no longer spend hours each week following up on missing receipts.
They get real-time visibility, faster reconciliation, and complete control, without interrupting the work on the ground.
