For many nonprofits, expense approvals are a messy mix of emails, spreadsheets, and Slack messages. Approvals are often missed, delayed, or rerouted manually, leaving finance to sort through the confusion at month-end.
Most tools only let you set approvals based on amount or role. But nonprofits are rarely that simple.
You might need different approvers for different departments, funding sources, or even specific programs. And when tools can’t support that, finance teams end up stuck in the middle, chasing approvals and fixing errors after the fact.
That’s where Fyle comes in.
Why Basic Approval Rules Don’t Work for Nonprofits
Let’s say a staff member books travel under $500 — it only needs approval from their manager. But if the amount crosses that limit, it should also go to the Executive Director.
Or, imagine someone submits an expense for a grant-funded program. Before it reaches finance, the Program Director needs to review it to ensure it’s aligned with the grant’s terms.
Or, if the Development team makes a spend from a donor-restricted fund, it needs to be reviewed by someone overseeing that initiative.
Most systems can’t support these kinds of layered, conditional approvals. So nonprofits either:
- Route everything through one person (which creates delays)
- Create manual checklists outside the system (which leads to errors)
- Or follow up after submission to fix routing (which wastes everyone’s time)
And in nonprofit finance, late or incorrect approvals can affect compliance, reimbursements, and fund reporting.
Fyle Lets You Build Multi-Level Workflows That Match How Your Nonprofit Operates
Fyle makes it easy to set up multi-level approval workflows tailored to how your nonprofit actually works.
Whether you route expenses based on amount, project, department, or employee role, Fyle gives you full control, without the complexity.
Here’s how it works:
Create Rules Based on Amount, Role, Department, or Project
With Fyle, you can define exactly who needs to approve what:
- Amount-based approvals
→ e.g., All expenses above $1,000 must go to the Executive Director - Role-based approvals
→ e.g., Volunteers route to Program Manager; Employees to Finance - Project-based approvals
→ e.g., Expenses tagged under “Outreach Program” go to the Outreach Director - Department-based approvals
→ e.g., Marketing expenses go to the Ops Manager first
You can also configure cross-organization workflows if you manage multiple entities, chapters, or business units.
Multi-Level Approvals Made Simple
Each report can go through one or more levels:
- Assign a primary approver (e.g., direct manager)
- Add secondary approvers (e.g., finance or leadership)
- Route based on custom fields like Grant Code, Region, or Role
An admin can configure all of this in just a few clicks, no IT team needed.
Approvals From Anywhere, Without the Back-and-Forth
Approvers don’t need to log into a new system or chase down reports:
- Approve via mobile app, web, or directly from email
- Review receipt, expense details, and policy flags in one view
- Comment, send back, or approve with just a click
- All actions are logged, giving finance full audit visibility
And since Fyle tracks approval status in real-time, you can always see what’s pending and what’s been approved.
Built-In Controls Without Micromanaging
Fyle gives finance full visibility, without slowing things down:
- Real-time status tracking for every expense
- Automatic reminders for pending approvals
- Comments, send-backs, and even inline edits by approvers
- Everything is recorded in an audit-ready system
And because approvals work across reimbursable expenses, card expenses, mileage, and per diem, you don’t need to switch tools depending on the type of spend.
Automate Your Approval Workflows Without Changing How You Work
Every nonprofit has its own way of doing things, and Fyle adapts to your structure. Whether it’s one-level or five, reimbursable or card, by amount or by role, you’re in control of the workflow.
Set it once. Let Fyle take care of the rest.
