Gusto
Modern, easy-to-use payroll and HR that most nonprofits should already have — and probably don’t.
WHAT IT DOES
Payroll, done right. Handles payroll processing, tax filings, direct deposit, and W-2s/1099s — including for employees in multiple states. No more spreadsheets, state portals, or manual calculations.
HR and benefits built in. Digital onboarding, benefits administration, PTO tracking, and employee self-service. Your team gets a modern experience instead of paper forms and email chains.
Designed for small organizations. The interface is clean and straightforward. You don’t need an HR department to run it.
WHY WE RECOMMEND IT
We chose it ourselves. We selected Gusto at CoachArt after evaluating the options, and it delivered exactly what we needed — reliable, affordable payroll and HR without the complexity of enterprise systems.
Too many nonprofits don’t have this. The real recommendation here is broader than Gusto: if you don’t have a solid payroll and HR platform, you absolutely should. Gusto is the specific tool we’d point you to.
Positive ROI through time savings. Organizations often spend more time and money managing payroll and HR manually than the platform costs. The ROI argument isn’t theoretical — it’s math.
BEST FIT
No payroll platform yet. If you’re currently running payroll through spreadsheets, your accountant, or a manual process — this is the upgrade you’ve been putting off.
Small-to-mid-size nonprofits. Roughly 3–100 employees. Gusto handles this range well and grows with you.
Multi-state teams. If you have employees in multiple states, Gusto handles the tax filings and compliance that would otherwise require significant manual work or a more expensive provider.
WHEN THIS ISN’T THE RIGHT FIT
You already have a system that works. If your current payroll provider is reliable and your team is happy with it, switching may not deliver enough upside to justify the transition.
Complex compliance scenarios. Very complex multi-state, union, or large-scale grant-funded payroll situations may stretch the platform. Some organizations with those needs have moved to enterprise providers like ADP.
Not the enterprise option. If you’re a large organization with dedicated HR staff and complex compliance requirements, Gusto may feel lightweight. But for the vast majority of nonprofits, that’s not the situation.
HOW IT FITS THE LANDSCAPE
The modern default. For small-to-mid-size organizations, Gusto is the approachable, well-designed option in a category dominated by clunky legacy providers. Think of it as the user-friendly alternative to ADP and Paychex.
More than just payroll. The HR features — onboarding, benefits, PTO — add real value beyond running paychecks. Many nonprofits don’t realize they can get all of this in one platform at this price point.
BOARD-READY CASE
Straightforward ROI. Compare the cost of Gusto to the time and money currently spent managing payroll and HR manually. For most organizations, the platform pays for itself.
Risk reduction. Automated tax filings and compliance tracking reduce the risk of costly errors — a real concern for organizations managing this by hand.
Staff experience. Modern onboarding and self-service tools signal to employees that the organization invests in its people — which matters for retention.
DISCLOSURE
Full transparency: if you sign up through this page, Proimpact earns a referral fee — and that’s exactly how we keep all of our content, workshops, and community resources free for nonprofit EDs. We only recommend tools we genuinely believe in.
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