How to Manage Nonprofit Team Access, Roles & Grant Controls in Holdings

Holdings was built to make money management friendlier, safer, and simpler for nonprofits of all kinds. Whether you’re a day-one organization with a single director and a handful of volunteers, or a growing team with multiple programs and grant requirements, Holdings meets you right where you are—and scales with you as your impact grows. In these next sections, we’ll walk through everything nonprofits need to know about inviting team members, setting the right roles, and customizing permissions in your Holdings account.

Teamwork Without Tangles: Why Access Management Matters for Nonprofits

Running a nonprofit is almost never a solo journey. Even the scrappiest organizations need help from program managers, grant writers, bookkeepers, and sometimes, a circle of trusted board members or volunteers. Financial transparency, compliance, and secure spending are critical—not just nice-to-haves. At Holdings, we understand that “who can see and do what” inside your account isn’t just about convenience. It’s about protecting grant funds, stewarding donor dollars, passing audits, and avoiding mix-ups.

Holdings gives you the tools to carefully manage account access, remove guesswork around permissions, and keep accountability built right in—without extra software or technical headaches.

What Makes Holdings’ Team Management Nonprofit-Friendly?

If you’ve juggled multiple grants using a single checking account, or wrangled a sea of reimbursement forms, you know the struggle of keeping program funds secure while letting people get their work done. Holdings solves this with modern team management:

Zero-fee banking, so every grant dollar stays where it should.
Virtual accounts to segment cash per grant or program.
Virtual and debit cards for safe, program-level spending.
Role-based permissions, so each team member has exactly what they need—nothing more, nothing less.

Our tools work for you regardless of your structure—fiscal sponsor, emerging nonprofit, or established org with outside accountants. You decide who logs in, who moves money, and who just needs reporting access.

Inviting Your Nonprofit’s Team: A Step-by-Step Guide

Bringing teammates into Holdings is quick, secure, and ensures you can track all activity for compliance and transparency. Here’s how any nonprofit leader or admin can add members:

Log in to Holdings from your preferred device (web or mobile).
Navigate to the “Team” section in your main menu. You’ll see a directory of current users and their assigned permissions.
Click the “+ Invite” button at the top right.
Enter the first and last name, plus email address, of the person you want to invite. This ensures the invite goes directly to them.
Pick the right role for this person (see the next section for details).
Click “Invite.” The person will receive an email to claim their profile and secure their login.

Helpful tip: You can invite people even if they work remotely, are part-time, or only need seasonal access.

Understanding Roles and Permissions: What Each Means for Nonprofits

No two nonprofits use their teams the same way. That’s why Holdings offers a set of clear, flexible roles with built-in controls:

SuperAdmin: Ultimate authority for your account. Can do everything: invite/remove users, assign roles, move money, connect bank accounts, and tweak settings. For most nonprofits, this is the executive director, founder, or treasurer.
Admin: Many powers—moving money, managing users, segmenting accounts, and handling day-to-day tasks. Ideal for trusted program managers, finance directors, or operations leads.
Member: “View only” by default—can check balances, see virtual accounts, look at team structure, but never move funds or change settings. Useful for program team members, fundraising leads, or board members who need visibility.
Bookkeeper: Can see balances and export transactions but cannot move money or change authority settings. This keeps audit trails clean and supports outside accountants or volunteer finance committee members.

Each nonprofit can mix and match these roles as needed. Only one SuperAdmin is allowed at a time, keeping “the buck stops here” accountability solid.

Assigning the Right Role: Tips for Nonprofits

Choosing who gets what access isn’t just about trust—it’s about good stewardship and passing audits. As a best practice:

Make your “SuperAdmin” the most accountable financial leader (director, board treasurer, or controller).
“Admin” access should go to those who actively manage money, not just anyone helping out.
Use “Member” for those who check on assigned programs, grants, or expenses but don’t need to move money.
Invite your CPA or finance pro as “Bookkeeper” so they can access what they need, not what they don’t.

This clear structure protects your nonprofit from accidental errors and provides a full audit trail for every login and transaction.

Reviewing and Adjusting Permissions: Staying Compliant as Your Team Changes

Grants end, board terms rotate, staff move on—your nonprofit’s team structure isn’t fixed forever. Holdings makes it easy to recalibrate access:

Set a calendar reminder (quarterly or biannually) to review all current team members and their roles.
Remove anyone no longer involved immediately after their exit interviews or contract end dates.
For people shifting jobs, simply adjust their role instead of removing and re-inviting from scratch.
Always document major permission changes in your board meeting minutes for good governance.

This way, your bank access list always matches your org chart, which your auditor will love.

How to Remove a Team Member from Your Holdings Account

Removing ex-staff, volunteers, or vendors is a crucial step for financial security. To do this in Holdings:

Go to your “Team” menu in the web or mobile app.
Click the user you wish to remove.
Scroll to the bottom of their profile.
Click “Remove Team Member.”
Confirm in the popup prompt.

They’ll lose access instantly. Note: If you want this person to be re-invited in the future with the same email, you’ll need to send a new invitation.

What If a Volunteer Needs to Switch Roles or Has Limited-Time Access?

Nonprofits are unique in having transitional team members—seasonal interns, limited-duration contractors, or temporary volunteers. Holdings lets you:

Assign them the “Member” or “Bookkeeper” role for the project period.
Remove them when duties end (preserves data security).
Reinstate their access quickly in the same way as above if they return.

This supports revolving-door needs without sacrificing compliance or transparency.

Transferring SuperAdmin Status: Changing the Captain at the Helm

Sometimes, an executive director steps down or a new finance chair takes over. To change the SuperAdmin:

In “Team,” locate your own SuperAdmin profile.
Choose “Transfer SuperAdmin Status,” located at profile bottom.
Select the new lead from your list of Admins.
Complete the transfer—always brief the new SuperAdmin on their full responsibilities.

Reminder: Only one SuperAdmin can exist at a time, ensuring there’s always a clear “owner” for audit and policy compliance.

Practical Example: Nonprofit Team Structure with Holdings

Imagine a community food pantry:

The executive director serves as SuperAdmin, controlling all aspects of finance.
The deputy director manages daily transactions and grant deposits as an Admin.
Three volunteer program heads are Members, able to monitor program budgets and balances.
An external CPA is given Bookkeeper access to export data for annual reporting without risking unintended transfers.

If the pantry wins a new grant next year, the grant project lead can be given temporary Member access to monitor spenddown and report to donors.

Managing Program-and Grant-Based Segmentation with Teams

Because Holdings allows for virtual accounts by grant or initiative, team management goes hand-in-hand with financial segmentation:

Assign Admin access to key leaders of each program or grant.
Permit Members only to see budgets for their relevant virtual accounts.
Bookkeepers can be given rights to all accounts or just those needed for compliance tasks.

You control who sees and spends from which buckets—no more spreadsheets, and better stewardship with less risk.

Audit Readiness: Showing Who Did What, When

Every nonprofit audit asks: “Who had access to what funds, when?” With Holdings:

Every login, change, and money movement is tracked.
Role history is preserved—so if you need to show former access, you can.
Export user logs and changes directly to share with your auditor or compliance officer.

No more chasing old emails, signature cards, or outdated board resolutions.

How to Use Holdings User Directory for Easy Oversight

Holdings’ Team Directory summarizes everyone with access, along with their roles and status. At a glance, nonprofit leaders can:

See who can move money, view data, or access grant-specific accounts.
Edit roles as needed when responsibilities shift.
Review invitation status for pending or new team members.
Remove or adjust access quickly to stay in compliance.

This dashboard replaces the old guesswork of paper lists, inbox searches, and manual permission schemes.

Expense Cards and Safe Spending: How Roles Interact

If your organization issues Holdings debit or virtual cards for team members:

Only Admins can issue or limit card privileges.
Members can use approved cards for program supplies, hosting, or travel—but only within their permitted accounts.
Bookkeepers can reconcile transactions for any assigned area, without transaction rights.

This prevents over-spending, protects grant dollars, and supports instant compliance documentation.

What Happens When Someone Forgets Their Login?

We know nonprofits often have rotating volunteers, contractors, or part-time finance pros. If someone forgets their password:

They can use the Holdings login screen to reset it themselves. No need to trouble the SuperAdmin or call support.
Holdings’ secure authentication protects your organization at every step.

Data Security and Donor Privacy: Holdings’ Commitment

Nonprofits are trusted stewards of sensitive donor and client data. Holdings guards your accounts and data with:

Multi-factor authentication on every login.
Bank-level encryption for all transactions.
$3M FDIC insurance to protect balances in a nonprofit-friendly structure.
Regular third-party security reviews.

Only visible team members—never outside vendors or Holdings staff—may access your actual account data.

Onboarding New Board Members or Finance Committee Leads

Bringing in new leadership? Holdings makes transitions seamless:

Invite new directors or committee leaders as Members for visibility.
Elevate to Admin rights as they assume greater responsibility.
Remove legacy access for board members whose terms end, either directly or after year-end transition.

This helps keep your organization ready for governance reviews or new funding requirements.

Role-Based Controls for Complex Orgs: Scaling Up with You

With federal funding, multiple programs, or fiscal sponsorship arrangements, nonprofits can get complex—fast. Holdings supports you by:

Allowing unlimited team members at appropriate role levels.
Customizing authorization limits for specific grants or accounts.
Keeping program staff limited to just their segment, with aggregate oversight for leadership.

No matter how your org grows, your access structure is always clear and ready for expansion or restructuring.

Bookkeeping Services: How Team Roles Support Outsourced or Understaffed Finance Teams

If you supplement your nonprofit with outside bookkeeping help (or Holdings’ own bookkeeping services):

Only assign Bookkeeper role to those who reconcile or export data.
Maintain SuperAdmin or Admin authority for all spending, grant allocations, and major approvals.
Rotate Bookkeeper access as vendors change—and always remove access after contract end.

This keeps your books clean and your data secure even in times of turnover.

Protecting Grant Funding: Making Sure Every Dollar Stays Compliant

Grantors expect—often require—robust controls on who handles and sees their funds. Holdings’ team management allows you to:

Restrict access to grant-segmented virtual accounts to only those responsible for spenddown.
Export clean audit trails to show proper expense authorization and role-based controls.
Meet compliance benchmarks with less effort and more accuracy.

Empowering Volunteers: Giving Access Without Over-sharing

Nonprofits thrive on volunteer energy—Holdings lets you harness that safely by:

Assigning volunteers Member (or event-limited) access.
Enabling safe, restricted card use for supply runs or event purchases.
Removing access as soon as the assignment wraps, all without risk to other programs or bank settings.

Now, volunteers can contribute more with less administrative lag.

Reconciling Multiple Donation Streams: Keeping Roles Clean

If you track funds for many events, chapters, or appeals:

Create virtual accounts for each stream.
Assign team roles relevant to just those accounts.
Bookkeepers can export segmented expense data for easier reporting to major donors or the board.

No more “mystery expenses” hidden in a catch-all account.

Legacy Staff or Lapsed Users: Best Practices for Nonprofits

For GDPR compliance or general good governance:

Remove all access for staff or volunteers who have left the organization, ideally immediately upon exit.
Use Holdings’ logs to verify no residual access remains.
Add reminders to your offboarding checklist to ensure digital permissions are addressed alongside keys and passwords.

This reduces risk for your org and your departing team member.

Troubleshooting: What If Someone Can’t Access Holdings?

If a team member’s invitation link expired or got lost in spam:

Have your SuperAdmin or Admin resend the invite from the Team directory.
New passwords or access resets can be managed from Holdings’ secure login screen.
For multi-factor issues, Holdings support can assist without exposing any of your accounts.

Onboarding New Programs or Projects: Adding Temporary Access

Launching a summer program, special fundraiser, or new service line?

Issue relevant roles and permissions for just the duration of the project.
Remove access at season’s end.
Keep your central banking structure unchanged—only team visibility adapts.

This keeps your financial house neat and audit-ready no matter how many initiatives you run.

Customizing Your Team’s Experience: Profile Updates and Preferences

Team members can personalize their Holdings experience:

Update contact information as jobs or responsibilities change.
Set notification preferences for key transactions or reporting periods.
All changes are tracked by user profile for full transparency.

This supports internal controls and helps Head Start, CDBG, or other grant managers monitor activity.

Reporting: Getting the Right Data to the Right People with Roles

With role-based reporting:

Bookkeepers can run and export transaction histories for their assigned accounts.
Members see only the balances and historic data for their area.
Leadership (SuperAdmin/Admin) gets a bird’s-eye view across all funds and grants.

This focused visibility supports better reporting to funders, your board, or the community at large.

Integrating with Your Accounting or Fundraising Systems

Holdings plays nicely with most modern nonprofit tools (QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, donor CRMs):

Bookkeepers and Admins can export finance data in compatible formats.
No one needs “full” access to move money just to reconcile donations or expenses.
Integrations and downloads are all permissions-based for safety and compliance.

Managing Team Growth: Adding New Hires During Expansion

If your organization is growing with new staff:

Invite them with the right role as soon as HR onboarding is complete.
Adjust permissions as you define their duties.
Remove training or test accounts once no longer needed.

Holdings’ team management makes scaling secure and straightforward.

Keeping Track of Who Spent What—by Grant, Program, or Department

When using Holdings’ cards or initiating transfers:

Assign each card to a specific virtual account or grant.
Team roles restrict card usage to authorized areas.
Members or Bookkeepers can easily tag expenses for later reporting.

This keeps your records clean for compliance, and makes grant reporting a breeze.

The Bottom Line: Empower Your Nonprofit, Not Just Your Finance Team

Managing your nonprofit’s finances shouldn’t be a puzzle or a chore. Holdings’ team management ensures everyone gets the access—and only the access—they need, with transparency, audit trails, and donor stewardship built in.

Whether your nonprofit runs on a staff of one, or a passionate collective of several dozen, you can safely invite, assign, and remove users in just a few clicks. No spreadsheets, no awkward password sharing, and no confusion about “who moved that money.” Just real-time visibility, flexible roles, and better control over the resources that help you do good.

Start by exploring your “Team” menu in Holdings. Invite your first team member, assign the right permission, and see how easy it is to collaborate, comply, and empower—all from your all-in-one nonprofit banking platform. If you ever get stuck, Holdings’ support team is here—not just as technical help, but as your financial operations ally. Because your mission matters, and so does your money management.

How to Manage Nonprofit Team Access, Roles & Grant Controls in Holdings

How to Manage Nonprofit Team Access, Roles & Grant Controls in Holdings

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