Secure Roles & Permissions with Holdings-Nonprofit Guide

Running a nonprofit often means juggling multiple responsibilities with a small, passionate team. Whether you’re a founder managing bank statements solo, a finance director overseeing federal grants, or a coordinator supporting programs in the field, you need money management tools that keep your mission—and your funding—safe. At the same time, nonprofits face unique requirements for trust, transparency, and accountability. You want to empower your team to do their best work, but you can’t risk lost grant dollars, data leaks, or costly mistakes. That’s where Holdings’ thoughtfully designed roles and permissions come in.

This guide walks through exactly how Holdings makes finance management safer and smarter for nonprofits. You’ll learn why user roles matter, how Holdings supports multiple use cases (from “one staff, many hats” to complex orgs), and how to use our built-in security to safeguard your funds, your data, and your reputation.

Why Roles & Permissions Matter for Nonprofits

Your nonprofit bank account is more than just a place to hold your cash. It’s the operational engine that propels your programs forward and the audit trail you rely on at grant renewal time. But when everyone on your team needs different types of access—whether for tracking grant budgets, submitting expenses, or managing compliance—the old way of “one log-in for everyone” just isn’t enough.

Roles and permissions are your digital locks and keys, making sure every team member sees or does only what’s needed for their job. This matters because it helps nonprofits:

• Prevent accidental misuse of funds by creating clear boundaries between “can view” and “can move money.”

• Protect staff and volunteers from being blamed if a transaction goes wrong—they’re only able to do what their role permits.

• Make compliance and grant reporting easier, since you can trace every action in the account, by user and by time.

• Reduce opportunities for fraud or data breaches by preventing any single user from having unlimited powers.

• Build trust with funders, donors, and your board by showing you take financial segregation and security seriously.

Holdings was built to solve these very nonprofit headaches.

The Four Key Roles in Holdings

To keep things simple—but cover all the bases—Holdings supports four main roles for users in your nonprofit account. Think of these as your “team badges”—each with its own set of powers and protections.

The SuperAdmin role is for the person who ultimately owns or steers the account. For small grassroots orgs, this could be the founder or the board treasurer. For established nonprofits, it’s often the executive director or CFO.

This user can do everything in Holdings—from moving funds, exporting data, and linking external accounts to setting virtual accounts for every grant, adding team members, or even changing who is in charge. There is only one SuperAdmin per account, making it clear who’s accountable for the whole organization.

Admins are your trusted deputies in daily financial management. Program managers, finance directors, or operations leads often serve as Admins. They can do almost everything a SuperAdmin can—daily money movement, inviting or removing users, exporting data—except for transferring full account control or ownership.

If you run a mid-sized nonprofit, these are the team members who keep day-to-day finances moving without risking a power struggle or accidental turnover in owner status.

Members are for folks who need to look, but not touch. Think program coordinators tracking grant spending, marketing leads reviewing campaign budgets, or volunteers checking on event balances. They get full visibility into balances and key details but can’t move funds or change account settings.

This is ideal for staff or volunteers who need quick, safe access for reporting or transparency—no more shared log-ins, clunky attachments, or awkward emails asking for screenshots.

Bookkeepers are any external or internal financial pros—think your favorite accounting contractor, board treasurer, or tax preparer—who need to review numbers, verify transactions, and pull ledgers, but should never have the ability to transfer funds or change access rights.

This role is read-only, so you can confidently share account visibility with an outside pro during audits or tax filings, without fear of them clicking anything wrong.

How Holdings Roles & Permissions Keep Nonprofits Safe

For nonprofits, safety isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a grant requirement. Knowing exactly who did what with your money is central to donor trust and grant compliance. Here’s how Holdings’ approach helps:

• Only people who truly need to move funds ever can, dramatically reducing risk of fraud or grant ineligibility.

• If a staffer’s email or password ever gets phished, limited permissions mean hackers can’t suddenly drain your account or export confidential data.

• Holdings maintains activity logs that track exactly who did what, making it easy to investigate issues or prove compliance to funders.

• Staff and volunteers are protected from being blamed for mistakes they didn’t make—permissions act as a safety net.

Assigning Roles: Best Practices for Nonprofits

Having the right structure for access isn’t just about technical settings—it’s a core part of your financial stewardship.

Start by considering who really needs to move money. For most lean nonprofits, this is probably just one or two executives plus perhaps an operations lead. Give the SuperAdmin role only to someone trusted with ultimate responsibility—typically your ED or CFO. Make Admins out of program or finance leads who truly supervise spending.

For all other staff—such as program managers who need financial visibility to track a grant through a project—give them Member access. For your outside bookkeeper or audit consultant, the Bookkeeper read-only role keeps your doors open without risking your funds.

Review your roles a couple of times per year or whenever someone’s duties change. Regular role review is especially important when a staff member departs or when you bring on seasonal volunteers. The result: strong controls, clear accountability, and less risk of old users lingering with access they no longer need.

Practical Scenarios: How Real Nonprofits Use Holdings’ Roles

Let’s say you’re a small afterschool program:

• The founder/ED is the SuperAdmin—she sets everything up, moves funds, and sets up reporting for the board.

• The program coordinator is made an Admin. He manages day-to-day spending, tracks grant-specific budgets, and invites seasonal staff as Members.

• Each volunteer or site leader gets Member access so they can check supply budgets or submit expense documentation without being able to move money.

• An external bookkeeper has Bookkeeper status, so they can export transaction data to reconcile records each month.

As you grow—maybe you start managing federal or state grants, or get a finance manager—this account structure can adapt right along with you. Just assign new roles according to actual responsibility, not just job titles.

Instructions: Adding, Removing, or Changing Roles in Holdings

Holdings makes it easy to change up your team structure as your needs evolve.

To add a new team member:

1. Go to the Team section of your Holdings dashboard.

2. Enter the new team member’s email and select their role (SuperAdmin, Admin, Member, or Bookkeeper).

3. The new user receives an invitation to create their own login credentials—this ensures you never share passwords and keeps onboarding secure.

To remove a team member:

1. In the Team section, choose the relevant user.

2. Click “Remove Team Member.”

3. Once removed, that user can’t access the account unless invited again—protecting your data as soon as someone leaves your organization.

To transfer SuperAdmin status:

1. Only one SuperAdmin can exist at a time.

2. If you need to transfer ownership (for example, at ED transition), head to your profile, choose “Transfer SuperAdmin Status,” and select a current Admin to promote.

3. Confirm the change. The new SuperAdmin now has full responsibility and capability—so this should only be done in board-approved situations or at official leadership transitions.

Frequently Asked Nonprofit Questions

Can I create even more customized roles?

Holdings offers these four well-designed roles to cover most nonprofit cases. This keeps things simple, secure, and auditable. If your org has a scenario that needs extra flexibility, Holdings’ support team is happy to chat.

What if someone leaves the org (staff or volunteer)?

Remove their access immediately using the Team section. This prevents any chance of a former user accessing funds or confidential data after they’re gone—a quick, simple step that’s essential for good grant hygiene.

How does Holdings keep my nonprofit safe from online attacks?

Besides clear roles and permissions, Holdings uses features like two-factor authentication (2FA) and login alerts to keep outsiders at bay. Regular audits of users, activity logs, and restricted data export features work together to lock down your account.

How does this compare to what traditional banks offer?

Many traditional banks only allow “all or nothing” access for online banking—which drives nonprofit executive directors and treasurers nuts. Holdings provides granular control, at no added fee, right from day one. No more passing the same login around, no more wrestling with the branch for permission changes, and no more exposing your audit trail to unnecessary risk.

All-Star Nonprofit Features in Holdings That Build On These Roles

Roles and permissions are just the start. Holdings also lets you:

• Set up Virtual Accounts to segment funds by grant, program, or project—so you can give each program manager access to only what they need to see.

• Issue debit and virtual cards with custom spending limits for staff and volunteers. Think of these as modern P-cards, with every dollar tracked to a fund or grant automatically.

• Export robust, grant-friendly reports that show which user did what—making grant renewals and audits less stressful.

• Integrate or sync with Sage Intacct, QuickBooks, or your preferred system to close reporting gaps and reduce manual work. You never have to abandon your favorite tools—Holdings just adds extra safety and control.

Segmented Access for Any Size Nonprofit

A newly formed nonprofit with a working board can set just a SuperAdmin and Bookkeeper, letting the treasurer or president keep tight reins while outside accountants prepare reporting. Grassroots groups working with multiple sites, or those just starting with grants, use Admin and Member roles to safely let site leads check balances or submit expense receipts.

Larger, grant-heavy organizations with formal finance staff will love that these controls keep the books auditable without getting in the way of real work. Your CFO can review or reassign roles as jobs shift and new grants come on board, keeping segments separated but the whole team running smoothly.

How Roles Support Expense Management

With clear roles, you can:

• Empower field staff or volunteers to use pre-approved debit or virtual cards for program supplies—no more risky reimbursements or sharing the org card.

• Allow program managers to submit or even pre-approve expenses, but not transfer funds.

• Ensure the only people who can move big sums between virtual grant accounts are those with real financial authority.

• Make reporting and compliance easier, since every expense is tagged by user and grant automatically.

Best of all, if you’re understaffed or new to bookkeeping, our support team brings nonprofit expertise—holding your hand so nothing slips through.

Easy Auditing With a Team Trail

No matter your size, Holdings gives you a clear audit trail. Every user action—transfers, account changes, card creations—shows up in the logs, by name and timestamp. This simplifies both day-to-day checks and major audits.

Your board, funders, and grant reviewers will appreciate this transparent approach—especially knowing you’re using nonprofit-specific best practices.

No More Shared Passwords, No More Risks

One common pitfall for small orgs: everyone logs in with the same credentials. With Holdings, each person—staff, volunteer, consultant—gets their own access. This does more than protect against fraud. It also means you can safely let field volunteers see just the grant budget for their site, without having to see the main account.

Seamless External Bookkeeping and Audit Support

Does your accountant or bookkeeper hate dealing with scattered bank statements? Bookkeeper (read-only) access means they can pull what they need, when they need it—tag transactions, export reports—without ever risking a transfer or policy slip.

Changing and Auditing Roles as You Grow

It’s good nonprofit hygiene to review your Holdings roles every quarter or after big staffing changes. Think of this as part of your regular board reporting, grant close-outs, or audit prep. Taking a few minutes to clean up access reduces errors, preserves compliance, and helps with continuity if someone goes on leave or steps off the team.

How to Assign and Update Permissions

1. Login and visit your Team section at any time.

2. See who currently holds which roles.

3. If someone’s job has changed, edit their role with a simple dropdown—for example, move a Member to Admin at promotion.

4. Need to hand over SuperAdmin? Just select “Transfer SuperAdmin Status” from your profile. Only current Admins are eligible, so there’s a built-in layer of protection.

Remember, only assign roles based on real responsibilities—not just job titles. Giving extra access “just in case” is a fast way to invite risk.

Reporting and Compliance—Backed By Role Power

Granular roles mean grant reporting is no longer a forensic project. Every payment, transfer, or spend action can be traced to a specific user. This simplifies quarterly reports, 990 prep, or responses to surprise funder audits. You’ll spend less time pulling evidence and more time delivering programs.

Friendly, Flexible, and Always Aligned With Your Mission

Holdings’ system was designed to flex with your nonprofit—not against it. Grassroots orgs, growing charities, and complex, multi-grant agencies all get the same clear, easy controls. Start simple, add as you grow, or just use us for safe expense management alongside your favorite accounting tools.

Extreme Simplicity Meets Advanced Control

With Holdings, you don’t have to choose between easy and robust. Set up takes minutes, and there’s no added charge for more users or tighter controls. Every nonprofit—lean or large—gets the same zero-fee, high-security experience.

Questions? We’re Here—No Jargon Needed

Facing a tricky setup? Need a hand assigning the right roles? Our support team actually knows nonprofits, grant requirements, and the odd joys of financial audits. Just ask—and get real answers, with no jargon and no sales pitch.

Ready to Protect Your Programs and Funds?

Holdings gives you the user-level controls, audit trails, and program-based segmentation you need—so you can focus less on spreadsheets, and more on your mission. From tracking 10 grants in one place, to empowering safe team spending, to prepping for audits, you’re fully covered.

Helpful Resources for Holdings Nonprofits

New to the platform or wanting to dig deeper? Browse these support guides, designed especially for nonprofit workflows:

• Setting Up Roles & Permissions in Holdings

• How to Fund Your Holdings Account (in 3 easy steps)

• Inviting Team Members & Managing Access

• Grant Tracking and Virtual Accounts Guide

• How to Safely Enable External Bookkeeper Access

• Making the Most of Holdings’ No-Fee, Fully Segmented Banking

Holdings isn’t just a platform—it’s your nonprofit’s financial safety net. Use roles and permissions not just for security, but as a foundation for trust, compliance, and mission success. Every dollar counts. Every access point matters. And with Holdings, every action is easy, safe, and built for the way nonprofits actually work.

If you have unique circumstances, special reporting needs, or just want help thinking through your setup, our nonprofit-focused support team is standing by. Your mission is important—let us help you protect it, every day.