What Happened When Visit Philly Finally Put Their Budgeting Software to Work

The Challenge

When Controller Ajene Atkins joined Visit Philadelphia in 2021, he inherited a financial system in need of transformation. The organization had recently purchased budgeting software, but it was barely used—and not trusted. With eight departments managing a $20M budget and a major fiscal year shift on the horizon, Ajene knew he needed a more collaborative and intuitive solution that would empower department heads and improve financial visibility across the organization.

The Solution

Ajene turned to Martus, working quickly to reinvigorate its implementation. Drawing on his background in teaching, accounting, and auditing, he led internal training sessions and showcased how Martus integrated directly with Sage Intacct.

The team began using Martus to manage departmental budgets collaboratively, with six managers actively building and reviewing their budgets directly in the platform. Thanks to Martus’ intuitive spreadsheet-like interface and controlled access permissions, team members were able to get up to speed quickly—without relying on complex spreadsheets or endless email chains.

In addition, Martus’ ability to support short-period fiscal planning, custom personnel budget uploads, and “sandbox” testing gave Ajene the flexibility he needed to plan and forecast during Visit Philly’s fiscal calendar transition.

“Martus is so intuitive and forgiving that it didn’t take long for our team to embrace it. We use it for monthly reporting, board prep, and department-level reviews.”

The Results

Since implementing Martus, Visit Philly has gained significant control and clarity over its budgeting, reporting, and forecasting processes. Finance meetings are now informed by real-time reports, and budget owners feel empowered to take ownership of their numbers.

Ajene’s endorsement of Martus Solutions is a testament to the software’s impact on Visit Philly’s financial management. His confidence in recommending Martus to other nonprofits underscores its versatility and effectiveness across organizations of varying sizes.

The bottom line from Ajene: “I’ve audited other nonprofit organizations before, and I can assure you, Martus can be useful on so many levels for any size nonprofit.”  

Martus Solutions has not only supported Visit Philly in navigating complex financial challenges but has also empowered the organization to thrive in a demanding environment. By providing a user-friendly, intuitive platform with robust features and responsive customer support, Martus has proven to be an essential tool for nonprofits looking to enhance their financial management.