Frequently Asked Questions

Martus is a cloud-based budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting platform designed for nonprofits and small to mid-sized organizations. It replaces spreadsheet-based budgeting with a centralized system that allows teams to create budgets, analyze performance, and forecast future outcomes with greater accuracy and collaboration.

Martus helps organizations eliminate manual spreadsheets, reduce budgeting errors, improve visibility into financial performance, and align teams around a single source of financial truth. It simplifies complex budgeting processes while making financial data easier to understand and act on.

No. While budgeting is a core function, Martus also supports forecasting, real-time reporting, variance analysis, and scenario planning. These features allow organizations to move beyond static budgets and make informed decisions throughout the year.

Unlike Excel, Martus is purpose-built for budgeting and forecasting. It centralizes data, enables real-time collaboration, supports version control, and scales easily across departments. Excel becomes increasingly difficult to manage as complexity grows, while Martus is designed to handle that complexity from the start.

Martus is commonly used by mission-based organizations and small to mid-sized businesses that need structured financial planning without enterprise-level complexity.

Martus is used by finance teams, budget managers, department leaders, and executives. The platform is designed so both financial and non-financial users can participate in the budgeting process without needing advanced accounting expertise.

Yes. Martus was built with nonprofit organizations in mind and supports common nonprofit budgeting needs such as multi-year forecasting, donor-driven planning, and financial transparency across programs and departments.

Yes. Martus is designed to be intuitive for users without formal finance backgrounds. Department leaders can input, review, and monitor budgets without relying on spreadsheets or complex formulas.

Martus is ideal for organizations that have outgrown spreadsheets but don’t need or want overly complex enterprise financial systems. It scales across departments while remaining easy to use.

Martus centralizes budgeting into a single cloud-based platform, allowing organizations to create, manage, and analyze budgets in real time. Automated calculations, variance analysis, and scenario modeling reduce manual work and improve accuracy.

Yes. Martus supports both short-term and multi-year forecasting, allowing organizations to project future financial outcomes based on current data and assumptions.

Yes. Martus allows organizations to model different scenarios and “what-if” analyses to understand how changes in revenue, expenses, or staffing may impact financial outcomes.

Yes. Forecasts in Martus can be updated as new information becomes available, helping organizations stay agile and responsive to change.

Yes. Martus offers an optional Personnel Budgeting module that allows detailed payroll planning. Payroll totals can also be uploaded via Excel without purchasing the module.

Yes, Martus includes a Cash Flow Forecasting module that predicts how a budget will impact cash flow and the balance sheet, providing both a Projected Balance Sheet and a Cash Flow Forecast.

Martus syncs automatically with supported accounting systems on a nightly basis and can also be updated on demand. For systems without API access, Martus provides manual data upload options with guidance and support.

Martus can integrate with any ERP or accounting system. Our most common integrations include Sage Intacct, Sage 100, QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics 365, NetSuite, Acumatica, Xero, and Financial Edge NXT. 

Learn more about Martus Integrations.

For systems with API integrations, data is updated nightly and can be refreshed manually at any time. Manual integrations are updated based on upload frequency.

Martus stores financial data in a secure, cloud-based environment with access controls at both the functional and dimensional level. User permissions can be customized to restrict access to sensitive data. Learn more about our security processes.

Yes, Martus is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant.

Yes. Administrators can control access by user role, function, department, and account level, ensuring users only see the data relevant to their responsibilities.

Yes. Martus supports most SAML-based Single Sign-On applications for secure and streamlined user access.

Yes, Martus supports optional MFA using an authenticator app.

After kickoff, Martus configures your environment, loads your data, adds users, and schedules training sessions. You can begin using the platform immediately, even before formal training is complete.

Most organizations complete onboarding and training within three weeks, with some implementations completed in as little as one week depending on complexity.

Yes. Martus uses a train-the-trainer approach that includes four to five one-on-one sessions. Additional customized end-user training is available if needed.

Yes. User licenses can be increased at any time by contacting Martus Support. Licenses are sold in five-user packs and prorated to align with your renewal cycle.

Martus is offered through an annual subscription model. Pricing is based on factors such as organization size, required modules, and number of users.

Martus subscriptions include email and phone support, regular software updates, and access to the Martus Knowledge Base. Support is available Monday through Friday, 8AM–8PM Eastern. Users can also get quick answers within the platform through Ask Marty, Martus’s in-app AI-enabled support assistant.

Yes. Martus includes in-platform help links, a comprehensive Knowledge Base with documentation, tutorials, webinars, and videos, and an in-app AI-enabled chatbot called Ask Marty that helps users quickly find answers while working in the platform.

Martus is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

Yes. Organizations can request a demo to see how Martus works and discuss their specific budgeting and forecasting needs.