How this nonprofit founder is using QuickBooks to advance her mission

Chrystani Heinrich has always known what she’s passionate about: female empowerment.

That drove her to start Compton G.IRLs Club, a nonprofit organization committed to empowering girls with the knowledge, resources, and life skills they need to thrive.

“I decided to start an afterschool club for girls to basically do what I did not have access to when I was a teen,” Heinrich explained, meaning the opportunity to “learn a plethora of new things without having to travel far or pay a grip of money.” The Compton G.IRLs Club workshops and learning opportunities cover everything from mental health and hobbies to careers and business ownership.

While Heinrich has a huge heart for the mission and vision of her business, she ran up against many of the same hurdles and complicated subjects as other business owners do. The biggest one? Accounting.

“I am a creative, and honestly, thinking about money has been super intimidating,” she said.

Enter QuickBooks. Heinrich began using QuickBooks to manage the money side of Compton G.IRLs Club, and she has already seen positive impacts on her business.

Supporting business growth

Like any business owner, Heinrich not only has her eye on where her business is now—she also has plans for where she wants to go in the future. Though many of Compton G.IRLs Club’s offerings had to pivot as a result of the pandemic (mainly, switching from in-person to online workshops), Heinrich still has big plans, including growing her team.

“I plan on having employees in the near future, and this will save my butt when it comes to payroll,” she said about QuickBooks’ ability to grow with her business.

“I officially became a nonprofit in 2020, so I had to put on my big girl shoes and start figuring out how to run this organization in a more professional manner,” she continued. “I have to really pay attention to expenses, taxes, and back-end business stuff.” That’s something that QuickBooks has been able to help her with.

She also mentioned QuickBooks’ support of the Compton G.IRLs Club’s Business Incubator, a six-day workshop, over three weeks, that helps set young girls, femmes, and non-binary youth on the path to business ownership. “I would not have been able to create an experience to this degree without QuickBooks and their belief in the club.”

Streamlining paperwork and recordkeeping

It’s easy for entrepreneurs to feel like they’re buried under paperwork, and Heinrich is no exception. “I am not good with keeping up with loose bits of paper, and my digital receipts were just kind of floating around in my email,” she said.

For that reason, she mentioned QuickBooks’ ability to capture and categorize receipts as a huge boost for her business and level of organization. “I appreciate that I can just upload them, and the software links them up with the transactions from my accounts.”

Increasing confidence and know-how

Heinrich is focused on helping girls feel self-assured. But when it came to the financial side of her business, she admitted that her own confidence was lacking. “I am a small business owner starting from absolute scratch, so I am learning everything as I go.”

One of the biggest benefits she’s experienced since starting to use QuickBooks has been the increased level of certainty in how her finances are being tracked and managed. “Now I feel confident that I can take this info—that’s all in one place—and share it with an accountant,” she added.

Even more than the assurance that her finances are in order, she appreciates that she has more time and mental energy to focus on the work that really matters to her: supporting young girls in pursuing the fulfilling lives and careers they want and deserve.

“QuickBooks will help me manage the finances,” she concluded. “I can worry about other things and not just stress about this all the time.”

Learn more about how you can support the Compton G.IRLs Club and then simplify your own business journey with QuickBooks.