When a Richardson, Texas resident walks through the doors of Network of Community Ministries, they’re not just entering another nonprofit—they’re stepping into a comprehensive support system that transforms lives. What started in 1985 as a grassroots community initiative has evolved into a dynamic organization serving over 32,000 individuals annually through its innovative approach and mission to “care, coach, and empower neighbors in need as they seek an improved quality of life.”
“Our mission goes far beyond providing immediate assistance,” says Lee Ann Mills, CFO of Network of Community Ministries. “While our food pantry remains our most utilized service, we’ve evolved to address the whole person. When someone comes to us for food assistance, they gain access to an entire ecosystem of support—from mental health counseling to career development.”
The organization offers free therapy sessions, runs a well-utilized clothing closet, provides rent stabilization assistance, and hosts biannual career fairs. “Success for us means helping people through difficult times and watching them thrive,” Mills adds. “There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing former clients return as volunteers, ready to help others on their journey to stability.”
“Our mission goes far beyond providing immediate assistance. Success for us means helping people through difficult times and watching them thrive.”
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For a nonprofit serving thousands of families, operational efficiency isn't just about the bottom line—it's about maximizing every dollar to serve more people in need. When Mills joined Network of Community Ministries, she found a dedicated team struggling to keep up with paper-based financial processes while community demands were soaring.
She didn’t even have a full-time staff accountant at the time, leaving Mills knee-deep in processing day-to-day transactions instead of focusing on strategic financial planning.
"The complexity of our operations had grown significantly," Mills explains. "We were managing vendor payments for multiple community events throughout the year—from our Parent Cafe sessions to seasonal celebrations like our Toyland gift program and Supper with Santa. Plus, we handle critical rent assistance payments, and many landlords still insist on paper checks."
The timing of those rent assistance payments was particularly challenging. "Waiting for paper checks to clear was incredibly painful," Mills says. "With so many outstanding checks, closing the books each month was a real challenge. We needed a more efficient system. We needed BILL."
“With so many outstanding checks, closing the books each month was a real challenge—we needed a more efficient system. We needed BILL.”
Network of Community Ministries turned to BILL to transform their financial operations, implementing both accounts payable automation and spend & expense management.
“The impact of adding BILL was immediate and dramatic,” says Mills. “What used to take 20 hours a week in manual payment processing has been cut to less than a couple hours. That's valuable time we can now spend serving our community instead of pushing paper.”
“The impact of adding BILL was immediate and dramatic. What used to take 20 hours a week in manual payment processing has been cut to less than a couple hours.”
The organization found that BILL’s mobile capabilities were particularly valuable for their dynamic, mission-driven environment. “Our CEO can approve payments from anywhere, whether she's in a community meeting or out in the field,” Mills notes. “The flexibility to manage our finances on the go means we can be more responsive to urgent community needs.”
BILL Spend & Expense has been especially transformative for managing program budgets. “When there’s a sudden need—like kids needing new shoes at back-to-school time—BILL lets us instantly reallocate funds between programs,” Mills explains. “That agility is crucial for meeting our community's changing needs as well as our own. Our insurance costs quadrupled this year due to recent tornadoes in our area. When you’re dealing with that kind of sudden impact on your budget, you need robust financial systems that help you adapt quickly.”
“When there’s a sudden need, BILL lets us instantly reallocate funds between programs.”
The platform has also streamlined expense management across the organization. “Everyone loves that they can just snap a picture of their receipt and they’re done,” Mills says. “No more lost receipts or paper approval forms. Our staff can focus on their real work—helping families in need—instead of chasing down documentation.”
For their staff accountant, BILL has been a game-changer. “The visibility we now have into our financial picture is incredible,” Mills adds. “We can see exactly what's going out and when, which is essential for an organization that needs to stretch every dollar to serve more people.”*
“The visibility BILL gives us into our financial picture is incredible.”
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The built-in integration between BILL and QuickBooks Online Advanced has been another key advantage for Network of Community Ministries.
“Before BILL, we struggled with credit card apps that never synced properly with our accounting software,” Mills says. “The integration between BILL and QuickBooks Online Advanced is seamless. Everything stays up to date without all the manual work. That’s been a huge time-saver.”
“With BILL, everything stays up to date without all the manual work. That’s been a huge time-saver.”
For Network of Community Ministries, implementing BILL wasn't just about improving financial operations—it was about expanding their ability to serve their community.
“When you’re a nonprofit serving over 32,000 people annually, every minute and every dollar counts,” Mills says. “BILL has given us both. By automating our financial processes, we’ve freed up countless hours that now go directly toward our mission. And with better visibility into our finances, we can be more responsive to sudden community needs, whether that's stocking our food pantry or helping families recover from natural disasters.”
“When you’re a nonprofit serving over 32,000 people annually, every minute and every dollar counts. BILL has given us both.”
The transformation has positioned Network of Community Ministries to continue growing its impact.
“Our work isn’t just about providing services—it’s about helping people through difficult times and watching them thrive,” Mills concludes. “Having strong, efficient systems like BILL helps us focus on what matters most: empowering our community members to build stable, sustainable futures.”
“Having strong, efficient systems like BILL helps us focus on what matters most: empowering our community members to build stable, sustainable futures.”
*The BILL Divvy Card is issued by Cross River Bank, Member FDIC and is not a deposit product.
