IconCMO Reviews

“Handles all our record-keeping

Pros

This platform handles all our record-keeping from tracking members and finances to payroll and member communications. Plus the team really listens to our suggestions for new features and is always rolling out improvements.

Cons

Emails sent from the Icon system sometimes get marked as spam because of how the sender name appears, which confuses members who are not very tech-savvy.

“Simple process for recording donations

Pros

The process for recording donations is very simple which I really like about it.

Cons

I do not have any complaints yet as I am still getting familiar with all its features.

“User-friendly with exceptional customer support

Pros

What stands out to me is how user-friendly IconCMO is, along with its exceptional customer support.

Cons

Generating spreadsheets could be a bit more simple I feel like. I also occasionally have trouble locating some of the action buttons.

“Helpful pop-up messages and instructions

Pros

I really like the helpful pop-up messages that explain why a certain entry or change is not permitted. The update notifications with clear, step by step instructions are also very useful too.

Cons

So far I have not come across any aspects of the software that I dislike.

“Navigating the system is simple

Pros

Navigating the system is simple and setting up accounts payable was easy too. However this red error box is frustrating because it won't let me submit the form and gives no explanation.

Cons

The reports are not very flexible as we cannot customize them to fit our specific requirements. We usually have to export the data to Excel and rebuild the report from there.

“Accessible from any web browser

Pros

Being able to access the software from any web browser is a major plus and the support team is simply amazing. The tutorial guides are also very clear and easy to follow.

Cons

It does not always follow standard accounting conventions. Some feature improvements take a long time to arrive. Such as we are still waiting for an update that would let us correct transaction amounts without having to delete the entire entry.

“Very user friendly with quick support

Pros

For the most part I find the software very user friendly. And on the rare occasion I need help, the support team responds quickly and is incredibly helpful. Overall it's designed so well that I can usually figure things out on my own.

Cons

There seem to be a lot of updates and it is difficult to stay current. Plus the interface changes periodically which means I have to relearn where things are.

“Easy setup and user management

Pros

Getting started was not a problem and getting support is pretty easy too. Plus as an administrator I found it simple to set up new user accounts with the right permissions.

Cons

I've noticed that the support can be inconsistent. For many questions, they depend on other users to provide answers but I would rather learn directly from the experts who actually designed the system.

“Incredibly helpful for managing members

Pros

IconCMO has been incredibly helpful for managing our members. It makes adding, removing and organizing members and visitors very efficient. The tools for sending emails and text messages are great and the Rubix feature works perfectly for securely checking children into Sunday School. Plus parents really like the safety measures that make sure kids are only released to the right adults. Managing donations is also excellent and the built-in online giving lets our congregation donate from anywhere. Having multiple users with different permission levels is very flexible too and members can update their own contact information.

Cons

My only issue is the lack of flexibility as I wish I could modify and rearrange the layout of some reports.

“Follows solid database design principles

Pros

As someone who teaches database management, I can confirm this software follows solid design principles. My colleague who has no database experience can navigate IconCMO like an expert!

Cons

The previous team did not fully plan out how they would use the software so they missed setting up some important foundational elements. But this is a fault from our side, right?

“Multiple users can use simultaneously

Pros

Since it is cloud-based, multiple people on our team can use it at the same time.

Cons

To me the interface feels quite outdated and is not very easy to use.

“Flexible groups and detailed records

Pros

Our organization has relied on ICON for over 13 years and I have personally used it for eight. We only use the membership and contributions modules. What I really value is the flexibility to create different groups and track member talents. You can sort, export and print labels for these groups with ease. The database stores detailed records for each household and member, including birthdays, baptisms, first communions and marriages. Also there are numerous reporting options. The archive feature is brilliant too as members are never fully deleted, which is perfect for when someone moves away and returns years later. I can even easily restore their old record and update it. Recording contributions is pretty easy too as you just need to enter an envelope number and amount. The integrated email function is available in many sections and keeps a history of all sent messages. Overall we are very happy with the tool.

Cons

My main frustration involves managing groups. You can view which groups a household belongs to from their profile but you cannot add or remove them from that screen. You have to navigate to a separate Manage Groups section, even though this direct editing is possible for individual member profiles.

“Handles our church needs effectively

Pros

For the cost, it handles our church's contribution processing, accounts payable and payroll needs very effectively.

Cons

Some accounts payable tasks like adjusting journal entries or adding memo details are more rigid than I'd prefer, though they have gotten better over time. The fields for descriptions are also too short for our needs.

“No prior database experience needed

Pros

One thing I really like is that we do not need any prior database experience to find our way around the software.

Cons

We cannot import large sets of data directly from Excel without going through Icon's official import service which costs extra money.

“Packs a lot of features

Pros

Icon packs a lot of features that would suit larger congregations. Smaller churches with under 300 members might find it a bit complex but it offers great value if you need regular reports on membership and demographics.

Cons

The system is not very user friendly. And for some tasks, we have to update information across several different screens, otherwise the reports will show incorrect data.

“Far simpler than spreadsheets

Pros

Using IconCMO is far simpler than maintaining our own spreadsheets for church finances. There is also a wide variety of report formats available for printing.

Cons

With so many different options and formats for printing reports, it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming to choose the right one.

“User friendly and easy to understand

Pros

The platform is user friendly and easy to understand. Even emailing contribution statements to the entire congregation takes barely two minutes. Plus you can easily create and save a standard comment that prints on every report. Correcting a mistake in the contributions for a specific date is a simple process. Best of all when you contact support, you get a real person right away so no needs to navigating through endless phone menus.

Cons

Nothing nothing nothing. I have been using this software for seven years and am just as satisfied now as I was then. Plus it is worth noting that I only use a fraction of its full capabilities.

“pretty easy to use with constant updates

Pros

It is very user-friendly and the team is always making it better with updates.

Cons

Before some of the recent updates, we had to close out of one screen before we could work on another which was very inefficient.

“Forgotten until feedback email

Pros

I had actually forgotten about the software until I received an email asking for my feedback.

Cons

It did not seem like a good fit for our operations. We already have established systems that handle everything this software offers and switching would require retraining multiple people for a solution we do not really need.

“Simple navigation with help buttons

Pros

Getting around the system is simple and every screen has a help button that usually answers my questions through FAQs, video tutorials or comments from other users.

Cons

Many of the video tutorials are no longer accurate because the interface has changed with recent system upgrades.

“Easy to use and packed with features

Pros

I like how easy it is to use while still being packed with features. As a secure cloud-based system, our church does not have to worry about backups or losing data from a local hardware failure. Plus we can access it anytime and the training and support have been excellent too.

Cons

As a non-accountant, the fund-based accounting is confusing. I mean I do not understand why property purchases or mortgage payments stay in the fund balance when the fixed assets and liabilities are already adjusted. This makes our financial statements and budget reports misleading without extra explanations.

“Customizable setup for our needs

Pros

We can really customize our account setup to fit our needs, manage our budget and handle both members and visitors all within the same platform.

Cons

Honestly there is nothing I dislike about the software. We had a learning curve at first and wished for a few extra features but the excellent support team helped us implement everything we needed.

“Basic issues still not resolved

Pros

The software gives us access to a huge variety of reports and it is very simple to mail out contribution statements to our donors directly from the system.

Cons

Some basic issues still have not been resolved. Such as the check number field is too short for our banks format. Entering deposits takes much longer than in QuickBooks because I cannot quickly search names by typing so I have to use a cursor. Plus edited deposit batches get new numbers instead of keeping the original sequence and some fields do not accept common characters like slashes in dates.

“All information centralized conveniently

Pros

Having all our information centralized is incredibly convenient. I have also noticed that Icon has been putting effort into modernizing the program. After using it for many years with little change, it is pretty great to see some fields are now quicker to access with fewer clicks.

Cons

We really need a way to link related families with different last names. I feel like it would also be incredibly helpful to have a master directory report with everyones contact details as I recently had to manually compile this for a directory project.

“Recording donations is very easy

Pros

Recording donations is a very easy process and I am a big fan of the EFT feature that allows for automatic online giving.

Cons

I wish the program would keep my current view open like the household list, while I work elsewhere. It would also be useful to see contribution numbers directly on personal profiles.