You might have a personal budget where you track your income and expenses to stay informed of your finances. Similarly, a nonprofit budget is a plan for how an organization will spend and allocate its money and includes a comprehensive list of revenue and expenses. Though a nonprofit budget is more complex than a personal…
Tag: Financial oversight
Understanding the Role of a Board Treasurer
It is not uncommon to go to the Board meeting of a nonprofit and discover that they don’t have a Board Treasurer. Having someone who oversees the organization’s finances seems like such an important job, so why is it neglected? The Treasurer role of a nonprofit is not an easy role. A quick look at the Treasurer’s duties outlined in any organization’s bylaws…
Why Nonprofits Struggle to Find Experienced Accountants
What does your current accounting situation look like? Are you having difficulty bringing your bookkeeper or accountant up to speed on your processes or struggling with stringent audit, compliance, GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles), or FASB (Financial Accounting Standards Board) requirements? Finding an experienced accountant for your nonprofit can be difficult and selecting the right…
Why Your Nonprofit Needs a Conflict of Interest Policy
Are you one of the few nonprofit organizations without a conflict of interest policy in place? Studies show that over 95% of nonprofit organizations employ a conflict of interest policy–and with good reason. These policies offer nonprofit organizations ethical standards and protection to ensure all actions on behalf of the organization are transparent and free of potential ethical dilemmas. In this article we’ll be covering the benefits of setting up a conflict of interest policy at your organization and how you can start…
When to Seek Virtual Accounting Assistance
The responsibilities of nonprofit executive leaders are many but sorting through data to get a clear picture of the organization’s financial health should not be one of them. When preparing for a board meeting have you ever asked yourself, “Do I have all the important and relevant data to help board members feel assured they understand the organization’s financial position?” Do you, as the leader of an organization, truly understand your financial reports and can you clearly explain those to stakeholders in a way…
Is It Time to Assess Your Accounting and Finance Function?
An assessment can be a valuable tool in determining the current state of your organization’s accounting and finance function. Not having a good grasp of this information can lead to challenges down the road such as inaccurate data used in decision-making or even an unfavorable management letter from your external auditor. A comprehensive accounting and…
Fiduciary Responsibilities of a Nonprofit Board
The duties of board members are many. From steering the organization’s mission and purpose, to appointing new directors and overseeing fundraising, it is critical to the success of an NPO that board members understand their responsibilities. One of the most important functions of a board is to oversee the organization’s financials. Lack of proper financial…
Audit vs. Finance Committee: Why Nonprofits Need Both
For nonprofits, deciding on a board committee structure can be a challenge. Often, the decision is solely based on the number of board members and their talents and expertise. Proper financial oversight, however, is important to the success of a nonprofit because it ensures that the organization is in compliance with applicable laws, is acting…
The Importance of Investment Policies
5 Steps for Nonprofits to Develop a Wise Investment Policy Nonprofit boards have a fiduciary responsibility to protect the organization’s assets and ensure that they’re used to further the mission. Often, an important part of the board’s responsibility is deciding how to invest the nonprofit’s cash. That requires implementing a sound investment policy that balances…
3 Keys to Prepare for Your Next Nonprofit Audit
3 Keys to Being Prepared for Your Next Nonprofit Audit For many nonprofits, going through an annual audit is like undergoing a root canal—it’s a painful, stressful, and expensive experience. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way (the audit, that is.) Through advance planning, organization and knowledge of the audit…