I am pleased to work with a wide range of nonprofit organization managers 1. This includes the executives of churches, synagogues, environmental groups, professional and trade associations. One thing that almost all share is a focus on outreach and recruitment. It’s a core theme for most nonprofits, and I think it is fair to say […]
I serve as accountant or treasurer to several nonprofit organizations focused on education and registration of voters. We are more concerned about voter suppression and voter disenfranchisement now than in any earlier time in our lives. That’s why this excerpt published yesterday by writer Heather Cox Wilkinson jumped out at me. “Basketball superstar LeBron James […]
The coronavirus crisis is causing many nonprofit organizations to raise questions about strategic management positions and related compliance issues. Questions on these two issues below are common. Through online discussions, I found that many advisers are not aware of these specific details. This post includes a short discussion and a link for more information. Change […]
In 2020 I will coach smaller nonprofit projects to organize without formal standards and use a $1,000 fee payment as the arbitrary benchmark at which it makes sense for me to get involved. I made a strategic error in the early years of my accounting business and am taking steps now to correct it. When […]
Rapidly evolving business technology makes it easier, faster and less expensive for a nonprofit organization to pursue its goals. Technology can help spread the message, recruit new supporters and board members, expand the target audience and deepen communications within the stakeholder groups. But every new technology should be vetted for consideration of how it will […]
This month of September 2019 was one of the most productive I’ve had in decades of small business. I helped launch (or re-launch) five new businesses. Three of them are nonprofits. One is already a financially “profitable” nonprofit so the tax and social benefit impact is impressive. I’ve proven that by offering free assistance to […]
Revenue Procedure 2018-38 remains controversial. Lawmakers (mostly Democrats) are concerned that it could encourage the flow of dark money into the tax-exempt sector. Their concern is valid. I know of private foundations that have already reorganized as public charities to take advantage of the secrecy rule change for their own benefit. No doubt, this rule […]
My largest block of clients are charitable organizations. In that nonprofit field the company TechSoup is a popular vendor of technology services. A few recent events cause me to ask more questions. I’ve made a few purchases for clients through them. TechSoup markets “donated and specially discounted technology offers”. But lately I’ve noticed that specific […]
There are more than a million nonprofit businesses in the U.S. with more every day. State requirements that new cannabis companies be in nonprofit form bring more attention. Yet most nonprofit organizations are small volunteer-driven businesses with small budgets. They still need to make smart business management decisions, beginning with the business start-up. Starting out […]
The accounting treatment of services donated to a nonprofit frequently comes up in conversation. This blog post is meant to simplify three of the most common scenarios if those discussions: Should a nonprofit include the value of donated services in its reported revenue? No, unless the contributed service either: 1) creates a new non-financial asset, […]