The CFO'S Perspective

In a year of uncertainties and change, the prospect of a Single Audit for the first time may seem daunting. Many nonprofits are facing this for the first time with influx of federal funds and you should rest assured that your organization has not been singled out. Here at CFO Selections we want to empower you by helping you to understand what Single Audit is, what it covers and how to prepare.

GAAP compliance in financial statements is an essential underpinning for nonprofits and for-profit businesses alike. It is essential to be in GAAP compliance for audits, funding applications, etc. However, the standard GAAP financial statements may not be enough to ensure your statements will match your cash position at the end of the month. Additional perspectives are required to quickly assess the organization’s financial performance.

For many nonprofit organizations, revenue recognition is one of the most challenging accounting issues they encounter.  The guidelines governing the recognition and classification of revenue are now, however, undergoing significant change.

Last week I shared an overview about recording non-cash gifts and the opportunity for a nonprofit organization to accurately present the types and value of contributions it receives to support its mission. 

Today we review a related topic: Stock gift donations.

The easiest type of donations for nonprofits to accept are unrestricted cash donations. While everyone loves cash, what if you could supercharge your organization’s growth by accepting other types of non-cash gifts—like stocks?

Most non-profit organizations rely on gifts from other businesses and the public at large to achieve their goals. These come in the form of both tangible property and personal services (collectively nonfinancial gifts), which are referred to as in-kind contributions. 

Recording these non-cash gifts allows a nonprofit organization to accurately present the types and value of contributions it receives to support its mission. Even though in-kind gifts are a major source of support for many nonprofits, recording and reporting them properly can present some unique challenges.

Recently a WSJ story shows the trend of more finance directors moving from corporate America to nonprofits. Such a story can be both an inspiration and risky to those using it as a reference. Today we want to highlight the trend, the reasons, the challenges, and why we also celebrate.

Is there anyone flying this plane?

In too many cases, a nonprofit board’s approach to leadership turnover is hectic, not well thought out or planned, reactive instead of proactive. Most often, the board  is group of passionate, well-meaning volunteers who are now faced with the single most important role they will have: selecting a new leader. How the board navigates the transition will directly impact the future and potential viability of the organization.

An 84-year-old resident of Longview passed away this year, leaving $750,000 of her estate to three local non-profits. Relying on these types of unexpected donations is one way to build up your organization's reserves, but you can't count on these generous gifts.

Case in point is the Anacortes-based conservation nonprofit Pacific Biodiversity Institute, which just closed its doors due to a lack of funding. Whether flush with funds or struggling to keep the lights on, there’s never enough funding for a nonprofit to accomplish every initiative it would like.

Every organization needs to determine how much it requires for Operations, in Operating Reserves, and what can be dedicated to mission-focused initiatives. The answers to these questions are, of course, “It depends.”

The variables that must be considered include seasonality, worst case scenarios, and more. The key to developing a specific answer is knowledge - knowledge of the organization’s current financial state and donation history, as well as the data that is produced from a solid budget and cash forecast.

For those organizations that struggle, a plan must be developed to raise donations and reduce expenses. If you are fortunate enough to have a surplus of reserves additional questions arise. Where do you put those reserves? How should you safely manage them? While the answers vary from nonprofit to nonprofit, there are a solid set of financial best practices to follow and ensure that these questions are answered.