Five Things to Do to Prepare for 990s
Kick off the New Year with a Head Start on Your Form 990 Filing As the new fiscal year unfolds, brimming with potential and plans, it's wise to carve out a moment now for a critical task: preparing for…
Tracking Nonprofit Lobbying
Get ready for another election season As we gear up for another pivotal election season, it's more crucial than ever for 501(c)3 organizations to make sure their lobbying house is in order. Navigating the complexities of election laws and…
It’s Time to Thank Your Board Treasurer
It’s awards season, a time when we come together to celebrate and honor outstanding achievements. While we’re shining the spotlight on remarkable accomplishments, there is a group of superstars in the nonprofit sector who deserve our heartfelt appreciation and…
Fiscal Sponsorship – Are You Ready, Willing and Able?
Last week we talked about the role fiscal sponsors play in the nonprofit world and why they are the right model for some organizations. Today, we’re exploring the world of being a fiscal sponsor. Should your organization think about serving…
Don’t Hate on Your Fiscal Sponsor’s Fees
Often I hear comments about the financial cost (service fees) of being a fiscally sponsored project. I hear organizations say that they could do the work more cheaply themselves. That they could save money by keeping all of the…
Finance Committee, Who Needs It!
Boards of Directors love to form committees. Committees can efficiently and effectively complete the work of the board. In some cases, that arrangement and construct makes perfect sense. Here’s one that doesn’t. The Finance Committee. Shocked? It’s not that…
Funders: Stop Asking for Budgets
This message is for funders. Listen up. I know that you are rarely told what to do by grantees. That wouldn’t be prudent. And other funders would never suggest how you should run your foundation. So I am stepping…
Investing Your Cash
If you've built your reserves and now have some cash to invest in CDs, this spreadsheet can help you manage the timing of those investments. Make sure to keep about 3 months of cash on hand while putting the…
3 Keys to Financial Health: Your Budget is Your Plan for Your Net Assets
This is part 3 of the 3 Keys to Financial Health series. You can read part 1, Don't Borrow from Your Future here and part 2, Build Reserves in Good Times to Use in Hard Times here. 3) Your…
3 Keys to Financial Health: Build Reserves in Good Times for Use in Hard Times
This is part 2 of the 3 Keys to Financial Health series. You can read part 1, Don't Borrow from Your Future here. 2) Build reserves in good times, so that you can use them in hard times. But…