nonprofit

“Privacy, Please” When Your Nonprofit Stores Sensitive Data

How well does your nonprofit protect the privacy of donors, staffers, clients, and volunteers? It’s an important question because failure to protect personal data can expose your organization to costly…

The Good News About Volunteers

Most nonprofit organizations operate on lean budgets, making volunteers essential. But what’s one hour of volunteer time worth? The latest research by Independent Sector and the Do Good Institute produced…

Why Fraud Hotlines Are Critical for Nonprofits

Nonprofits operate under intense scrutiny from many sources, including donors, regulators, watchdog groups, and the communities they serve. A single instance of fraud can damage an organization’s reputation, erode donor…

Tips for Raising Your Board’s Financial Literacy: Balance Sheets and Income Statements Made Easier

A nonprofit organization’s board of directors might include accountants, bankers, or investment managers. It also might consist of business or community leaders with expertise in your nonprofit’s niche or fundraising,…

Nonprofits: How to Attract the Best, Most Qualified Interns

Summer will be here before you know it, and for many not-for-profits, that means internships. Although students and recent graduates are often eager to gain job experience as interns, many…

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards: Are you up to date on PCI compliance?

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) are designed to secure credit and debit card transactions and protect cardholder data. These standards apply to all organizations handling credit…

Should Your Nonprofit Outsource to an AMC?

If you’re like most nonprofit leaders, you want to dedicate your time to mission-critical work. But if you run a relatively new nonprofit with a bare-bones staff, you probably need…

Who Does What in Your Nonprofit Organization?

Large, long-established not-for-profits generally know where the duties of their staffers end and those of their board members begin. But smaller or newer organizations don’t always understand the limits of…

Nonprofit Board Members: Watch for Financial Warning Signs

In addition to widespread federal funding cuts, many not-for-profit leaders are concerned about a possible economic downturn. If you’re on the board of directors for an organization whose finances aren’t…

7 Ways to Cut Nonprofit Costs Rather Than Staffers

It wasn’t long ago that the not-for-profit sector was struggling to find enough staffers to hire. Now that many organizations are losing federal grants and facing budget shortfalls, they may…

What Your Nonprofit Should Know About Credit Loss Reporting Rules

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-13 seems like it would be old news. But the provision for accounting for current expected credit loss (CECL) went…

Beyond Boomers: How to Engage Younger Generations

If your nonprofit’s fundraising arm has largely neglected younger generations in favor of Baby Boomers, you may need to revise your outreach strategy. Boomers currently make up the largest demographic…

Preparing for a Financial Crisis? Build Up Operating Reserves

You never know when your not-for-profit might experience a financial blow. With the current efforts in Washington to slash expenses, some nonprofits have already lost federal funding and more may…

Lost and Found: Regaining Your Nonprofit’s Tax-Exempt Status

The IRS regularly revokes the tax-exempt status of not-for-profits — mostly for failing to file annual information returns. Losing your exempt status can be devastating. Donors won’t be eligible to…

Making Cost-Allocation Decisions for Your Nonprofit

Cost allocation probably isn’t your favorite task — particularly if your not-for-profit has many activities. Yet the process is critical because donors and funders want to know how your organization…