Nonprofit Accounting Basics

Recent Articles

How to Become a Tax-Exempt Organization

The terms “nonprofit” and “tax-exempt organization” are often used interchangeably.

Term Limits

The purpose of term limits is to provide rejuvenation to the board, eliminate stagnation, and allow the board to evolve as organizational needs evolve.

Contributed Nonfinancial Assets Presentation and Disclosures

New disclosures are required upon implementation of Accounting Standard Update (ASU) 2020-07, which was issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) to increase transparency of contrib

Debt to Assets Ratio

This is one of many leverage ratios used to determine the financial viability of an organization.

Board Member Compensation

There is no federal law that prohibits nonprofits from compensating their board members but some states may forbid compensation for board service.

Bylaws

Bylaws form a legally binding document that outlines the organizational authority levels, how the board functions, and how it is structured.

Fiduciary Responsibility - Board Governance for Charitable Non-Profit Organizations

Fiduciary obligations require charitable non-profit organizations to adhere to the highest ethical and legal standards. In every decision made and action taken, a charitable non-profit must:

Board Accountability

“The Buck Stops Here” phrase emphasizes the importance of accountability and holds true for a charitable non-profit organization board.

Do restricted funds need to be kept in a separate bank account?

Question: We are a small but growing nonprofit organization. We just received notification of a restricted contribution from an estate.

Billing Schemes and Deterrence Measures

A billing scheme is a fraudulent disbursement technique whereby a person submits bills for bogus goods or services, inflated invoices, or invoices for personal purchases to trick their employer int