Bookkeeping for Nonprofits: A Step-by-Step Guide to Nonprofit Accounting

Because while nonprofit bookkeeping and accounting are related, they’re not the same thing. Anyone running a nonprofit organization has more important things on their mind than bookkeeping.

• Program features include unlimited invoicing, digital payment processing via Paypal or Square, basic reports, and management of vendors and customers .
• In terms of reporting requirements, nonprofits have to meet FAS 116 and FAS 117 (Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit Organizations) standards.
• A non-profit is required to stay tax compliant to keep its status as a tax-exempt, 501 organization.
• Our 990 Tax preparation Services offer nonprofit organizations a comprehensive and cost-effective approach to compliance.
• When your in-house accountant changes report formats as often as you change your socks, it can leave you confused, or stuck defending numbers you don’t really understand.

We have over 30 years of experience performing audit and assurance services. I only need to spend a couple of hours a month on our financials.

Every donation, grant, and expense in its proper place

This information helps board members keep a finger on the pulse of the organization to determine its financial and operational health. While this may seem like a no-brainer, it is surprising how often organizations do not stringently adhere to current accounting industry standards and operate seemingly at random. These guidelines will help you transparently tell your organization’s story through its financials. MoneyMinder is a simple and easy-to-use online program that you can access anywhere.

• We’ll help you get a full understanding of where your organization stands, what’s coming next and how you’re going to get there.
• A. The balance sheet shows a snapshot of the organization’s financial position, including assets and liabilities.
• Make sure your nonprofit sets some important policies and guidelines to communicate important information between the two departments.
• Knowing how money flows in and out of your organization and sharing that data effectively with your board and donors will help your organization run more smoothly.
• The majority of nonprofits fall into the category of organizations who would benefit from outsourcing their accounting needs.
• We will reconcile your bank accounts to prepare your balance sheet, income statement and other financial reports upon request, as well as advise you on how to read your reports.

While having a dedicated accountant or bookkeeper—or several—on-staff is ideal, that’s not always possible for new or growing organizations. The right accounting software can help nonprofit organizations meet these standards even if they have a lean staff, so they can reach their financial objectives and minimize their costs. Many small and midsize nonprofit organizations have excellent accounting software and keep their financials in good order, but need help when it comes to donor management and donation tracking. If you’re relying on multiple spreadsheets or outdated databases, Sumac can be an affordable upgrade that can streamline how you work with your constituents. As we mentioned before, nonprofit accounting focuses on the accountability aspect of finances. Your nonprofit’s donors have the right to set restrictions on the donations they contribute to your organization and grant funders want to make sure their funds are spent on the agreed-upon programs. These restrictions mean that you have to ensure their funds are spent in a way that the supporters approve of.

Accounting Services for Nonprofits

We’ve done our best to give you a crash course into nonprofit bookkeeping. But if you’re already falling behind in your books, you can’t rely on a google search or blog article to get you back on track. But here is a list of tasks that some nonprofits push onto their bookkeepers that are bookkeeping for nonprofit organizations instead the role of an accountant. Of course, the central role of nonprofit bookkeeping is to keep the books of your organization current and accurate. On top of that, nonprofit bookkeeping requires staying updated on income tax changes and filing requirements to ensure compliance.

Most organizations exempt from income tax under section 501 are still required to file Form 990 , which discloses your nonprofit’s revenues, expenses and changes to net assets to the public. Looking up a nonprofit’s Form 990—using services like Guidestar.org—can tell you a lot about its financial state. Not every nonprofit can afford to hire a professional accountant, and many nonprofits rely on in-house accounting methods. If you don’t have the funds to hire a professional, free accounting software can help guide your organization in the right direction. Most accounting software is overkill for volunteer-run nonprofits.

Best for Donation Tracking

For example, whoever is responsible for collecting donations shouldn’t be the same person updating your financial statements. Performing internal audits on a regular basis is an excellent way to keep everything in-check as well. Or maybe you have donors that buy items on behalf of your organization. It’s crucial that you account for all in-kind or non-cash contributions as well. This is especially important if your nonprofit would have otherwise bought those goods or services in question.

They also include tips on setting up files properly —— an excellent start for the harried novice who needs to set up an accounting system now. Your nonprofit bookkeeping services utilize our nonprofit accounting software, which includes online giving & donation tools. This means you can access your financial reports anytime, share reports with your leadership, manage donations, and accept giving online. Many nonprofit organizations end up cobbling together accounting, donor management, and payroll services by using multiple programs, making things confusing during end-of-year reporting. The nonprofit’s revenue and expenses differ from those of a for-profit business. Nonprofit revenue sources include donations, program fees, sales income, membership dues, investment income and proceeds from fundraising events.

Learn More About Nonprofit Bookkeeping

Another major difference is that for-profit companies sell goods or services to earn income. This makes it advantageous for nonprofits to establish a system of fund accounting. These businesses must follow a unique set of rules and guidelines.

Once you’ve got a bookkeeping system in place, you need to start creating financial statements. Looking at these documents can tell you how much money you have, where your money is, and how it got there. You could input them into nonprofit-friendly accounting software like Aplos or Nonprofit Treasurer. When the application is approved, the IRS sends confirmation the nonprofit is exempt from federal taxes as related to section 501. Similarly, nonprofits have rules regarding how money is spent, necessitating a tracking system.

Learn how to record in-kind donations

These rules ensure that all businesses use the same methodology for financial reporting. Bookkeeping for Nonprofits is a hands-on guide that offers nonprofit leaders, managers, and staff the tools they need to create and maintain a complete and accurate set of accounting records. This much-needed resource provides those with little or no bookkeeping experience with practical advice in a highly accessible format. You can use QuickBooks Enterprise Nonprofit to track expenses and donations, budget by program and compare to actuals, and create donor and grant reports. This version of QuickBooks allows you to accept donations and securely store donor information in your database. If you upgrade to the Gold, Platinum, or Diamond plans, you can even get payroll services for your organization and pay your staff directly through QuickBooks. While for-profit organizations have shareholders to appease, nonprofits have donors to thank and cultivate.

Get all of the information you need to efficiently manage your nonprofit with our monthly newsletter. Moreover, we also offer you the choice between our three service packages. Our goal is to help your nonprofit gain control over your finances for organizational growth and success. If you need to create an invoice, accept online donations, track notes about your supporters, it’s no problem. Aplos will send you a monthly financial statement to guide your financial health.

Knowing how money flows in and out of your organization and sharing that data effectively with your board and donors will help your organization run more smoothly. In addition, nonprofit bookkeeping will provide the data you and your team need to identify the most pressing needs that your nonprofit faces and finding ways to address them. Give yourself the opportunity to focus on fundraising, infrastructure, staffing, marketing and more — while your financials run smoothly. MIP is today’s leading accounting software for nonprofits and government organizations across the nation. Designed to let you track unlimited funds and manage your books with ease, MIP Fund Accounting® software offers a simple way to manage intricate financial processes in a single, user-friendly system. My experience inspired me to share some basic bookkeeping best practices for nonprofit organizations. To stay organized and on top of your nonprofit’s bookkeeping and accounting responsibilities, complete tasks that need to be done daily, weekly, quarterly, and yearly.

Actually, 18% of nonprofits listed limited staff as their greatest challenge in 2019. This means that finding someone to take on these responsibilities can be immensely challenging. In order to make the best financial decisions, nonprofit professionals should understand some accounting best practices. In this section, we’ll cover some best practices that nonprofit accountants can use to better handle their finances. For example, if you have $50,000 of restricted assets set aside for your scholarship program, then decide to provide a $5,000 scholarship, you’re not losing those funds. This expenditure will be reflected on your statement of activities. Nonprofit accounting professionals must adhere to specific guidelines when they create reports.

Controller Services

Although your company is different from many other nonprofit organizations, you all have similar needs when it comes to keeping your books straight. Many of us start businesses to follow our passions, and for most, that does not include accounting and bookkeeping. However, we all soon realize how essential tracking money is to keep our organizations organized to thrive. Bring in bookkeeping services that have experience with nonprofits to manage your books for you. James Halpin, C.P.A., M.S., is a software developer, systems consultant, and accountant specializing in cost accounting concepts.

If needed, we can even help with tracking your donations, paying bills and accounting for your payroll. This section reports the cash spent to purchase long-term assets and the amount received from the sale of valuable assets. While there are some nonprofit professionals who migrate to this world of charity from a for-profit organization, they are often faced with some major differences https://www.bookstime.com/ between the two industries right off the bat. And we’ll even help you understand the story behind the numbers, so you’re never left speechless in front of your finance committee. Get this FREE guide to discover what you need to do to ensure you hire the right accountant, bookkeeper, or CFO the FIRST time. At The Charity CFO, we handle the books and all of your accounting needs.

Year-End Made Easy

Without access to accurate financial reports and expert financial guidance, your organization will never be prepared for what’s coming next. Get our 3-video Masterclass to learn how to read and understand nonprofit financial reports.

We also looked at customer reviews on Capterra, a leading software review provider. The majority of nonprofits fall into the category of organizations who would benefit from outsourcing their accounting needs.

That helps us ensure your transactions are entered accurately and on time to give you confidence in your decisions. The impact of accurate bookkeeping trickles down to every aspect of your nonprofit. Efficiency, transparency, and compliance are the hallmarks of an organization with effective bookkeeping.