With just a bit of time and effort to review nonprofits’ financials, you will get to know organizations better and choose those best equipped to create the changes you seek. Terms to know Assets represent what the nonprofit owns—Current assets are the sum of all assets that could be converted to cash in less than... Read More
The primary purpose of financial statements is to communicate the financial health of the grantee. A non-accountant should be able to understand a well- written statement. The balance sheet, a statement of position, views a grantee on a specific date. The income statement, a statement of activity, looks at a year’s operating activity. The statement... Read More
If you take time to answer the following questions, you’ll be well on your way to managing staff legally and ethically, and to creating a supportive work environment that is sure to help your foundation achieve its goals. Advisors and resources Who on the board is responsible for monitoring human resources (HR) at your foundation,... Read More
A fiduciary is anyone who has the legal responsibility of caring for someone else’s money. Foundation board members and investment committee members would generally be called fiduciaries, required by law to be well informed about the assets under their care and to follow a prudent process in caring for them. In this webinar, learn to... Read More
You can find red flags in a nonprofit’s Form 990 or in its financial statements, as well as in conversation—and many do not require technical knowledge. ShoreBank, a community development bank serving Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit, provides the following list of red flags. Red flags in financial statements Decrease in annual revenue Decrease in net... Read More
In its report On the Money, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations describes several financial challenges faced by nonprofits: Restrictions on funding—Despite the importance of infrastructure to nonprofits’ success, grantmakers overwhelmingly prefer to support the direct delivery of programs and services. The result is an underinvestment in the infrastructure nonprofits need to sustain and grow, such as... Read More