Category

Accounting

Feb 05
0

Helping Donors Choose You: Encouraging Charitable Deductions

By | Accounting, Fundraising, Nonprofit | No Comments

Many nonprofit organizations rely upon charitable donations for their operating budget, to fund special projects, or to accomplish specific goals. Your organization can do a great deal to encourage donations by making it easy for potential donors to identify your tax-exempt status and receive receipts for donations that they can use with their tax returns. Here, we present a checklist of things you can do to assure the public of your organization’s tax-exempt status and facilitate their donations.

Valid Tax Deductions: Contributions to an Eligible Organization

To benefit from a valid tax deduction, contributions must be made to an eligible organization which is defined as a. nonprofit organization. Religious organizations such as churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship may qualify, as do some schools, war veterans associations and the like.

Provide Proof of Eligibility

Your marketing communications should provide proof of tax-deduction eligibility for potential donors. Your website should have a link to GuideStar, an organization that specializes in providing information on nonprofits to the public. A listing in GuideStar provides a great third-party proof point that goes a long way with the public.

Offer Receipts

Automatically offer any donor a receipt. The proof a donor needs to respond to a question from the IRS about a deduction includes the following: A letter on your organization’s letterhead, with the tax-exempt certificate number included, that identifies the donation amount, donor’s name, and date of the donation.

IRS Maximums

Although all donations are welcome, the IRS sets a limit on the amount of money that can be declared on an individual’s tax returns. Currently, cash deductions are set at either 50% or 30% of a donor’s annual adjusted gross income, depending upon the type of the organization.

Cash versus Non-Cash Donations

Cash and non-cash donations are also treated differently. Stock, for example, is treated differently than cash. Appreciated, publicly-traded stock held for more than 12 months must include information on capital gains as part of the donation. Donors can claim the amount, but not the capital gain, from the date of the transaction from their account into yours.

Other non-cash items may follow different rules. Household items, automobiles, furniture, and real estate can all be donated to a nonprofit organization. There are specific rules, timelines, and proof required for your donors to deduct non-cash donations of $5,000 or more. Non-cash donations of $5,000 or more may require a professional appraisal, by an IRS-approved appraising firm, to ascertain the value you can put on the donation receipt. Speak with the donors and discuss any potential ramifications before concluding the transaction so that both you and the donor have what you need to benefit from such a generous gift.

Giving Something in Return

If you give donors something in return for their donation as a thank you, whether something as simple as a tote bag or as wonderful as free tickets to the opera or ballet, the amount of the return gift must be deducted from the donation.

Let’s say that you receive a $500 cash donation from the Millers. In return, your charity, a local performing arts nonprofit, provides the Millers with two free theater tickets worth $100. If the Millers claim the deduction, they should claim $400, rather than $500, on their tax return.

Obviously, that’s up to the Millers. But you may wish to provide them with all of the facts so that they can make an educated decision about how to claim deductions on their tax returns.

The Bottom Line: Make It Easy to Give

The bottom line is a simple one: make it easy for people to donate to your organization. The easier it is for people to donate and receive receipts for their donation, the more likely they are to give.

About Welter Consulting

Welter Consulting bridges people and technology together for effective solutions for nonprofit organizations. We offer software and services that can help you with your accounting needs. Please contact Welter Consulting at 206-605-3113 for more information.

 

Jan 29
0

Getting Your Staff Ready for the Annual Audit

By | Accounting, Audit, Nonprofit | No Comments

As the manager of a nonprofit organization, you’re probably all-too familiar with the paperwork aspect of the annual nonprofit audit. Documents must be managed, maintained, and updated, and everything prepared for the auditors.

There’s a second part of managing the audit process that’s equally as important: managing the people who are part of the audit. To help you with this aspect of auditing, we’ve put together the following tips.

Schedules

  • Make sure you schedule the audit well in advance of any deadlines. Be sure to set aside enough time for your staff so that they can be available to assist the auditors in any way necessary.
  • Contact the auditing firm and confirm that the dates for the audit are available. Auditors’ schedules may be booked months in advance. Be sure to confirm again the week prior to the scheduled audit to ensure nothing has slipped through the cracks.
  • When scheduling your audit, offer three days and times that work for all. Allow the auditors to choose the one that works best for them.
  • Clear calendars to make sure no offsite or other meetings will interfere with the audit schedule.

Logistics

  • Provide a clean, private, well-lit workspace for the auditors to use while they are at your company.
  • Create the necessary computer and WIFI access in advance so it is ready for the auditors immediately.
  • Ensure that a telephone line is also available for the auditors.
  • If parking spaces are reserved at your building, make sure you take the necessary steps to secure parking spots for the auditors.
  • Provide them with directions on how to get to your building.

Communications

  • Inform the internal staff that an audit is taking place. Reassure them that it is both a necessary and beneficial aspect of nonprofit management – it’s not like a personal IRS audit, but more of a consultation to ensure that your nonprofit is operating correctly.
  • Make sure that staff understands they can’t use conference rooms or other workspaces that the auditors are using during the week.
  • Ask staff not to interrupt the auditors while they are working.

Following Up on the Audit

Once the audit is over, it will take your firm several weeks to prepare the materials and provide them to you. Take time to review them and discuss the findings with the auditors. The final report can then be presented to your Board of Directors.

As a final step, share the audit with your entire team. Although not required as part of a nonprofit audit, the more information that you can share with your staff, the better they will understand what’s going on within the organization as a whole. They’ll feel invested in the outcomes and better informed about the financial aspects of the organization. The more information they have, the better they can do their jobs.

Preparing for an audit can be stressful, but if you’re organized and take the appropriate steps, you can ensure that the entire audit process from start to finish goes smoothly. Both your auditors and your Board will thank you for the extra effort made to ensure a streamlined process.

Welter Consulting offers auditing as one of our core services for nonprofits. Our experience encompasses audits, consulting, software selection and more for the nonprofit industry. Please contact Welter Consulting at 206-605-3113 for an appointment.

Jan 22
0

3 Steps to Moving Nonprofit Financial Systems to the Cloud

By | Accounting, Cloud, Data, E-Learning, Nonprofit | No Comments

According to a recent story from Forbes, since 2009 spending for cloud computing was reported to grow 4.5 times the rate of IT spending, and with good reason. What does “moving to the cloud” really mean? In short, the cloud shifts hosted data from on-premise servers to remote servers hosted on the internet. Many nonprofit organizations have made the switch to the cloud, and by doing so they transformed the way they budget, prioritize, and store data.

Oftentimes, nonprofit executives lack the time to consider the cost and benefits of migrating their financial systems to the cloud. A lot of nonprofits are just stretched too thin to give migration a good, solid look. A recent study by NTEN supported a 25 percent growth year after year for nonprofits’ cloud implementation.

To get a handle on the benefits – and decide if it’s a right move for you – we’ve broken down the process of moving to the cloud into three steps:

  1. Identify and weigh the benefits
  2. Recognize potential risks
  3. Establish a strategy

 Benefits of the cloud

 There are many benefits to moving to the cloud including:

  • Accessing data anywhere and at any time
  • Specialized IT experts with cloud service providers, so your team can focus more time on your mission
  • Best-in-class security tools to protect you and your donors

And that’s just the start! Many organizations have reported spending up to 80 percent of an IT budget on maintaining legacy software. With a cloud migration you can increase performance and extend the life of the system by receiving the most up-to-date software. Maintenance will also take less effort because updates are automatic, and organizations always have the most up-to-date version.

Depending on the needs of a nonprofit, the benefits can vary in priority and weight. As a starting point, nonprofit accounting professionals and executives alike need to rate and prioritize the benefits relative to the needs of the nonprofit.

Recognize risks

It’s crucial to be well-informed about the risks of operating in the cloud. Some items to consider:

  • Complexity and duration of the migration
  • Training staff – It is necessary to have a good training plan in place to avoid the frustration that can take place with a new system.
  • Does the cloud provider or your fund accounting consulting offer long-term support? Will you be able to partner with them to help your staff in times of need?

Strategy for moving to the cloud

There is not a one-size-fits-all philosophy with cloud computing migrations. Be sure you can build a road-map that meets the needs and priorities of your nonprofit, including:

  • Cost analysis between the on-premises and cloud-hosted software
  • A plan regarding how the migration will support the bottom line and mission of your organization
  • Research and comparing services from at least three cloud providers

Migrations to the cloud can be overwhelming for many of today’s nonprofit professionals. By breaking down the process into three steps, a plan can be effectively crafted and shared with stakeholders across the organization.

Ready to take the next step? Download our whitepaper that allows you to dig deeper into adopting cloud computing, benefits of migrating, and tips on the best way to research and plan for a move to the cloud. Or contact us online today to set up your free cloud migration consultation.

 

Welter Consulting

Welter Consulting bridges people and technology together for effective solutions for nonprofit organizations. We offer software and services that can help you with your accounting needs. Please contact Welter Consulting at 206-605-3113 for more information.

Jan 15
0

How Good Are You at Detecting Nonprofit Fraud?

By | Accounting, Audit, Fraud, Nonprofit | No Comments

The average nonprofit fraud loss averages around $600,000, according to the NonProfit Times. With so much at stake, understanding your fraud IQ is important. How much do you know about nonprofit fraud?

Principles of Fraud Risk Management

The principles of fraud risk management include:

  1. Fraud risk governance: Establishing and communicating a fraud risk management program demonstrates expectations to all stakeholders. A written program which can be shared is a great idea.
  2. Fraud risk assessment: This includes items such as employment checks, ensuring people take vacation time and more.
  3. Fraud control activity: Selecting, developing, and deploying fraud risk management activities. A good example is a set of internal controls.
  4. Fraud investigation and corrective action: Establishing a communication process to investigate and correct any suspected fraud. Also includes a written, established and coordinated approach to the investigation.
  5. Fraud risk management and monitoring: Every organization should select, develop, and perform ongoing fraud risk management evaluations. Look at these five principles and see how they apply throughout the organization. Any gaps should be addressed immediately.

Data can, and should, be used throughout all of the fraud risk assessment and analysis activities. As we’ve shown in a previous article, Benford’s Curve is one example of how data can be used, albeit a simple use, to indicate possible fraud. CPAs, auditors, and others can use more sophisticated techniques to detect errors and fraudulent activities.

Whose Responsibility Is It, Anyway?

Who on staff is responsible for fraud detection, management, and corrective actions? Your senior management team is ultimately responsible for all of these actions. The Board of Directors provides oversight and guidance, but the “buck stops” at the desk of your senior leadership team.

Fraud Risk Assessment

Fraud risk assessment includes considering all potential routes of fraud. This includes internal and external areas at risk as well as personnel who might have access to materials which enables them to commit fraud.

Even with the best risk assessment and controls in place, it may be impossible to prevent all types of fraud. It is still critical for nonprofit organizations to have fraud risk assessment measures in place, internal controls, and other measures enacted to prevent, limit, and detect fraud.

Stopping Fraud Starts with You

Much is at risk when it comes to nonprofit fraud. It’s not just the potential loss of $600,000 or so, which is, of course, a substantial number. It’s also the risk of losing the trust and faith of the public.

Nonprofit organizations are under heavy scrutiny now from a public who has grown weary of extravagant spending. People want to donate to their favorite charities, causes, and membership organizations, but they won’t do so if they feel their money is wasted. Fraud is one example of waste that many  donors feel can be prevented.

Your organization works hard on behalf of its members, donors, and beneficiaries. Ensuring that you take all necessary steps to prevent fraud and detect it if it occurs is essential to building and keeping the public trust.

For more information on fraud prevention, see:

About Welter Consulting

Welter Consulting bridges people and technology together for effective solutions for nonprofit organizations. We offer software and services that can help you with your accounting needs. Please contact Welter Consulting at 206-605-3113 for more information.