Unified Financial Reporting System For Not For Profit Organizations

Sponsored by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, formerly known as the Support Center for Nonprofit Management/Nonprofit Development Center Nothing can be more important to an organization's health and success than the quality of its financial reporting. This comprehensive guide is for all nonprofits that are required to comply with financial reporting standards set by the IRS and thirty-five state charity regulators (Form 990), FASB and AICPA (GAAP), grantmakers, and the like. Much more than a standard accounting manual, this book is a thoughtful guide to improving financial reporting so organizations can focus on the business of fulfilling mission, developing essential programs, and serving communities. "In playing chess, the move that accomplishes several purposes is the strongest. This book does exactly that for nonprofits. It gives computer technology the ability to produce reports for funders, budget managers, governmental regulators, and taxing authorities, all from one set of financial data, input only once."--Charles Kirkland, former chair, AICPA Not-for-Profit Organizations Committee, and founder, Kirkland, Eckels & Co. "Well-defined, relevant, and reliable guidelines that should enhance the quality and credibility of financial reports."--Kevin A. Kavanaugh, vice president, financial services, American Diabetes Association "Helps to simplify and align the federal/state record keeping and reporting."--James J. Caputo Sr., consultant, and chair, the Greater Washington Society of CPA's Not-For-Profit-Organizations Committee "Provide[s] management with a wide variety of information that was not previously available"--Dennis F. Dycus, director, Office of the Comptroller of the Treasury, Division of Municipal Audit, State of Tennessee "As we move into the age of nonprofit financial transparency and instant Web access to reporting documents. . . .it is imperative that nonprofit practitioners, accountants, and lawyers understand and implement the concepts embodied in this guide."--Arthur W. Schmidt, Jr., president, Philanthropic Research, Inc., and publisher of the GuideStar Web site Complete Copy/Written and approved by author when book was originally scheduled for hardcover Sponsored by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, formerly known as the Support Center for Nonprofit Management/Nonprofit Development Center Nothing can be more important to an organization's health and success than the quality of its financial reporting. This comprehensive guide is for all nonprofits that are required to comply with financial reporting standards set by the IRS and thirty-five state charity regulators (Form 990), FASB and AICPA (GAAP), grantmakers, and the like. It shows how to unify financial reporting requirements without compromising the organization's accuracy and accountability. Authors Russy D. Sumariwalla and Wilson C. Levis combine over fifty years of experience in nonprofit accounting and reporting to describe the key elements of a unified financial reporting system. They also draw valuable lessons from a three-year project formed to improve the quality of reporting on IRS Form 990 and to strengthen public accountability. Known as "990 in 2000," this sectorwide project involved the IRS, the National Association of Attorneys General, the National Association of State Charity Officials, the Greater Washington Society of CPAs, the California Society of CPAs, the National Health Council, the United Way of America, and other organizations. Armed with the latest information, the authors discuss a unified chart of accounts, activity-level accounting, cost allocation, and computerization. They also explore ways of unifying internal and external financial reports, including GAAP statements, grant reports, and others. This guide offers a powerful resource section including information on various appendices program service reporting, government regulation, voluntary standards expert review groups, and more. Much more than a standard accounting manual, Unified Financial Reporting System for Not-for-Profit Organizations is a thoughtful guide to improving financial reporting so organizations can focus on the business of fulfilling mission, developing essential programs, and serving communities.

A newly revised and updated edition of the ultimate resource for nonprofit managers If you're a nonprofit manager, you probably spend a good deal of your time tracking down hard-to-find answers to complicated questions. The Nonprofit Manager's Resource Directory, Second Edition provides instant answers to all your questions concerning nonprofit-oriented product and service providers, Internet sites, funding sources, publications, support and advocacy groups, and much more. If you need help finding volunteers, understanding new legislation, or writing grant proposals, help has arrived. This new, updated edition features expanded coverage of important issues and even more answers to all your nonprofit questions. Revised to keep vital information up to the minute, The Nonprofit Manager's Resource Directory, Second Edition: * Contains more than 2,000 detailed listings of both nonprofit and for-profit resources, products, and services * Supplies complete details on everything from assistance and support groups to software vendors and Internet servers, management consultants to list marketers * Provides information on all kinds of free and low-cost products available to nonprofits * Features an entirely new section on international issues * Plus: 10 bonus sections available only on CD-ROM The Nonprofit Manager's Resource Directory, Second Edition has the information you need to keep your nonprofit alive and well in these challenging times. Topics include: * Accountability and Ethics * Assessment and Evaluation * Financial Management * General Management * Governance * Human Resource Management * Information Technology * International Third Sector * Leadership * Legal Issues * Marketing and Communications * Nonprofit Sector Overview * Organizational Dynamics and Design * Philanthropy * Professional Development * Resource Development * Social Entrepreneurship * Strategic Planning * Volunteerism

"This Seventh Edition is filled with authoritative advice on the financial reporting, accounting, and control situations unique to not-for-profit organizations. It contains discussions of the accounting and reporting guidelines for different types of organizations, complete guidance on tax and compliance reporting requirements, illustrated explanations of various types of acceptable financial statements, and much more!"--Publisher's Website.

The nonprofit sector is a vital component of our society and is allowed the greatest freedom to operate. The public understandably assumes that since nonprofit organizations are established to do good, the people who run nonprofits are altruistic, and the laws governing nonprofits have reflected this assumption. But as Marion Fremont-Smith argues, the rules that govern how nonprofits operate are inadequate, and the regulatory mechanisms designed to enforce the rules need improvement. Despite repeated instances of negligent management, self-interest at the expense of the charity, and outright fraud, nonprofits continue to receive minimal government regulation. In this time of increased demand for corporate accountability, the need to strengthen regulation of nonprofits is obvious. Fremont-Smith addresses this need from a historical, legal, and organizational perspective. She combines summaries and analysis of the substantive legal rules governing the behavior of charitable officers, directors, and trustees with descriptions of the federal and state regulatory schemes designed to enforce these rules. Her unique and exhaustive historical survey of the law of nonprofit organizations provides a foundation for her analysis of the effectiveness of current law and proposals for its improvement.

This Seventh Edition is filled with authoritative advice on the financial reporting, accounting, and control situations unique to not-for-profit organizations. It contains discussions of the accounting and reporting guidelines for different types of organizations, complete guidance on tax and compliance reporting requirements, illustrated explanations of various types of acceptable financial statements, and much more!

A timely, practical, and concise handbook of best practices for nonprofit financial management In 2010 an estimated 325,000 charities, membership groups, and trade associations?with small nonprofits disproportionately represented?stand to lose their tax exemptions for failure to comply with financial management requirements. Nonprofit Financial Management: A Practical Guide is a timely, functional, and concise handbook of best practices for nonprofit organizations of every size. Addresses federal reporting requirements and discusses methods to decrease expenses, ensure accounting control, increase revenues through professional cash management, and understand budget statements Explains how to read financial statements and analyze a nonprofit's financial condition by using the most recent IRS 990 reporting form Covers the full range of financial-management topics, including accounting, internal controls, auditing, evaluating financial condition, budgeting, cash management and banking, purchasing and contracting, borrowing and risk management Written in an easy-to-read style, with more than 100 exhibits, this book is essential for every nonprofit financial manager.

Making sure that your nonprofit is going to be around long-term requires financial leadership. This means creating a financial vision for your organization and planning how you’ll get there. Financial Leadership for Nonprofit Executives gives you the framework, specific language, and processes to lead with confidence. With it, you’ll learn how to protect and grow the assets of your organization and accomplish as much mission as possible with those resources. The good news is you don’t have to be a trained accountant, earn an MBA, or have run a for-profit business in another lifetime. You already have many of the skills it takes to be a financial leader. This useful guide makes the process understandable and doable. You’ll find clear, logical steps to learn how to get accurate financial data—in a format you can understand; use financial data to evaluate your organization’s health; plan around a set of meaningful financial goals; and communicate progress on these goals to your staff, board, and external stakeholders. You’ll also find five foundational financial leadership principles; three overarching questions every financial leader needs to be able to answer (and where to find those answers); two fundamental budgeting principles; and five steps to building a strong annual budget. At the end of each chapter is an evaluation tool. You can rate how your organization is doing relative to the component of financial leadership covered in each chapter. Each attribute is scored as being red, yellow, or green. “Red” items are below standard and require immediate attention; “yellow” items are widely practiced though not generally ideal; and “green” items are considered best practice. Over time, as you and your partners on the board and staff move the organization toward “green” in each of these areas, you will create an environment in which financial leadership can flourish.