Don't worry,
We'll take it from here
What We Do
We do nonprofit bookkeeping, and we do it well.
We only work with nonprofits
We are not a jack of all trades bookkeeping firm, we work exclusively with nonprofit organizations. Because of this specific focus, we not only understand the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) for nonprofits, but we understand your unique needs and struggles. Our process is pain free and flexible.
Full-service bookkeeping
We do more than just bookkeeping. As you’ll see below, our services go above and beyond what most bookkeeping companies do. There is no need for you to hire a nonprofit accounting firm to do monthly account reconciliations or monthly closings. We do it all. By the end of the year, we hand off an extremely clean set of books to the tax preparer including all the restricted fund balances and functional expense allocations.
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Data Entry
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Payroll Management
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Monthly Reconciliations
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Indirect Cost Allocations
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Restricted Fund Expense Allocations
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Monthly Adjustments
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Online Bill Pay Setup and Management
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Document Storage and Organization
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Assistance with Nonprofit Audit Setup and Preparation
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Assistance with 990 Document Preparation
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Ongoing Processes and Procedures Support
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Ongoing Consultation and Support
Nonprofit Account Set up or Restructure
Meet You Where You're At
Most of our clients come to us with an accounting structure that needs help. Some clients have a chart of accounts designed for a for profit organization. Some clients have a chart of accounts that was set up by a volunteer or founder who had little accounting experience. Others have a chart of accounts that is overly complex and does not utilize all the tools that QuickBooks has to offer. We’ll revise your structure so that it follows best practice and utilizes the latest tools QuickBooks has to offer. The result is a structure that gives you both simple and complex reports as needed.
Simple, Scalable Nonprofit Structure
Most of our client work therefore starts with a restructuring process. QuickBooks Online has the capacity to track restricted funds and functional programmatic expenses independently of the chart of accounts. We help you to identify what needs to be tracked, and set up a coherent system to do it. The result is a simple accounting structure with multiple layers of complexity that can be provided when needed. This structure is scalable, auditable, and aligns with the best practices of nonprofit bookkeeping today. We are QuickBooks Pro Advisors and stay current with all the newest features and processes that nonprofits are using.
Customized to Your Specific Needs
Over a few initial calls, we co-create an accounting structure that works for you. There are required categories, but your nonprofits is also unique and may need to track specific programs and income/expense categories. We can work together to create a system that is in compliance with GAAP and gives you and your board the information you need.
Payroll Set Up & Management
Payroll Provider
We work closely with Gusto to provide a user friendly payroll experience for our clients and their staff. We can help you to set up payroll, make sure people get paid on time, and integrate all your various deductions and benefits.
Time Tracking & Payroll Allocation
We've worked with many different nonprofit organizations to set up a coherent system to allocate staff salaries to both programs and funding sources. This can be integrated within Gusto, done with external timesheets, or integrated with other time tracking software. We’ve done it all, and can meet you where you're at.
Restricted Fund Tracking
Expertise and Training
Yes, we know how to manage restricted funds. We will also help train you on how to recognize and treat restricted funds. In the end, we have a clear system for tracking grants and provide detailed reports on a monthly basis.
Revenue Recognition Standards
We ask our clients to provide us with each grant agreement they receive to make sure we're following the proper revenue recognition procedures when tracking the income. We will work closely with you to make sure everyone understands the nature of the restriction. We then follow a clear procedure for tracking and reporting on the grant.
Grant Reporting
We have a tried and true process for tracking restricted funds. Each month you will receive a report that shows how every penny was spent as well as the current balance of each of your restricted funds.
Cost Allocation
What Is Cost Allocation?
Don’t worry if you don’t know what this is. We will help you to understand it and set up a system that works smoothly. Is sum, cost allocation is a method to make sure your expenses are tracked correctly to your programs and/or funding sources. This includes expenses that need to be split between these cost centers, such as payroll.
Functional Expense and Program Allocation
As a nonprofit you need to track your expenses between three functions on your 990 tax form. These functions are Programmatic Expense, Management & General Expense, and Fundraising Expense. Additionally, many nonprofits need to track expenses to their specific programs. Sometimes this is easy and straightforward with an expense, while other times an expense needs to be split between these categories. We will help to set up a consistent process for doing this. The resulting reports will provide you with a clear picture of your expenses per program and function.
Restricted Fund Allocation
This process of allocation also includes how expenses are tracked to different restricted funds. We will walk you through all of this and help you to develop consistent methodologies so that every appropriate expense and/or portion of an expense is tracked to the correct restricted funds. We have tried and true processes for doing this for both big and small nonprofits.
Nonprofit Financial Reports
Consistent Reporting
We provide monthly reports, on-time, every month. Together we map out the schedule of things we need from you and when you can expect your reports. We are big fans of schedules, consistency, and clear expectations.
We Help You Understand the Reports
We can help you to understand the basics of nonprofit reporting. We provide templates and training materials so that you can ensure you are providing the right reports to your board. We even provide resources so that you can make sure your board understands the reports. Nonprofit financial statements are different, and it's important to know what those differences are. We will also work with you to provide customized reports based upon your individual needs.
Audit and Tax Filing Support
How to Prepare for Your First Nonprofit Audit
Our clients tend to grow with us. As such, we’ve helped many clients through their first required audit. We can help to choose an auditor, make sure your books are ready, and walk you through the whole process.
Audit Assistance
We have worked with many different nonprofit auditors and they all have their own style. Additionally, each client wants to have different levels of involvement in the audit. We are happy to help support the audit process in whichever way fits. For most clients this includes working together to assign the deliverables that the auditor requires, and then preparing a large portion of the deliverables that pertain to the finances.
Online Bill Pay
Setting up Online Bill Pay
We work with a lot of different nonprofits and have been exposed to different Accounts Payable solutions. We’ve found that with an increasingly remote work environment that more nonprofits are moving to online bill pay solutions. We can walk you through the pros and cons of this and help you get it set up. We’ve walked many of our clients through this setup and their only regret is not having done it sooner.
Discounted Rates for Bill.com
We have an accounting firm relationship with Bill.com and can provide you with extremely discounted pricing. We can help make sure your system is set up right and walk you through some of the most important features.
We’ll Manage Your Account
We will manage your bill.com account for you. This includes entering your bills, setting up your users, setting up the approval settings, and making sure deadlines are met. All you have to do is login and click approve/pay.
1099 Filing
We'll Handle This For You
As part of our ongoing bookkeeping services, we will handle your 1099 filings. Throughout the year we will make sure to remind you to request W-9s from your vendors. We will collect these and send 1099s at year end.
Receipt & Document Storage
Backups All In One Place
If you are getting audited, or may be in the future, it’s essential that you have the proper backup documentation for your transactions. For many of our clients we provide this service. We use a shared Google Drive with our clients where we collect, name, and organize all your receipts, approvals, statements, payroll reports, and other required documentation in one place.