Nonprofit Accounting Basics

Recent Articles

How Can I Explain the Bottom-Line Budget Impact of Multi-Year Grants?

Question: I am the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization that was recently awarded a 3-year grant. We recorded the grant in full last year.

Form 990 (Core Form)

The Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, contains a twelve page “core” form with the following twelve parts:

Best Practices

The Internal Revenue Service believes that promoting best practices in the areas of governance, management and disclosure will lead to a higher level of federal tax law compliance.

Definition of an Officer

An officer is a person elected or appointed to manage an organization’s daily operations, such as a president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer.

IRS Code Sections Relating to Exempt Organizations

The IRS maintains a listing of the code sections that apply to exempt organizations.

Form 990 Schedules

The following list notes the schedules that are part of the Form 990. Each schedule is completed only if the organization meets the requirements for filing the particular schedule.

Which 990 Form to File

There are threshold rules to consider when choosing the informational form an exempt organization should file. It should be noted that there are exceptions to each of these thresholds.

Reclassing Net Assets in QuickBooks

QuickBooks (QB) is a very reasonably priced accounting solution used by many small and midsized nonprofit organizations.

Ballot Measures and Recalls: Basic Rules for 501(c)(3) Public Charities, 501(c)(4)'s and Unions

As states grapple with a host of contentious issues, including severe budget cuts, efforts to alter public employee rights and benefits, and legislation to curtail

Preventing Fraud Must Still Be a Top Priority During Challenging Times

Like their for-profit counterparts, nonprofits were not spared the complex financial and operational challenges presented by the global COVID-19 pandemic.