Olsen Thielen Advisor Blog
- March 19, 2018
Uncovering fraud doesn’t always require in-depth data analysis or forensic accounting techniques. Qualified experts also find basic managerial accounting practices are handy tools when identifying potential fraud,
- March 19, 2018
A ghost employee is someone who appears on your payroll system, but who does not work for your company. The ghost employee can be a real person who is knowingly added to the payroll records, or a fictitious person invented by a dishonest employee.
- March 19, 2018
The reasons why employees steal can be hard to predict. In many cases, employees who commit fraud are the most likable people in the office — personable, helpful and good at their jobs. It’s not easy for companies to spot dishonest employees. So in addition to shoring up your internal
- March 12, 2018
Up-to-date, accurate job descriptions form the foundation of every organization’s staffing efforts. Without clear, focused documentation of what each position does, you may struggle to hire and retain good employees
If your not-for-profit’s program lineup has remained unchanged for a couple of years, some of them might be due for replacement. Consider using the tradition of spring cleaning to review and update your offerings.
- March 5, 2018
Many nonprofits struggle with technology because of smaller staffs and limited IT expertise. For them, "embracing the cloud" is a solution that’s easy to adopt, and could result in better control over technology costs and greater efficiency and productivity.
- March 5, 2018
Are you doing everything you can to educate your financial supporters and their employers about matching gifts? Corporate gift-matching enables donors to make larger contributions than they can manage on their own. Knowing their gift will be matched, they might even bump up the amount. Therefore, do everything you can
- February 26, 2018
the organization — even when he or she isn’t on the job. However, whether you should take an adverse employment action (such as suspension or termination) against an employee for an outside-of-work incident is a delicate matter.
- February 26, 2018
The key role of a not-for-profit’s internal auditors was once limited largely to testing financial and compliance controls and reporting their findings to the organization’s leadership. But today, with their cross-departmental perspective, internal audit staff (whether employees or outside consultants) can help anticipate and mitigate a variety of risks, improve
- February 12, 2018
Retaining employees reduces substantial recruiting costs. Unfortunately, many employers still find themselves seemingly helpless to stop the random and sometimes constant departure of skilled workers. One way to diagnose the severity of your turnover trouble is to put a number on it.
- February 8, 2018
Yet plenty of nonprofits are still hesitating to add employees to the payroll. If your organization is on the sidelines but thinking about hiring in the near future, the following three questions can help you decide.
- January 31, 2018
Technological hardware keeps many organizations running these days. Unfortunately, hard-mannered technical employees can be bad for business.
- January 30, 2018
From the world of entertainment to Capitol Hill, allegations of sexual harassment have disrupted the status quo and made headlines at a remarkable rate. Meanwhile, on social media, the #MeToo movement has sparked widespread discussion.
- January 30, 2018
Not-for-profit boards can vary widely, with different responsibilities and expectations for their members. The structure, for example, can be anything from a less-involved group that takes its direction from the organization’s leader, to a fully functioning, hands-on board that essentially runs the nonprofit, to boards that fit somewhere in between.