Olsen Thielen Advisor Blog

Is your not-for-profit association offering enough (or the right) programs to keep members active and engaged? New programs require time, effort and money. So when you commit to developing one, you want to get the biggest bang for your buck.

To err is human, but your not-for-profit’s supporters, not to mention the IRS, may be less than forgiving if errors affect your financial books. Even the smallest nonprofit should set formal, documented and detailed procedures for managing financial and bookkeeping chores.

What would happen if one of your not-for-profit’s key people suddenly quit or had to go on long-term disability? Would you be able to conduct business as usual? To prevent a critical function from possibly coming to a standstill, consider cross-training staff.

Declining donations, dues, grants or sponsorship funds may lead to not-for-profit budget deficits. But you can reduce the risk of cash flow crunches by making relatively minor changes to your cash management practices.

Your not-for-profit can’t generally reimburse employees for business expenses tax-free just because staffers submit expense records. However, you can if you have a properly executed accountable plan. Under such a plan, reimbursement payments will be free from federal income and employment taxes for recipient employees and not subject to withholding

Most not-for-profits are intensely focused on present needs — not the possibility that disaster will strike sometime in the distant future. Yet it’s critical that all organizations have a formal continuity plan to guide them should a natural or manmade disaster disrupt operations.

If your not-for-profit solicits funds online or uses other fundraising methods that cross state boundaries, it may need to register in multiple jurisdictions.

Not-for-profit organizations are constantly trying to recruit and retain quality members for their board of directors (board).  An ingredient for a quality board is diversity in ideology and thought process.  One easy way to create a diverse culture within a board is to recruit and retain young professionals.

Form 990 is the form the Internal Revenue Service requires each tax-exempt organization to file yearly. Form 990 is a public document that anyone can review, including possible donors, lenders, and potential future board members.  So, instead of just trying to get it filed with the least amount of effort