Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance and Your Nonprofit Organization
By Mac Lillard, CPA, CITP, CISA, CFE | Audit Senior Accountant According to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Council (PCD DSC) any organization that stores, processes, and/or transmits cardholder data is required to be compliant with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). There is a common misconception that use of a third-party provider…
Why is Preparation of a Complete and Accurate SEFA so Imperative?
By Laura Malcom, CPA | Audit Manager The schedule of expenditures of federal awards (SEFA) is the “meat” of any Uniform Guidance audit. Often it is one of the first pieces of information that a CPA firm will request when designing and planning the audit. The total expenditures reported in the SEFA is the determination…
Achieving Proper Segregation of Duties with Limited Nonprofit Resources
By: Alejandra Jensen, CPA, CFE | Nonprofit Audit Manager Although they recognize the importance of maintaining proper segregation of duties (SOD) as a risk management best practice, many nonprofits still struggle because of limited staff, scarce resources and tight budgets. These organizations are under pressure to cut costs, increase revenue, and identify additional funding streams…
Anticipating Going Concern Issues Can Save Nonprofits Valuable Time and Effort
By: Omid Mohebbi, CPA | Audit Supervisor Introduction Auditors occasionally come across going concern issues in the course of performing their audit procedures. These issues essentially refer to the ability or inability, as the case may be, of the audited entity to continue operations beyond a certain timeframe, which the standards refer to as “a reasonable…
Unrestricted Net Assets and Key Financial Ratios Help Nonprofits Focus on their Financial Health
By: Michael Shaffer | Nonprofit Audit Manager In my 18 years as an auditor of nonprofit organizations, I have sat in a large number of offices for meetings with my clients. I always enjoy seeing how folks have their offices decorated, but one office stands out to me more than others over the years. This…
Compliance Best Practices for Reporting Fundraising Events on the Form 990
By: Katelyn Miller, CPA | Nonprofit Tax Manager Both exempt organizations and readers of the Form 990 often question the presentation of fundraising events on the return. Because the Form 990 presents revenue and expenses in a unique way on Schedule G, Part II, it is common to report a net loss from such events. Fundraising events…
Manage International NGO Risk Effectively with an External Field Office Audit
By: Max Manley, CPA | Nonprofit Audit Manager International NGOs (INGOs) working overseas in the development and humanitarian response sectors face a unique set of challenges and risks from both an accounting and operational standpoint. Whether your role resides at headquarters (HQ) or in a field office, as an INGO leader your responsibilities include managing…
Keeping Your Nonprofit’s Technology Modern, Safe and Cost-Efficient with an IT Audit
For smaller or start-up nonprofits, infrastructure elements like information technology (IT) are often small and uncomplicated allowing the greatest flexibility and economy. The bad news is that while the organization is saving money, aging IT systems lack critical security features as well as the strategic and functional advantages enjoyed by peers who have prioritized IT…
The Role of the Form 990: Developing a Strategy for Managing Your Charity’s Rating
Just like in business, competition in the nonprofit sector is evolving each year. These days, individuals are continuously solicited over social media to volunteer and support various charities. Would-be donors are encouraged by the media and watchdog groups to be more conscious about how the money they give is ultimately used. Charity Navigator, Great Nonprofits…
Leveraging an IT Assessment Can Protect Nonprofits from Cybercrime
“Cybercrime keeps climbing” was the key finding of the 2016 Global Economic Crime Survey recently completed by PwC. In fact, the survey results show cybercrime “jumping from 4th to 2nd place among the most-reported types of economic crimes.” While organizations are embracing new ways to make their operations digital for efficiency and effectiveness, criminals are…