Is a Merger Right for Your Nonprofit?

Deciding whether to merge with another nonprofit isn’t a straightforward decision. Although some nonprofits struggled through the COVID-19 years, others prospered. Now, with high inflation rates and a possible recession, many nonprofits are again left with questions about their futures. A merger can help organizations share expenses and weather economic storms. But there are also…

Nonprofit CEO Compensation Climbs While Gender Pay Gap Persists

Candid’s 2022 Nonprofit Compensation Report — the most comprehensive study on nonprofit compensation — draws exclusively from data reported on IRS Forms 990 and 990-EZ. The latest report, the 22nd edition, reviews key employee compensation from close to 88,000 tax-exempt organizations for fiscal year 2020. The study found that, though median compensation for nonprofit CEOs…

Envisioning the Future: How to Assemble a Succession Plan

Succession planning is an important activity for every nonprofit organization. It’s not a matter of if, but when you’ll need a plan. Prior planning can help determine whether the transition will be seamless and successful or risk your organization’s future. You can’t draft a plan overnight, and the sooner you develop one, the better prepared…

How Automation Can Help Fill Your Staffing Gaps

Like many other employers suffering through the so-called Great Resignation, some nonprofits are struggling to fill — and keep filled — all of their positions. Automating processes with software could provide relief for organizations of every size. Case for automation Nonprofits understandably might fear that automation will remove the human touch valued by everyone from…

4 Steps to Better Grant Management

Grants have long been the lifeblood of many nonprofits, and more organizations are wading into grant waters amidst continuing economic uncertainty. Establishing or revamping your grant management process doesn’t happen overnight, but the long-term payoffs (and potential payouts) make the investment well worth it. Here are some steps for improving your grant management. 1. Take…

Critical Tax Reminders for Nonprofit Special Events

After the pandemic-induced lull, many nonprofits are making up for lost time and fundraising opportunities by ramping up their special events. It’s easy to get caught up in the details that come with event planning, but it’s also important to remember that these functions can have tax implications. Here are some things to keep in…

IRS Issues Guidance on LLCs as 501(c)(3) Entities

Nonprofits often use limited liability companies (LLCs) when they want to form subsidiaries to, for example, launch a new service or joint venture. However, federal regulations for tax-exempt organizations don’t specifically address LLCs. This makes new guidance from the IRS on the requirements an LLC must satisfy to be deemed tax-exempt welcome news. Guidance gap…

Changes are Coming to Your Auditor’s Report

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Auditing Standards Board’s latest standards are kicking in, and many nonprofits will notice resulting changes to the format and content of auditor reports on their organizations’ financial statements. The updates are intended to make auditor reports more meaningful and transparent for the users of financial statements, including…

How to Protect Your Nonprofit from Cyberattacks

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in numerous risks for nonprofit organizations. In addition to health-related risks and financial challenges, the pandemic has intensified the threat of cyberattacks. Hackers have grown more sophisticated in recent years. They often target nonprofits because charities hold confidential donor data but may fail to safeguard such data. And the cost…

4 Tips for Rebuilding Your Operating Reserves

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven home many lessons for nonprofits, perhaps none so much as the importance of operating reserves. If your nonprofit is among those organizations with dramatically depleted — or nonexistent — reserves, here are some steps you can take to remedy the situation. 1. Achieve buy-in. It sometimes can be difficult to…