A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 5/28/24 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 5/28/24

TEMPLATE: Basic Capital Budget Spreadsheet [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Capital budgets are an important planning tool, helping nonprofit organizations to avoid problems from capital assets being used past their useful life, address future capacity challenges, and improve long-term cash flow planning. This basic capital budget spreadsheet template will help organizations to start tracking the acquisition and maintenance of their “capital assets,” i.e., material (larger dollar) assets that are expected to have a useful life of more than one year, such as computers, office furniture and equipment, leasehold improvements, and vehicles.

A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 4/30/24 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 4/30/24

Integrating Financial Health Assessments into Your Organization’s Planning Process [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

The markers for tracking and assessing a nonprofit organization’s financial health are not a mystery. The key elements of financial health (operating reserves, funding, and operational expenses) are generally easy to identify and understand. You just need a willingness to keep your eyes open and a commitment to pause and make an honest assessment of a financial picture that has most likely been changing.

A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 4/23/24 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 4/23/24

WORKSHEET: Financial Health Assessment and Implementation Framework [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

The purpose of this Financial Health Assessment and Implement Framework worksheet is to help you to step back and assess your organization’s recent financial position and set the stage for planning the next two years. This worksheet will help you to look back at recent history while looking forward to create a path to improve your organization’s financial health and enhancing sustainability.

A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 4/2/24 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 4/2/24

Watching Over Pledges Receivable During Periods of Change and Uncertainty [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Pledges receivable are a vital asset on a nonprofit organization’s balance sheet. However, this asset is highly sensitive to changing economic conditions and donor sentiment. Understanding how past management actions have impacted pledges receivable, and learning to adopt new management tactics, is vital to protecting current pledges receivable and attracting new pledges.

A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 3/26/24 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 3/26/24

TEMPLATE: Current Operating and Intermediate Funds Cash Management Guidelines [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

This Cash Management Guidelines template is designed to help your organization set targets the management of both current operating funds and intermediate funds, establish investment guidelines consist with your organization’s cash management needs.

Benjamin Takis 3/19/24 Benjamin Takis 3/19/24

The Importance of Keeping Records of Board and Officer Terms [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Corporate recordkeeping is an area where nonprofit organizations often fall short of best practices. One common pitfall is the failure to maintain a list of the current Board member and Officer terms of office with precise start and end dates. This oversight seems small but can have very significant consequences, especially when an internal dispute arises.

Benjamin Takis 12/26/23 Benjamin Takis 12/26/23

Seven Key Steps for Managing Nonprofit Corporate Governance Disputes [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

For most nonprofit organizations, it is a rare occurrence for internal corporate governance disputes to escalate to the point of litigation. However, court cases are sometimes unavoidable. A notable D.C. Court of Appeals decision addressed several important issues related to corporate governance challenges and illustrated some key steps nonprofits can take to better manage these disputes.

A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 9/19/23 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 9/19/23

In the Search for Professional Services, Caring is as Important as Knowledge [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

In the search to find the best professional service providers such as attorneys, accountants, consultants, investment advisors, and real estate brokers, nonprofits often overemphasize subject matter expertise and knowledge. However, if the service provider does not display a caring attitude and willingness to understand the organization’s unique needs, mission, and culture, the results will not be what the organization expected.

A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 3/21/23 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 3/21/23

How Intermediate Cash Fund Pools Support Long-Term Investment Portfolios [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Nonprofit organizations should expand their cash management policies and procedures to include provisions for establishing and maintaining intermediate cash fund pools. This will not only enhance protection and management of operating (short-term) cash funds, but also act as a conservative buffer for long-term investment strategies, allocation targets, and portfolio risk management.

A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 2/21/23 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 2/21/23

How to Make Your Nonprofit Audit Committee More Impactful [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Audit committees for nonprofit organizations are charged with filling a very important and broad fiscal and financial accountability and governance oversight role. Most nonprofit audit committees center their attention on the back-end of the annual financial statement audit process when they receive draft auditor reports. While this is an important function, audit committees can be more impactful if they shift more of their focus to the front-end of the annual audit process and expand their internal control and business practices oversight roles.

A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 1/16/23 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 1/16/23

Regular Communication Between Development and Finance Departments is Essential for Donor Management [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Donors are one of the most precious sources of funding for publicly supported nonprofit organizations. Managing this resource is critical to sustainability, continuity, and financial health. There are many important elements to donor management, but these elements will be rendered almost useless without consistent pathways of communication and sharing of information between development and finance departments.

A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 1/9/23 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 1/9/23

The Case for Capitalizing Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Nonprofit organizations are now accustomed to living with changing conditions. Change can come in many different forms, from dramatic and fast (remote working, inflation) to subtle and out of sight (technology, rules, and regulations). A noteworthy example involves portable electronic devices (PEDs), which have seen subtle steady changes leading to lower cost with expanded performance and capacity. These changes have led to new risks that deserve special attention.

A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 12/5/22 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 12/5/22

How Nonprofits Can Better Manage Overhead Expenses [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Managing a nonprofit organization’s overhead (management and general) expenses is just as important as managing program and fundraising expenses. Most nonprofits would not dispute this statement. However, most organizations tend to put an inordinate focus on managing program and fundraising expenses and ignore or not give equal attention to managing overhead expenses.

A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 9/12/22 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 9/12/22

Use Key Assumptions to Focus and Frame Planning and Messaging [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

My favorite “go-to” tactic for working though complex planning challenges is to develop a short list of “key assumptions” that focuses on strategic objectives and desired results. This approach helps to simplify messaging and fast-track consensus and approval by diminishing feelings of negativity and confusion.

A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 8/22/22 A. Michael Gellman (CPA, CGMA) 8/22/22

Applying Segregation of Duties Beyond Standard Checks and Balances [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Segregation of duties is a bedrock principal of internal accounting control systems and is visible in many elements of nonprofit organization accounting policies and procedures. Without segregation of duties, internal accounting control systems would not be safe or effective. Less often recognized is the powerful impact segregation of duties can have when applied to operational planning and resource management.

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Most Recent Posts

TEMPLATE: Basic Capital Budget Spreadsheet [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Integrating Financial Health Assessments into Your Organization’s Planning Process [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

WORKSHEET: Financial Health Assessment and Implementation Framework [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Watching Over Pledges Receivable During Periods of Change and Uncertainty [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

TEMPLATE: Current Operating and Intermediate Funds Cash Management Guidelines [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

The Importance of Keeping Records of Board and Officer Terms [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Seven Key Steps for Managing Nonprofit Corporate Governance Disputes [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

In the Search for Professional Services, Caring is as Important as Knowledge [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

How Intermediate Cash Fund Pools Support Long-Term Investment Portfolios [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

How to Make Your Nonprofit Audit Committee More Impactful [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Regular Communication Between Development and Finance Departments is Essential for Donor Management [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

The Case for Capitalizing Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

How Nonprofits Can Better Manage Overhead Expenses [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Use Key Assumptions to Focus and Frame Planning and Messaging [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

Applying Segregation of Duties Beyond Standard Checks and Balances [SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY]

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