Nonprofit Bookkeeping
You run the mission.
Not the books.
CPA led bookkeeping for grants, programs, and board ready reporting.
- CPA Led
- Grant Tracking
- QuickBooks Support
- Virtual Service
THE REALITY
Is the executive director also running the accounting department?
It happens all the time. The nonprofit starts small. Someone handles the bills. The executive director watches the bank account. A board member helps with QuickBooks. Payroll gets outsourced. Grants arrive. Programs grow.
And suddenly the organization has multiple grants, restricted funding, payroll, credit cards, reimbursements, several programs, different reporting requirements, board financial reports, budget to actual reporting, and a Form 990 coming, with one executive director trying to keep all of it straight.
Eventually, the bookkeeping becomes too important and too complicated to remain somebody's side job. That's where we can help.
NONPROFIT BOOKKEEPING SERVICES
Support customized to your organization
Services tailored to your funding sources, systems, and reporting needs.
Grant, Fund and Program Tracking
Financial Reporting
QuickBooks Support
Accounting Support
Request My Nonprofit Assessment
FINANCIAL CLARITY
Your financial reports should tell the story of the organization
The board should not receive financial statements nobody understands. The executive director should not have to spend hours reconstructing what happened before every board meeting. And grant reporting should not require digging through months of transactions.
A reliable accounting process should help leadership answer questions such as:
- How much unrestricted cash do we actually have?
- Which grants still have funding available?
- How much has each program spent?
- Are expenses being coded consistently?
- How are we performing against budget?
- Are all bank and credit card accounts reconciled?
- Are restricted funds being tracked appropriately?
- Are the books ready when the tax preparer or auditor requests them?
GOOD FIT
Especially helpful for smaller and growing nonprofits
You do not necessarily need a full time accounting department. But you do need somebody to own the bookkeeping process.
- Executive director handling too much of the bookkeeping
- Limited internal finance staff
- Multiple grants or restricted funding
- Program level financial reporting needs
- Employees and payroll
- Outgrown volunteer or part time bookkeeping
- Preparing for increased grant funding or growth
BOOKKEEPING CLEANUP
First we fix the foundation. Then we keep it clean.
Sometimes the first step is simply getting the books back under control. We can help assess nonprofit books that are several months behind, not fully reconciled, inconsistently coded, missing grant or program detail, or producing financial reports leadership does not trust.
Depending on the situation, we can develop a cleanup plan and then transition the organization into ongoing monthly bookkeeping.
GRANT FUNDED ORGANIZATIONS
Support when funding adds complexity
Grant funding can add an entirely different layer of complexity. We help keep accounting records organized around those funding sources so your team has better information for grant reports, budgets, and reimbursement requests.
- Separate budgets
- Different allowable costs
- Different program periods
- Different reporting deadlines
- Payroll allocations
- Shared costs
- Restricted uses
- Matching requirements
- Documentation requirements
We do not replace your program or grant manager. We help make sure the financial side is organized enough for them to do their job.
HOW WE WORK
CPA led. Team delivered.
Your nonprofit should not have to depend on one person knowing everything about the books. Absolute Accountant uses a team based approach that gives your organization access to professional bookkeeping support, defined monthly processes, accounting oversight, and continuity when staff change, without recruiting an entire internal finance department.
WHO WE SUPPORT
Nonprofits we can support
- Community and human service organizations
- Youth serving and educational nonprofits
- Housing and homelessness organizations
- Arts, cultural, and advocacy organizations
- Foundations, associations, and faith based organizations
- Animal welfare and community development nonprofits
- Other established 501(c)(3) and nonprofit organizations
Don't see your type of organization listed? Tell us about your organization and we can determine whether your accounting needs align with our services.
HOW IT WORKS
From assessment to monthly support
-
Request an assessment
Tell us about your organization, funding, accounting system, staff, and where the current process is breaking down.
-
We review your needs
Our team reviews the information you provide to determine whether Absolute Accountant appears to be a good fit.
-
Nonprofit accounting fit call
Qualified organizations discuss bookkeeping, grants, payroll, reporting needs, QuickBooks setup, and cleanup requirements.
-
Define the scope
We determine what Absolute Accountant should own, what remains with your internal team, and whether cleanup is needed first.
-
Customized proposal
Nonprofit bookkeeping is custom priced based on the actual accounting workload and complexity.
-
Cleanup, transition and support
Once the engagement begins, we address agreed upon cleanup and establish the ongoing monthly process.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do you work with small nonprofits?
Yes. In fact, outsourced bookkeeping can be particularly useful for smaller nonprofits that need professional financial support but are not large enough to employ a complete internal accounting department. The organization still needs appropriate internal involvement and oversight, but the bookkeeping function does not need to sit entirely with the executive director.
Can you track grants separately?
Depending on your accounting system and reporting needs, we can help organize accounting activity by grant, program, class, department, or other appropriate tracking structure. The appropriate setup depends on the number of grants, reporting requirements, and complexity of the organization.
Can you prepare reports for our board?
Monthly reporting can include financial statements and budget to actual reports that leadership can use when preparing information for the board. We can determine the appropriate reporting package during the assessment.
Can you help if our QuickBooks is a mess?
Yes. Historical cleanup may be completed before ongoing bookkeeping begins. We will first determine the condition of the books and what needs to be corrected.
Do you help with nonprofit audits?
Absolute Accountant can support the accounting side of audit preparation by helping maintain organized books, reconciliations, schedules, and financial records. An independent audit itself must be performed by an appropriately independent CPA firm when required.
Can you prepare our Form 990?
Tax preparation is separate from the bookkeeping engagement and will depend on the services currently offered and the scope agreed upon. Regardless of who prepares the return, maintaining clean and complete accounting records makes year-end reporting significantly easier.
Do you only serve North Dakota nonprofits?
No. Absolute Accountant is based in North Dakota and provides virtual bookkeeping and accounting services to nonprofit organizations throughout the United States.
RELATED SERVICES
Continue exploring
Your mission needs your attention, not another Saturday in QuickBooks
Tell us what's happening with your organization's accounting. We'll help determine whether Absolute Accountant can take some of it off your plate.
Request My Nonprofit Bookkeeping Assessment