I’d look for a nonprofit accountant who understands both QuickBooks Online and social enterprises, rather than simply a general bookkeeper. Your chart of accounts and tracking structure sound like the real issue. REDF alumni could also be a useful source of referrals, since they’re likely dealing with very similar reporting headaches.

I’d lean towards following your consultant’s treatment, but I’d ask them to confirm the pass-through arrangement against the 990 rules. If it must be reported, you can still explain that these funds are restricted/pass through rather than operating revenue. A short note comparing 2022 and 2023 should prevent the numbers causing unnecessary alarm.

I’d be hesitant to attach the charity profile directly to your personal Venmo, even though Venmo allows charity profiles to connect to a personal account. It may be cleaner to use a dedicated organisational setup. I’d also confirm the ownership arrangements with Venmo first.

I think the strategic plan and operating budget should be closely connected. It helps to identify the additional costs created by new priorities before they are approved. That way, the budget reflects where the organisation actually wants to go.

I’d generally use the actual manufacturing cost, rather than the retail price, when accounting for the books donated. The retail price represents potential sales value, not what the organisation actually spent. That said, I’d check your accountant’s preferred treatment, especially for donation reporting.

I think diversification is probably the safest approach. Having a healthy mix of grants, donations, earned income and other funding can make nonprofits less vulnerable when one source dries up. It may not make an organisation recession-proof, but it can certainly make the bumps easier to manage.

Sage Intacct Planning is the native solution for this. Vena is a good alternative if your team is Excel-obsessed.

Ok.

Thank you.

You are spot on. Excel is too manual for timely forecasts. Sage Intacct has options.

Sage Intacct Planning is the native add-on. It pulls data directly, automates the cycle, and lets users access forecasts without emailing spreadsheets. Best for getting rid of the manual grind.

Vena sits on top of Excel but connects to Intacct. Good if your team is… Read more