Femi
Forum Replies Created
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Hi Amanda,
This is such a valuable initiative—thank you for opening the floor. At <strong data-start=”268″ data-end=”277″>Mazlo, we support a wide range of nonprofits and fiscal sponsors navigating operational uncertainty, and we’ve seen a few critical financial actions that complement the original 12 steps:
<strong data-start=”461″ data-end=”522″>13. Operationalize Compliance Through Workflow Automation<br data-start=”522″ data-end=”525″> It’s not enough to <em data-start=”544″ data-end=”552″>intend compliance—nonprofits need systems that enforce it. Embedding controls into fund disbursement, approval chains, and documentation ensures audit-readiness without overburdening staff. Especially important in this regulatory climate.
<strong data-start=”786″ data-end=”844″>14. Centralize Visibility Across Programs and Projects<br data-start=”844″ data-end=”847″> Disparate tracking by spreadsheet or siloed bank accounts can hide risk. We recommend real-time dashboards that show cash flow, encumbered funds, and available balances across restricted and unrestricted buckets—so leadership can make informed, confident decisions.
<strong data-start=”1114″ data-end=”1186″>15. Build Financial Resilience Through Infrastructure, Not Just Cuts<br data-start=”1186″ data-end=”1189″> While cost reduction is tempting, strengthening internal financial infrastructure (like fund accounting systems, integrated reporting, and card controls) creates resilience. These improvements often <em data-start=”1388″ data-end=”1394″>save money by reducing errors, fraud risk, and manual overhead.
Happy to share more insights from our work if helpful—appreciate everyone’s ideas here!
Warmly,
Femi
Mazlo
Fiscal Sponsor Partnerships -
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for raising such an important topic—outsourcing financial functions has become a strategic lifeline for many nonprofits, especially in today’s talent-constrained environment.
At <strong data-start=”350″ data-end=”359″>Mazlo, we work closely with nonprofits and fiscal sponsors who are rethinking how they manage their back office. For many of our partners, outsourcing key financial tasks like <strong data-start=”530″ data-end=”602″>bookkeeping, disbursements, grant tracking, and compliance reporting has delivered major time savings and risk reduction—<em data-start=”655″ data-end=”701″>but only when the right systems are in place.
A few trends we’ve seen work well in 2025:
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<strong data-start=”750″ data-end=”808″>Centralized Financial Oversight + Outsourced Execution<br data-start=”808″ data-end=”811″> Nonprofits retain strategic control (budgets, approvals, reporting) while outsourcing day-to-day transactions, reconciliations, and vendor payments.
<strong data-start=”965″ data-end=”1003″>Real-Time Access to Financial Data<br data-start=”1003″ data-end=”1006″> Cloud-native tools like Mazlo allow nonprofit leaders to see the full picture—across projects, grants, or programs—even when an outside provider is executing the work.
<strong data-start=”1179″ data-end=”1214″>Compliance Built into Workflows<br data-start=”1214″ data-end=”1217″> The most successful outsourcing setups pair people with platforms that enforce internal controls, document everything, and make audit prep painless.
If anyone’s looking to streamline their financial operations, we’d be happy to share how Mazlo is helping organizations modernize their back office—<strong data-start=”1517″ data-end=”1560″>without giving up visibility or control.
Let me know if you’d like to connect or see a quick demo!
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Hi Sherri,
Great question—and one we hear often as more nonprofits move toward digital-first financial operations. I’m with <strong data-start=”222″ data-end=”231″>Mazlo (mazlo.com), a financial platform purpose-built for nonprofits and fiscal sponsors. We help organizations modernize their financial systems while staying fully <strong data-start=”380″ data-end=”398″>GAAP-compliant.
While we don’t replace your auditors, we work closely with finance teams to ensure their <strong data-start=”490″ data-end=”522″>digital transaction policies are aligned with industry best practices. Here are a few key areas we often help support:
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<strong data-start=”616″ data-end=”666″>Segregation of Duties in a Digital Environment<br data-start=”666″ data-end=”669″> Our platform enables custom approval chains, role-based permissions, and audit logs to mirror traditional internal control frameworks.
<strong data-start=”809″ data-end=”838″>Audit-Ready Documentation<br data-start=”838″ data-end=”841″> Every transaction—whether by card, ACH, or check—is automatically tagged, categorized, and stored with receipts and notes for full traceability.
<strong data-start=”991″ data-end=”1022″>Enforceable Budget Controls<br data-start=”1022″ data-end=”1025″> Set spending limits by program, department, or cardholder. Rules are enforced at the point of transaction, reducing the risk of overspending or misuse.
<strong data-start=”1182″ data-end=”1215″>Accounting System Integration<br data-start=”1215″ data-end=”1218″> Transactions sync with your existing ledger (e.g., QuickBooks), mapped to your chart of accounts and tagged by grant, program, or project.
We’d be happy to share sample policy templates or show how organizations like yours are building stronger, tech-enabled financial policies.
Would you be open to a 20-minute call to explore further?
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Hi Rachel,
First off—kudos to you for taking on the treasurer role and proactively tackling a really common challenge in community-based nonprofits. We’ve seen this exact scenario—dispersed spending across multiple accounts with limited oversight—create friction for dozens of fiscal sponsors, community orgs, and school-based nonprofits.
I’m with Mazlo (https://mazlo.com/), a nonprofit-native financial platform purpose-built to solve exactly these kinds of operational headaches. We partner with organizations like large fiscal sponsors to streamline fund accounting, enable secure team-level spending, and reduce administrative overhead—without forcing you to change banks.
Here’s how Mazlo could help your situation:
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<strong data-start=”841″ data-end=”872″>Centralized Fund Accounting: Consolidate all team funds into one main account and assign internal sub-balances to each program or team. No need to manage separate bank accounts.
<strong data-start=”1025″ data-end=”1050″>Custom Spend Controls: Issue debit cards (tied to your existing bank account) with dynamic controls by team—limit spend by category, vendor, or dollar amount.
<strong data-start=”1190″ data-end=”1224″>Real-Time Tracking & Approvals: Team leads can submit purchase requests, track balances, and see approvals in real-time. You maintain oversight without bottlenecks.
<strong data-start=”1361″ data-end=”1387″>Flexible Disbursements: Handle both card payments and one-off check needs through the platform while keeping everything reconciled.
Mazlo is not a bank—so you don’t have to switch your current institution. We integrate with your checking account and accounting software (like QuickBooks or Xero) to provide the visibility and control you need.