Theo
Forum Replies Created
-
This is a timely question, thank you. I am curious whether anyone has seen major gifts hold steady while small gifts fall. Also, how quickly do corporate sponsors pull back? Would value hearing others’ experience. Reserves seem to matter enormously here.
-
Has anyone tried embedding feeds versus manual posting? I wonder which actually drives donations. Also curious whether link tracking gets messy across platforms. Would love to hear what worked for smaller charities. Thank you for raising this.
-
Theo here again. Dan, the question of using the same wages for multiple funding or credit purposes is certainly an important part of this discussion. For nonprofits that received government funding, the treatment of wages can require careful review before claiming the Employee Retention Credit. There were organizations that benefited from the credit, but eligibility and wage allocation can be quite fact-specific. If your auditor has already raised concerns, I would take those concerns seriously and ask them to explain the specific risk in your situation. It may also be worth getting advice from a tax professional who understands nonprofit credits. The potential benefit should always be considered alongside the possibility of repayment, penalties, and additional compliance work.
-
Theo here. Joseph, I can see why the board might be confused. They may simply be looking at two different views of the organization’s finances without enough explanation of how the figures relate to one another. My view is that finance reports provide the formal accounting picture, while fundraising reports provide a relationship and development picture. Both can be useful for different purposes. A simple bridge document could help connect the two. One page could show the finance figure, then identify DAF and family foundation gifts separately, followed by the annual fund total. Calling it something like “Fundraising View” could make its purpose clear. Providing it alongside the regular finance pack may make the distinction much easier for the board to follow.
-
Making financial information understandable to board members is a surprisingly important skill. Not everyone around the table will be comfortable with accounting terminology, and that is perfectly normal. I think the real goal should be helping members recognise what the numbers are saying about the organisation. Clear dashboards, simple explanations and a few well-chosen questions can go a long way. There is little value in producing a beautiful financial report that nobody understands. Good governance starts when people feel comfortable enough to ask what something actually means.