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The first phase of working together involves learning how your organization operates. Every nonprofit has its own rhythms, traditions, and financial habits. During the first few weeks, and sometimes the first couple of months, I’ll ask more questions as I build an understanding of your activities, fundraising methods, and reporting needs. This foundation allows me to set up processes that work for your group long term. Clear financial statements and consistent reconciliations become the framework that supports board reporting, budgeting, and annual tax filings
As we move forward, the process becomes more routine and requires less back-and-forth. I work remotely and am happy to schedule calls or meetings as needed, while keeping communication efficient and focused. In my other roles supporting volunteer run organizations, I have learned that I am lucky if I fall within your top 10 priorities. I want to make your life as a volunteer treasurer/president as easy as possible.
As you begin making purchases, you will upload photos of receipts to a designated Dropbox folder. You will also have access to a prefilled Google Doc where you can provide details about each purchase. This step is important because it helps me accurately categorize transactions in your accounting software.
During the last week of every month, I am going to ask about any planned activities for the following month. If I know there is a fundraiser on the 10th, dues paid on the 20th, and the Fall concert on the 25th, I know what to expect.
During the first week of each month, I reconcile your accounts. This means I verify that all transactions from the prior month have been properly recorded and that your accounting records match your bank and credit card statements.
After reconciliation, I generate monthly financial reports, including a Profit and Loss Statement and a Balance Sheet (the terms and formats may vary slightly, but the core information remains the same). These reports help confirm that everything is accurate and provides a clear picture of your organization’s financial position.
I generally recommend that small organizations use cash-basis accounting because it is simpler and works well for most operations. I can provide accrual-basis bookkeeping if needed, but this usually makes sense only when there is a clear operational reason, such as managing large grants, tracking significant receivables, or regularly carrying substantial outstanding vendor invoices. As a general rule, if your organization routinely has more than $50,000 in receivables, payables, or deferred grant activity at any given time, accrual accounting is usually justified and I will not push back on using it. If accrual accounting is appropriate for your organization, we can discuss the additional structure and documentation required to support it properly. If you don’t know what any of this means, I think you are in the right place. Feel free to contact me and I am happy to answer any questions. To learn more about my pricing, click here.