GuideStar Blog

Nonprofit finance and accounting can be tricky business. First of all—serving as a responsible steward of money coming in from a multitude of sources with diverse demands is a huge challenge. Then, rules and regulations are in constant flux. Compliance is becoming increasingly complex and burdensome. Fraud is a potential risk lurking around every corner. And, oh yeah. There’s the seemingly never-ending stresses associated with audit planning and prep. 

We in the nonprofit sector don’t like the “F” word … fraud, that is.

After all, we’re in the business of doing good, and fraud is just bad and ugly. However, turning a blind eye to the possibility can be even more damaging than the actual deception.

Consider this: Of those who responded to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ 2016 Global Fraud Study, 10.1 percent of victim organizations were nonprofits that reported a median loss of $100,000; 18.7 percent were government agencies that reported a median loss of $109,000.

Is your nonprofit ripe for fraud? If we’re being totally honest, it probably is, particularly if any or all of the following scenarios sound familiar:

“Overhead” can be a dirty word in nonprofit circles. It’s typically referred to as the costs associated with actually running a nonprofit – administrative costs, fundraising costs, staff costs, etc.

Some 45 percent of Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions, according to the Statistic Brain Research Institute.

Because you’re reading this blog, you’ve likely stepped away from your mountain of work for a little brain break. You probably needed the breather. It was on your terms. Your choice. And, you’ll soon return to your work feeling refreshed and focused.

As we head into late summer/early fall, most people’s attention turns to the kiddos heading back to school, the weather finally cooling off, and the leaves changing colors. However, as nonprofit professionals, our attention turns to one thing – the single most important event for all nonprofits – end-of-year (EOY) fundraising!

Tired of cookie-cutter fundraising recommendations? Because they don’t take your specific fundraising practices into account, they simply can’t help you raise more dough (sorry, couldn’t resist.)

Visuals are powerful. Images convey sense, purpose, place, and emotion ... in an instant. They cause us to react and respond. They spark something deep inside of us.

The annual appeal sent to a home where the donor contact is recently deceased. The call made to the prospective major donor … who just spoke with someone on your fundraising team last week (and told him no). The volumes of direct mail pieces sent out with no response.