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Jen: This is The PKF Texas – Entrepreneur’s Playbook®. I’m Jen Lemanski, and I’m back once again with Carlos Gomez, an Audit Manager and one of the faces of our PKF Texas Contract Compliance Services team. Carlos, welcome back to the Playbook.

Carlos: Thank you, Jen.

Jen: So, we’ve talked about various aspects of contract compliance services in previous videos. And we’ve talked about the monetary benefits. What other benefits are there for a contract compliance type engagement?

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Continue Reading The Benefits of a Contract Compliance Engagement

Not-for-profit organizations are different from for-profit businesses in many vital ways. One of the most crucial differences is that under Section 501(c)(3), Sec. 501(c)(7) and other provisions, not-for-profits are tax-exempt. But your tax-exempt status is fragile. If you don’t follow the rules laid out in IRS Publication 557, Tax-Exempt Status for Your Organization, the IRS could revoke it.

package wrapped in black bubble wrap with red label "Handle with Care. FRAGILE. Thank you."; image used for blog post about not-for-profit protecting tax-exempt status

Be particularly alert to the following common stumbling blocks.

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Continue Reading Protecting Your NFP’s Tax-Exempt Status

When you file your tax return, you must check one of the following filing statuses: Single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household or qualifying widow(er). Who qualifies to file a return as a head of household, which is more favorable than single?

grey asphalt with figures drawn in yellow, depicting a family of parents with a small child and baby; image used for blog post about qualifying for head of household tax filing status

To qualify, you must maintain a household, which for more than half the year, is the principal home of a “qualifying child” or other relative of yours whom you can claim as a dependent (unless you only qualify due to the multiple support rules).

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Continue Reading Qualifying for “Head of Household” Tax Filing Status

High-net-worth individuals donated $5.8 billion during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic — generous giving by most standards. This is according to a recent report, “Philanthropy and COVID-19 in the first half of 2020,” from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and information service Candid. However, that $5.8 billion amount is deceptive, because nearly three-quarters of it came from one donor, Mackenzie Scott (the ex-wife of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos).

two women writing on papers with data and pie charts on a table; image used for blog post about not-for-profits reaching out to high-net-worth individuals for funding

In fact, a 2020 study from the Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy found that only a relatively small percentage, 36%, of the ultra-wealthy are involved in charitable giving. This may sound like ominous news for not-for-profit organizations. But there are ways to tap this group’s ample resources.

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Continue Reading Consider High-Net-Worth Individuals for Your NFP Efforts

Jen: This is The PKF Texas – Entrepreneur’s Playbook®. I’m Jen Lemanski, and I’m back again with Nicole Riley, an Audit Director and one of the faces of the PKF Texas not-for-profit team. Nicole, welcome back to the playbook.

Nicole: Hi, good morning.

Jen: Data analytics. You hear that a lot. What are they and how do they impact a not-for-profit organization?

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Continue Reading Why Your Not-for-Profit Should Use Data Analytics

Many not-for-profits are just starting to emerge from one of the most challenging environments in recent memory due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if your organization is in good shape, don’t get too comfortable. Financial obstacles can appear at any time and you need to be vigilant about acting on certain warning signs.

black and yellow diagonal stripes of a warning sign; image used for blog post about financial warning signs for not-for-profits

Consider the following.

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Continue Reading Not-for-Profits: Don’t Ignore These Financial Warning Signs

According to the Nonprofit Times, only 41% of not-for-profits have whistleblower policies. Perhaps not-for-profit leaders believe their organizations are too small or collegial to worry about illicit activities — let alone people reporting them.

white paper cutouts of heads and one red cutout blowing a whistle; image used for blog post about whistleblower policies for not-for-profits

Or perhaps a whistleblower policy seems like one more thing that requires time and money they don’t have. This is a mistake. Here’s why.

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Continue Reading Protect Your Not-for-Profit with Whistleblower Policies

Jen: This is The PKF Texas – Entrepreneur’s Playbook®. I’m Jen Lemanski, and I’m back again with Matt Goldston, a director in our entrepreneurial advisory services group, as well as one of the faces of the PKF Texas bank advisory team. Matt, welcome back to the playbook.

Matt: Thank you, Jen. I appreciate it.

Jen: So, last time you were here we talked a little bit about, you know, being on the CFO side and what banks are requesting for field examinations. Let’s flip the switch a little bit. What types of services are banks requesting that we work with them on?

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Continue Reading What to Know About Bank Advisory Services

How committed is your not-for-profit organization to benchmarking? Perhaps you think it makes sense in the for-profit sphere, but not as much for charities and other not-for-profits. If so, you’re probably missing out on benefits — including long-term sustainability.

man looking at documents with data and charts; image used for blog post about benchmarking for not-for-profits

Here’s how to overcome reluctance and learn to love benchmarking.

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Continue Reading Time to Embrace Benchmarking for Your Not-for-Profit

Jen: This is The PKF Texas – Entrepreneur’s Playbook®. I’m Jen Lemanski, and I’m back once again with Emily Smikal, a tax director and one of the faces of our PKF Texas not-for-profit team. Emily, welcome back to the Playbook.

Emily: Thanks for having me again.

Jen: So, I know for profit organizations can be audited by the IRS. I’m assuming not-for-profit organizations can also be audited for the IRS. Are there any steps that they can take to maybe avoid an audit?

Emily: Yes, not-for-profit entities can be audited, and so, it’s important to just understand how the IRS selects which organizations they’re going to audit so you can be somewhat prepared for that. So, first of all, you can’t fully know; they will randomly select organizations to audit, but there are some common triggers to just be aware of.

Jen: What are those triggers?

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Continue Reading How Your NFP Can Avoid Pitfalls of an IRS Audit