Financial Affairs

Financial Affairs Accounting for change, every day!

04/11/2026

Transparency isn’t a marketing tactic.

It’s a trust practice. And trust is what keeps supporters close.

04/10/2026

Do you review your Form 990 before it’s filed?

Yes (always)

Sometimes

No

What’s a 990 review? 😅

04/09/2026

A board member once said, “I didn’t know our 990 was public.”

That changed everything.

After that, the org started treating the 990 like a communications document too—clear program descriptions, consistent story, and board review.

04/08/2026

990 prep tip: schedule a 30-minute “990 readiness” meeting now.

Invite: ED + finance + development/program rep.

Goal: confirm who is gathering what—and what the timeline is.

A short meeting now prevents a long headache later.

04/07/2026

Think of Form 990 like your nonprofit’s public résumé:

mission + programs

money in and out

governance and accountability signals



If your internal reports are messy, the 990 becomes stressful. If your reports are clear, the 990 becomes confirmatory.

04/06/2026

Form 990 isn’t just “an IRS form.” It’s a public snapshot of your nonprofit.
It tells donors and funders how you operate—and whether your financial story matches your mission story.

This week: plain-English 990 basics so you can lead calmly (and stop treating April like a surprise).

Have you ever had a donor or board member ask for your 990?

03/25/2026

Try this agenda format:

Dashboard (5 minutes)
Top 3 variances (10 minutes)
Risks/forecast (5 minutes)
Decisions needed (10 minutes)
Questions (as needed)

Your meetings will end on time… and everyone will think you’re magic.

03/24/2026

Two board meeting styles:

• “Walk through the statements line by line” → slow, exhausting
• “Dashboard + variances + decisions” → fast, strategic

Your board didn’t join to review QuickBooks.
They joined to govern and lead.

02/22/2026

Good governance is invisible when it’s working.

Your goal isn’t perfection —
it’s responsible systems that protect your mission.

02/21/2026

Who “owns” compliance checklists in your organization right now?

A. Finance
B. HR
C. Executive Director
D. We’re not sure

Clarity of ownership is half the battle.

02/20/2026

A nonprofit waited until year-end to review a compliance issue. It turned into:

• Last-minute CPA rush
• Messy documentation
• Anxious board questions

The fix wasn’t “more work.”
It was earlier review + a simple annual checklist rhythm.

Calm compliance > reactive cleanup.

02/19/2026

This one isn’t “everyone” — but it is important governance.

OBBBA expands IRC Section 4960, adding a 21% excise tax on employee compensation over $1 million for exempt organizations (including related entities) and requiring reporting on Form 4720.

If your nonprofit is anywhere near that threshold, this becomes a board-level compliance conversation — not a “we’ll deal with it later” item.

Early review.
Clear documentation.
Defined ownership.

That’s good governance.

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Fort Worth, TX

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