Welcome back to another season of The Nonprofit Ace Podcast! This season, several guests will join us as we look to budget and financial plan out the last quarter of 2021. Tune in to check out our guests and their thoughts on financial planning, budgeting, and managing a nonprofit. Thank you so much for joining us! Closer Look Welcome to Season 8! Financial planning for 2021’s 4th quarter Planning realistic budgets Download your FREE Fraud Risk Assessment here: http://cnrgaccountingadvisory.com/...
Oct 12, 2021•4 min•Season 8Ep. 76
Hey guys! Today’s episode is the season finale of Season 7 of Non Profit Ace. To finish this season, we are focusing on the timeline for planning your organization’s fundraising efforts and drives. Starting your campaign in a way that keeps your organization financially solvent throughout the year is critical and requires proper planning and execution. Thanks for tuning in and we will see you next season! Closer Look Knowing when to launch major fundraisers Transparency with donors Budgeting don...
Sep 14, 2021•4 min•Season 7Ep. 75
We are back with another episode of Non Profit Ace! Fall is right around the corner and for many organizations, this is when they focus on their end of the year fundraising goals. Today we look at how to create pragmatic goals and how to plan accordingly for these fundraising campaigns. Tune in and thanks for listening! Closer Look Evaluating previous campaigns Capacity to hold campaign Looking for areas to improve from previous years Download your FREE Fraud Risk Assessment here: http://cnrgacc...
Sep 07, 2021•4 min•Season 7Ep. 74
We are back with another episode of Non Profit Ace! This week we are wrapping up our talks on volunteers within your organization. It is critical to connect with your volunteers meaningfully. Figuring out how to build that relationship will help build goodwill amongst your volunteers and help in maximizing their talents. Tune in and thanks for listening! Closer Look Prioritizing relationships with volunteers Transparency in volunteer roles Supporting volunteers with time and supplies Download yo...
Aug 31, 2021•7 min•Season 7Ep. 73
Hello hello! Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Non Profit Ace! Today we are continuing our focus on volunteers in your organization and are now looking at how to select the right volunteers. Having and using volunteers in the right way is an ever-changing process, with the needs of the organization and the makeup of leadership often playing a role in the need for certain volunteers. Join us as we focus on how to evaluate the needs of your organization and how choosing the right volu...
Aug 24, 2021•5 min•Season 7Ep. 72
Hey guys, welcome to another episode of Non Profit Ace! We are continuing our discussion on volunteers and gauging their time. Volunteers may be in various levels of your organization, and you have to account for that when you are budgeting and measuring the value of their time. Tune in and thank you for listening! Closer Look Understanding different kinds of volunteers Keeping volunteers engaged Software to track time How tracking volunteer time will inform staffing decisions Download your FREE...
Aug 17, 2021•5 min•Season 7Ep. 71
Hey guys! We are back with another episode of Non Profit Ace! Picking up from last week, we focus more on the volunteer aspect of our organizations and how to effectively structure their time. It is imperative to use their skills and time in a way that is beneficial to both them and your organization. Tune in! Closer Look Properly valuing volunteer time Tracking time for future reference Download your FREE Fraud Risk Assessment here: http://cnrgaccountingadvisory.com/fraud Connect with Chyla and...
Aug 10, 2021•4 min•Season 7Ep. 70
Welcome back to another episode of Non Profit Ace! Today, we are going to switch things up and focus on where and how to find good and quality volunteers for your nonprofit. Building out your organization with energetic and competent volunteers is as important as making sure the financial side is crisp and clean. Be on the lookout for good volunteers and know where to find them so your non-profit can really bloom with talented support! Tune in! Closer Look Where to find volunteers Networking wit...
Aug 03, 2021•4 min•Season 7Ep. 69
Summary Hello and welcome to another episode of Non Profit Ace! This week we are touching on “fluff”! Determining what information is important and what isn’t can be tricky sometimes. Cutting to the core of what you need to know and what you don’t is a big part of keeping organizational alignment, and it helps make sure no one gets lost in meetings and other organizational communication. We have a few tips to help you sort through the “fluff” that may be in your organization! Check it out! Close...
Jul 27, 2021•5 min•Season 7Ep. 68
Welcome back to another episode of Non-Profit Ace! Today, we are discussing what you NEED to know rather than what you want to know. Thinking in context financially can help answer questions you may have about cash on hand, future budgeting, and predictions for growth. Understanding context in a financial sense is important, and we’ve got several tips to make sure you are thinking proactively! Tune in! Closer Look Context around your cash Budget vs actuals Planning head Download your FREE Fraud ...
Jul 20, 2021•6 min•Season 7Ep. 67
Hey guys and welcome to another season of NonProfit Ace! Today, we are looking at the importance of understanding your organization's financial statement. Being able to read and comprehend this is important to keep your finances in order. It also allows your Board of Directors and staff to be on the same page. Check out this episode for some valuable tips and information! Closer Look Why knowing the amount of cash on hand is important Understanding statements of activity Reading financial statem...
Jul 13, 2021•5 min•Season 7Ep. 66
Hey guys! This season, we are focused on taking preventative measures to avoid fraud and other financially improper conduct related to nonprofits. On this week of Non Profit Ace, we are examining a case out of California regarding fraud and a bookkeeper. We look at the opportunity for fraud concerning her role and the access she had to financial records, as well as the internal/external pressures she faced, both in her career and personal life that drove her to commit this act. Tune in for an an...
Jun 15, 2021•8 min•Season 6Ep. 65
Hey guys! This season, we are focused on taking preventative measures to avoid fraud and other financially improper conduct related to nonprofits. This week on Nonprofit Ace, we are looking at the logistics of running your organization’s various programming to make sure all parties involved are protected against potential fraud and financial misappropriation. The board of directors, financial staff, donors, volunteers, and paid staff all play a role in making sure everything is running smoothly ...
Jun 08, 2021•5 min•Season 6Ep. 64
Hey guys! This season, we are focused on taking preventative measures to avoid fraud and other financially improper conduct related to nonprofits. This week on NonProfit Ace, we are looking at the questions you should ask yourself, your co-workers, your superiors, and the board about staffing. You should be prepared to manage staffing issues such as distributing information, personal screening, and financial access by staff. Being knowledgeable and prepared to ask the questions Chyla discusses i...
Jun 01, 2021•8 min•Season 6Ep. 63
Hey guys! This season, we are focused on taking preventative measures to avoid fraud and other financially improper conduct related to nonprofits. Too often, we are placing too much trust in management when it comes to financial accountability and decision making. On this episode of NonProfit Ace, Chyla talks about the importance of questioning management in order to create safeguards against fraud from the management level down. Having these in place will help create a culture of accountability...
May 25, 2021•7 min•Season 6Ep. 62
This season, we are focused on taking preventative measures to avoid fraud and other financially improper conduct related to nonprofits. Today, we are focusing on organizations in action. Are you an organization that does what they say they do? Are you applying internal controls, risk assessments, and best practices in action? How are you implementing them? Chyla discusses how to keep yourself from being “all talk, no action” and how to best put your money where your mouth is! Highlights Identif...
May 19, 2021•7 min•Season 6Ep. 61
In this episode, we are continuing our conversation on preventative measures to avoid fraud and other financially improper conduct related to nonprofits. Organizations commonly use fraud risk assessment to identify business risks and weaknesses with internal controls that may cause financial misappropriation and fraud. Today on NonProfit Ace, Chyla walks us through a fraud risk assessment, step by step, and what to include when developing one for your nonprofit. Highlights Policies and Procedure...
May 11, 2021•5 min•Season 6Ep. 60
Hey guys! This season, we are focused on taking preventative measures to avoid fraud and other financially improper conduct related to nonprofits. In this episode, we are examining what makes up a “fraud triangle”. We look at several factors that can lead someone to commit fraud, such as lack of internal controls, pressures both inside and outside the organization, and rationalizing whether the act of fraud is wrong. This is an informative episode that can help you determine if there are opportu...
May 04, 2021•9 min•Season 6Ep. 59
Separating responsibilities amongst team members is an important step in preventing financially fraudulent situations and reduces the risk for the organization. Nonprofits need to have systems in place to prevent one person from becoming overwhelmed with their responsibilities and making mistakes. Creating this segregation can make quite the difference in preventing minor mistakes from becoming much larger ones. Highlights Creating checks and balances to ensure accountability Logbooks and accoun...
Apr 27, 2021•5 min•Season 6Ep. 58
Welcome to a new season of the...drumroll please...NonProfit Ace podcast! Today, I give you guys an update on a few things surrounding the podcast, including why we have a new name. Tune into this episode for a quick update on what’s going on and a kickoff to the new season! Connect with Chyla and CNRG Accounting Advisory: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnrgadvisory/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnrgadvisory/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnrgadvis...
Apr 20, 2021•5 min•Season 6Ep. 57
Organizational risk in the nonprofit world is a huge issue every organization must prepare for and have policies in place to handle when it occurs. To say fraud will never happen in your organization is shortsighted, and having critical internal controls in place is essential to preventing chaos from erupting in case of an emergency. In this episode, Chyla talks about creating processes, procedures, and laws for your organization to make sure you are prepared to handle any financial risk that ma...
Apr 13, 2021•6 min•Season 6Ep. 56
In this episode, we are looking at a New Orleans nonprofit who must answer questions on its financial makeup, regarding the services they provide, how they make money, and how much they have made. What makes the story even more interesting is that the founder of the nonprofit and the President of a for profit company that works with them are married, thus creating confusion and raising eyebrows into their financial standing. This also raises questions regarding potential conflict of interest and...
Mar 16, 2021•7 min•Season 5Ep. 55
This week, we turn our focus to Georgia, and the Companions for Heroes foundation that works to pair veterans with service animals. There had been inconsistency in the number of veterans and animals paired together, which has led to mistrust in the program and has led to an investigation. It is important to be consistent with the data your agency reports in order to maintain trust in the public and the community you are serving. This also calls for consistent data reporting from your organizatio...
Mar 09, 2021•6 min•Season 5Ep. 54
This week, we highlight a story about the Mississippi Department of Human Services dispersing funds to organizations long after the retirement of a former director. It is not uncommon for the government to give funds to agencies to disperse to nonprofits. However, it is important to establish milestones and deadlines in order to maintain control over how and when these funds are spent. It’s critical to outline expectations for these agencies up front in order to maintain authority and create acc...
Mar 02, 2021•7 min•Season 5Ep. 53
This week, we discuss how fiscal sponsorship can go wrong and damage an organization's reputation and financial standing if you select the wrong firm. Fiscal sponsorship is when an organization outsources their financial management to a third party. If you decide to employ an outside firm to handle your money, make sure you do your due diligence when selecting one. Hiring a firm capable of managing all your financial needs will help you prevent any hiccups down the road. It is imperative to inte...
Feb 23, 2021•8 min•Season 5Ep. 52
This season on Nonprofit Nuggets, we will focus on recent stories about various nonprofits missteps and how to avoid some of these mistakes. In this episode, we head to Monterey County and discuss an embezzlement scandal of over $700,000 by founder and director of Central Coast Kids and Families, Lolita Garcia. While many of the employees overbuilt their work and could fraudulently alter timesheets and had too much financial leeway, the onus of keeping such activity in check falls on the board o...
Feb 16, 2021•7 min•Season 5Ep. 51
This season on Nonprofit Nuggets, we will focus on recent stories about various nonprofits missteps and how to avoid some of these mistakes. On today’s episode, we are discussing a story out of Austin, TX around an accountant found guilty of stealing 1.3 million dollars from his organization. This Rodeo Austin accountant subsequently lost his accounting license and left his former employer in financial strife, as they used the proceeds from their annual Rodeo to fund scholarships and other commu...
Feb 09, 2021•10 min•Season 5Ep. 50
This season on Nonprofit Nuggets, we will focus on recent stories about various nonprofits' missteps and how to avoid some of these mistakes. In this episode of NNP, we discuss severance misappropriation from the Maryland Environmental Service. A severe miscommunication between a former MES CEO, board members, and the Governor of Maryland has left all parties in a lurch, as they debate over who knew what regarding the severance payout arrangement that was (supposedly) in place. We highlight the ...
Feb 02, 2021•5 min•Season 5Ep. 49
Thanks for tuning into this episode of the Nonprofit Nuggets Podcast! If you liked what you heard, please leave a review and share. This week we focus on an article about East Central Illinois Community Action Agency misusing federal grant funds. We offer several ways to remedy these problems to help your nonprofit avoid running afoul of the government. We highlight particular mistakes that they made and what you can do in your nonprofit to ensure you do not do the same. Tune in! Highlights: Fai...
Jan 26, 2021•9 min•Season 5Ep. 48
This week, we focus on how small accounting errors can rock the foundation of your business. We focus on the importance of staffing your accounting department with proper and highly trained personnel in order to make sure there are no accounting snafus. Tune in! Highlights Having Right People in Right Roles Reviewing accounting with internal and external sources Gaining appropriate accounting system for organization Proper training for system Reviewing and auditing work internally Thanks for tun...
Jan 19, 2021•7 min•Season 5Ep. 47
