Vulnerability Scanning and Penetration Testing Offer Tools for a Strong Security Posture
By Darren Hulem | Network Administrator Auditor In the movies, hackers sit in front of a computer typing a few lines of code and suddenly they have access to all of the victim company’s systems. While cybercrime does not happen like it is portrayed in the movies, it has become a common theme in recent…
A Practical Guide to Consolidation vs. Combination of Financial Statements for Nonprofits
In recent years, nonprofit organizations have drastically changed how they structure their relationship with related organizations. The relationship of an organization and its related entities is not only important to their operational, programmatic and financial goals; it may also significantly affect the audit of their financial statements. Organizations should also consider their entity type as…
Invest Time and Resources to Improve the Month-End Close Process
By Sharon Carbonell, CPA | Manager, Outsourced Accounting and Advisory Services For many who work in the finance department of a nonprofit or for-profit business, the month-end close process is a constant source of strain. Inefficiency and operational ambiguity are sore spots in particular, generally the result of manual data entry, lack of coordination, deficient…
Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance and Your Nonprofit Organization
By Mac Lillard, CPA, CITP, CISA, CFE | Audit Senior Accountant According to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Council (PCD DSC) any organization that stores, processes, and/or transmits cardholder data is required to be compliant with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). There is a common misconception that use of a third-party provider…
Why is Preparation of a Complete and Accurate SEFA so Imperative?
By Laura Malcom, CPA | Audit Manager The schedule of expenditures of federal awards (SEFA) is the “meat” of any Uniform Guidance audit. Often it is one of the first pieces of information that a CPA firm will request when designing and planning the audit. The total expenditures reported in the SEFA is the determination…
Achieving Proper Segregation of Duties with Limited Nonprofit Resources
Although they recognize the importance of maintaining proper segregation of duties (SOD) as a risk management best practice, many nonprofits still struggle because of limited staff, scarce resources and tight budgets. These organizations are under pressure to cut costs, increase revenue, and identify additional funding streams while also providing better, more useful reporting to leadership…
Anticipating Going Concern Issues Can Save Nonprofits Valuable Time and Effort
By: Omid Mohebbi, CPA | Audit Supervisor Introduction Auditors occasionally come across going concern issues in the course of performing their audit procedures. These issues essentially refer to the ability or inability, as the case may be, of the audited entity to continue operations beyond a certain timeframe, which the standards refer to as “a reasonable…
Unrestricted Net Assets and Key Financial Ratios Help Nonprofits Focus on their Financial Health
By: Michael Shaffer | Nonprofit Audit Manager In my 18 years as an auditor of nonprofit organizations, I have sat in a large number of offices for meetings with my clients. I always enjoy seeing how folks have their offices decorated, but one office stands out to me more than others over the years. This…
Compliance Best Practices for Reporting Fundraising Events on the Form 990
By: Katelyn Miller, CPA | Nonprofit Tax Manager Both exempt organizations and readers of the Form 990 often question the presentation of fundraising events on the return. Because the Form 990 presents revenue and expenses in a unique way on Schedule G, Part II, it is common to report a net loss from such events. Fundraising events…
Manage International NGO Risk Effectively with an External Field Office Audit
International NGOs (INGOs) working overseas in the development and humanitarian response sectors face a unique set of challenges and risks from both an accounting and operational standpoint. Whether your role resides at headquarters (HQ) or in a field office, as an INGO leader your responsibilities include managing a variety of known and unknown risks. Many…