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Thought Leadership

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Impact Of The New Revenue Recognition Standards On NFP Organizations | Blue & Co., LLC | Nonprofit Consulting | Not-for-Profit Consullting | Nonprofit Financial Consulting

Impact Of The New Revenue Recognition Standards On NFP Organizations

Update published on June 5, 2020: FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2020-05, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606) and Leases (ASC 842) Effective Dates for Certain Entities, as part of its efforts to support and assist stakeholders as they cope with the many challenges and hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2014, the […]

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Is your charitable hospital in compliance with IRC 501(r)?

Is Your Charitable Hospital In Compliance With Irc §501(r)?

Even though there have been several attempts this year to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”), the efforts have not been successful. Additionally, the attempted repeal and replace approaches this year have left most of the ACA intact; meaning even if the bills were passed, those requirements initially enacted in Section […]

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A beginner's guide to reporting grants on Form 990

A Beginner’s Guide To Reporting Grants On Form 990

When an organization provides grants to individuals, it may be required to complete specific schedules on the Form 990. Organizations that provide grants or assistance to interested persons must complete Schedule L, Part III. Is this a requirement for your organization? The answer of “yes” or “no” to the following question will be the determining […]

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Reporting Of Expenses - New Requirements And Opportunities

Reporting Of Expenses – New Requirements And Opportunities

Beginning in the calendar year 2018, and fiscal years ending in 2019, nonprofit organizations will be required to present expenses both by their functional and natural classification, in a manner similar to a statement of functional expenses. While the standard does not specifically require a statement of functional expenses, the language in ASC 958-720-45-15 is […]

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What you need to know: new not-for-profit disclosures on liquidity

What You Need To Know: New Not-for-Profit Disclosures On Liquidity

On August 18, 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards update (ASU) No. 2016-14 Presentation of Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit (NFP) Entities. This update is meant to simplify and improve how a NFP organization classifies its net assets, as well as the information it presents in the financial statements and notes […]

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4 Cyber Security Tips for Not-For-Profits on a Budget

4 Cybersecurity Tips For Not-for-profits On A Budget

by Ashley Jones, CPA, Manager Following the headlines from any news source these days, it seems that cyber security is just about always trending. While this is not a new topic, with attacks becoming more common, cyber security is something every organization should be seriously addressing. Not-for-profits need to be prepared as much as any […]

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Are you underreporting UBI?

Are You Underreporting Unrelated Business Income (UBI)?

by Nancy Kirchner, CPA, Manager Federal law allows nonprofit organizations to engage in a certain amount of income-producing activity that is not related to its exempt purpose. However, the IRS has recently concluded that many exempt organizations are underreporting this activity, and consequently, it is increasing its focus on the unrelated business activities of nonprofit […]

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Avoiding Excess Benefit Transactions

What You Need To Know: Understanding And Avoiding Excess Benefit Transactions

Intermediate sanctions legislation was passed in 1996; however, in recent years, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has renewed its focus on enforcement of the private inurement rule as it relates to relevant not-for-profit (NFP) organizations: 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(29) organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(a). Specifically, the IRS is looking for whether tax-exempt organizations […]

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Gaming Requirements Exempt Organizations

By Annmarie Novotney Exempt organizations often have a focus on events or fundraisers from which to generate additional funds to promote their missions. Frequently, games of chance like bingo, pull tabs, raffles, card games and lotteries are used as part of these events. Although it can be argued that these activities are a means to […]

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Cyber Security for Not-For-Profits

Data breaches can occur in any organization, and not-for-profits (NFPs) are not immune. Oftentimes NFPs can be at risk because their systems are not up-to-date or are simplistic in nature. It’s very important for NFPs, especially those that collect donor or member information (including names, addresses, email addresses, and credit card information), to address cyber […]

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Exempt Organization Public Disclosure Requirements

Tax-exempt organizations are different from non-exempt organizations in many ways; one of which is their annual returns and exemption forms are required to be made available to the public. The law requiring public disclosure affects organizations exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code (the Code) section 501(a) and described in sections 501(c) or […]

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Dangerous Transactions To Avoid

Certain transactions can be considered automatic issues for an organization if conducted with an interested person. Transactions providing an economic benefit that exceeds the value of considerations given are known as excess benefit transactions and can create a large penalty for the individuals and organization involved. Safeguard your organization from significant penalties by avoiding the […]

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FASB Issues New Standard NFP Financial Reporting

On August 18, 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-14 Presentation of Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit Entities that simplifies and improves how a not-for-profit organization classifies its net assets, as well as the information it presents in financial statements and notes about its liquidity, financial performance, and […]

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Compensation What You Don’t Know May Cost You

Payroll compliance may not seem like a concerning issue to your organization. You have hired an outside payroll provider. That provider diligently pays employees every two weeks, remits payroll taxes, and files all necessary returns. However, unless you inform the payroll provider of all types of compensation, you may be underreporting. For W-2 reporting purposes, […]

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Board of Directors’ Use of Financial Ratios

By: Shawn Williams, CPA, FHFMA, Audit Senior Manager As a current board member for several not-for-profit organizations, my fellow board members and executives seek my advice when reviewing and dissecting financial reports. CPAs are highly preferred during annual board recruitment due to their knowledge of finances, taxes, and accounting standards; however, the non-finance volunteers serving […]

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Webinars

man typing on a laptop for cybersecurity

Strengthening Cybersecurity in Not-for-Profits: Assigning Oversight Responsibilities to Mitigate Risk

By Allen Norvell, CPA, MBA, Director at Blue & Co. While certainly not a new risk for not-for-profit (NFP) organizations, cybersecurity risk is increasing in profile as an area of interest among members of governance. NFPs manage a significant volume of customer and donor data. We have previously provided thought leadership to help NFPs identify […]

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woman using a quickbooks point of sale system

Blue & Co. Offers Expertise to Not-For-Profits Affected by QuickBooks Point of Sale Discontinuation

By Nancy Orben, CPA, Senior Manager, Laura Philpot, Senior Accountant, Business Services, and Lisa Totten, Senior Accounting Specialist at Blue & Co. Attention all not-for-profit organizations! Are you currently using QuickBooks Point of Sale in your gift shops, ticket sales, or day-to-day business? If so, you may have heard the recent news that Intuit will […]

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shamrocks not-for-profit tips

3 Lucky Tips for Not-For-Profits to Avoid Bank Fraud

Trusted Insights from The National Bank of Indianapolis Nonprofit Services Team Not-for-profit organizations are increasingly falling victim to fraud, with a rising number of incidents and an ever-growing amount of money being lost. Fraudsters find it easy to target not-for-profits, as their publicly available 990s provide valuable information. Protecting your organization from such fraudulent activities […]

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spreadsheet with investment information and a key

Program-Related Investments: A Valuable Funding Tool for Not-For-Profits

By: Mike Gricius, Senior Manager at Blue & Co. While not-for-profits rely heavily on grants and donations to fund their charitable missions, they can also explore other funding options, such as Program-Related Investments (PRIs). PRIs offer a unique opportunity for not-for-profit entities to invest in a way that generates both social impact and financial returns. […]

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man pressing buttons on a calculator and writing

Not-for-Profit News: Indiana Property Tax Exemption

By: Kandy Wischmeier, CPA, Tax Manager at Blue & Co. If your not-for-profit organization is located in Indiana and has had a significant change in the use of property, has moved in the last year, or is a new entity, you may be required to file Form 136, Application for Property Tax Exemption. Entities are […]

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hands holding a notebook infront of a laptop

Not-for-Profit Tax Alert for 2023: Kentucky Sales Tax Law Changes

By: Rick Shields, Principal, CPA, CFE Effective January 1, 2023, Kentucky implemented numerous changes to its sales tax laws. Historically, not-for-profits have been able to take advantage of numerous Kentucky sales tax exemptions. In practice, that has allowed not-for-profits to operate as though sales tax does not apply to their operations. Kentucky has been expanding […]

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