Services for Public Charities

Public Charities receive most of their income from donations or fees charged to customers. If this is true for your organization, choose from the list of services in this column. If you are not sure whether your organization is a charity or a foundation, contact me and I can help you out. Occasionally, an organization will technically fall into one category, but I will treat them like they belong to the other category if they meet certain criteria.

You will notice that most of my services are billed as “Pay What You Can”. Every month I will send you an invoice showing the work that I did for your organization during the previous month. You will notice two numbers: Market Value of Services Provided and suggested “Please Pay” amount.

Market Value of Services Provided represents the amount you would pay if you hired a CPA firm with similar experience and training to do the same work I have done. I do not ask you to pay this amount — I am showing you this for your reference (and for other technical reasons I can get into later). As a general rule, CPA firms will charge somewhere between $75 - 100 per hour for a bookkeeper’s services, $100 - 125 per hour for a staff accountant’s services, $125 - 150 per hour for a senior accountant’s services, and over $150 per hour for a partner’s services. Some of the bigger firms will charge as much as $500 per hour for a partner’s time. I will show you a typical CPA firm’s fees for the same work I have done.

Suggested “Amount Due” payment— I typically ask that you pay 25 - 30% of what a typical firm will charge. I can do this because I have worked hard to limit our overhead — no fancy offices with leather chairs, no rich partners taking their cut, no taxes to pay (we are a not-for-profit just like you). Because I can keep those costs down, I can pass the savings on to you.

I get that during some months, funds are tighter than other months. I trust you to know what your organization is capable of paying. So long as you pay me the minimum payment I will forgive the rest. If you can only pay $10, I get it. No penalties, no interest, no nasty collections calls. I want to make running your organization as painless as possible so you can get back to doing good. I trust that you will get back to me in the good months. The long-term relationship is much more important than the exact dollar amount you pay in any particular month.

If I pay any cash expenses on your behalf (for example, filing fees or you ask us to host a monthly software subscription on your behalf) you will receive a second invoice each month. On this invoice, I will not mark up the cash I have paid on your behalf. This type of invoice will not be included in the amount I am willing to forgive in slow months. Since I have actually paid out cash on your behalf, I will need reimbursement. Therefore, I ask that these invoices be paid in a timely manner each month.

Bookkeeping and Accounting

Pay What You Can

Without a clear understanding of where you money is going and why, you cannot clearly articulate your organization’s impact on your community. Our bookkeeping staff will make sure that you know where your money is going. Our experienced accountants and CPA’s will make sure you understand why.

This service includes access to a cloud based accounting system, monthly bank and credit card reconciliations, review by a CPA, monthly financial package, and a monthly call to review the financial package with our staff. If applicable, I will track your restricted donations as they are released from restrictions. I will also assist and train your staff to access and understand your accounting records.

Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable

Pay What You Can

So, you don’t want to worry about making sure the power bill is paid and record checks that come in. I will handle all the payments for you, both recurring and one-off payments. Your donors and customers can send payments directly to me and I will make sure they are accurately recorded and quickly deposited into your bank account.

Payroll

Pay What You Can

Making sure your people get paid on time, every time can be a major hassle. Our professional and experienced staff can make sure you never miss a payroll, worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, quarterly or annual tax filing. I can even help you set up benefits packages like 401(k)s, IRA’s insurance, and more.

Annual Filings

Pay What You Can

Even though your organization is tax exempt, the IRS and your state tax authority still want to hear from you at least once a year. In fact, if you miss too many annual filing deadlines, the IRS will automatically revoke your tax exempt status. Also, some transactions will still result in taxes, even though your organization is tax exempt. Don’t lose your tax exempt status over a missed filing or tax payment.

Initial Tax Exempt Status Application

One Time Fee of $150 (excludes IRS fees)

So, you are just getting started. First, congratulations. Second, let’s make sure you get started on the right foot. This process can take months, so let’s get this ball rolling as soon as possible.

Initial Organization or Incorporation

One Time Fee of $150 (excludes state fees)

This is the very first step in the process. Mistakes made here can delay your application for tax exempt status. I can help you get on the right track from the start.

Additional Services

Contact me for more information

Looking for help that you don’t see listed here? I can help with many other services as well. Send me a message to see if I am properly equipped to handle your request. If I can’t handle it, I know someone who can.

Our staff will prepare a quote for the needed services and roadmap of how to help you accomplish your goals.

State Registrations to Solicit Donations Including Annual Renewal

$5 paid weekly per state or $150 paid weekly for nationwide (includes state fees)

Take it from me, this process is an absolute pain in the neck. This is by far, the biggest obstacle in the path of most public charities. Messing this step up can also get you in some serious hot water with the states you operate in. Our dedicated professionals can take this painful process off your plate.

While all of the work done by the firm is reviewed and supervised by qualified CPA’s, for various legal and technical reasons, The Non-Profit Accounting Project is not a registered CPA firm. This means we are not authorized to conduct audit engagements, review engagements, or any other attestation services. If your organization needs any of these services, I would be happy to provide referrals to several excellent firms that are authorized to perform attestation services.