Is Your Not-for-Profit Considering Outsourcing Its Accounting or CFO Function?

Whether your not-for-profit is a start-up organization or a well-established entity, it has a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability to its donors, granting agencies, and the general public as a whole.  As such, the availability and use of its economic resources must be managed sufficiently to ensure the future success of its mission.  The proper design and set up of a finance team within a not-for-profit is critical to its ability to appropriately report out information to its constituents.  In general, this function and oversight is often entrusted to a chief financial officer (CFO) and/or accounting department, whom exhibit the appropriate level of industry expertise, business acumen, and fiscal aptitude.

However, not-for-profits often face a number of unique financial challenges and often struggle with limited resources, thereby putting them at a disadvantage in their ability to attract and/or retain talented individuals.  The dilemma often becomes whether it is more prudent to invest in a CFO or additional finance personnel verses utilizing its resources for the mission.   Questions surrounding whether the organization is truly ready for a CFO (i.e., start-up entity with limited transactions), the expense associated with additional personnel and the value they may provide are often heavily debated amongst boards as well.   While no one answer is appropriate for every organization, an alternative solution that many not-for-profits are embracing is an outsourced CFO arrangement or outsourced accounting function.

Why Outsource

One of the greatest advantages of working with an outsourced CFO is the cost benefit a not-for-profit can yield.  Onboarding a full-time CFO or accounting personnel with salary and benefits is an expensive investment. However, an outsourced function can be kept for as long or as short as the organization desires, thereby providing cash flow savings that can be reinvested into its programmatic mission.

If an organization maintains a finance department, but is rapidly growing or finding it challenging to meet financial or regulator demands above and beyond maintaining the day-to-day accounting tasks with its current team, the consideration of outsourced or co-sourced function to augment the financial leadership and provide assistance and guidance may be an optimal solution.

Some additional benefits, above and beyond cost benefit, is the ability to have an individual or pool of talent that is qualified and established at your disposal that:

• Maintain a high-level of industry expertise in finance, accounting, and tax to enable you to continue to focus on expanding your operations and mission
• Administer and understand the new accounting and audit standards, as well as other regulatory compliance issues such as grant accounting, uniform guidance, and tax laws matters
• Are able to analyze complex transactions and provide guidance and/or recommendations
• Provide accurate and complete monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial statement reporting
• Compile and articulate key performance indicators in order to make sound fiscal decisions
• Assist in developing appropriate internal controls and facilitating relationships with key vendors such as bankers, attorneys, insurance agent, and other financial professionals

How we can help

In today’s environment, not-for-profit organizations are unfortunately being asked to do more with less. With the demand to expand programmatic mission without increasing overhead, many executives are trying to manage it all with limited resources and time.  Citrin Cooperman’s Not-for-Profit and Office of the CFO professionals are ready and available to immediately assist you in order to help you focus on what counts: your mission.