Articles
Plain-language guidance on governance, compliance, and building a board that actually governs.
When Your Fiscal Year Ends and the Books Aren't Ready: Governing the Close
The fiscal year ended weeks ago, but your financial statements still aren't finalized. Here's how a board should respond to a slow close without micromanaging or ignoring a real warning sign.
When Your Nonprofit Inherits Real Estate You Didn't Ask For
A bequest of a house or building can be a gift or a liability. Here is how the board should evaluate, accept, or decline inherited real estate without getting stuck holding a money pit.
Earned Revenue and UBIT: A Board Member's Primer
Selling coffee, renting your space, licensing your logo. Earned income can steady your budget, if the board knows which questions to ask first.
The Board's Role When a Building Needs a Major Repair You Didn't Budget For
A failing roof or HVAC system can blow a hole in your budget overnight. Here is how a board should govern the unplanned capital expense without panic or paralysis.
The In-Kind Gift That Comes With Strings: Valuing and Vetting Donated Goods and Services
Donated equipment, pro bono work, and gifted space can be a windfall or a liability. Here is how your board should vet, value, and record in-kind gifts before saying thank you.
The Board's Role in Approving a Line of Credit Before You Need It
A line of credit can bridge a cash gap or bury a nonprofit in debt. Here is how boards should evaluate, approve, and oversee borrowing before the crisis hits.
The Restricted Gift That Won't Quit: Managing Donor-Imposed Limits
Restricted gifts are a gift and a promise. Here is how your board keeps those promises, avoids overspending the wrong pot, and handles restrictions that no longer make sense.
The Board's Role in Approving the Annual Operating Budget
Approving the budget is one of the board's clearest fiduciary duties. Here is how to review, question, and adopt an operating budget that reflects your mission, not just last year's numbers.