KDV Nonprofit Advisor - August/September 2009


nonprofit-advisor@kdv.com	E-Newsletter August/September 2009

KDV Continues its Expansion in the Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota: Effective August 1, 2009, Minneapolis-based Techfluent, will join Kern, DeWenter, Viere, Ltd. (KDV), a regional CPA and business advisory firm. The merger broadens KDV's portfolio of expertise, services and clients as it continues its expansion in the Twin Cities. Techfluent specializes in outsourced information technology consulting, focusing on network design and implementation, remote and onsite support, managed network services and network security.

For more information, click here.

QuickBooks Seminars Offered at KDV

Join KDV QuickBooks experts on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 in St. Cloud from 8:00am-12:00pm for QuickBooks Level I or Tuesday, October 20, 2009 in St. Cloud from 8:00am-Noon for QuickBooks Level II. Each session is geared towards the user and attendees will take away valuable skills and insights that can be applied immediately.

For more information, click here.

Strategic and financial planning — Borrowing from business

While stories of corporate fraud and mismanagement seem to dominate the news, there are still lessons nonprofits can learn from for-profit business to help ensure a strong future. Specifically, just as for-profit business boards and owners do, nonprofit boards should develop not only an overall strategic plan addressing the organization’s mission and future initiatives, but a strategic financial plan that expresses financial goals and provides a methodology for monitoring progress. This article offers tips from business that will help nonprofits create effective strategic and financial plans.
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How to account for losses on endowment investments

In today’s market, a nonprofit is likely to be recording losses on their investments instead of gains. For their unrestricted investments, the organization records those losses — both unrealized and realized — in an unrestricted fund. But, for permanently and temporarily restricted endowment fund investments, it’s more complex. This article discusses the basics of accounting for losses and offers a scenario. A sidebar defines particular types of endowments.
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Fight the good fight — 7 strategies for struggling nonprofits

In this economy, nonprofits have already taken many steps to cut costs. Wage freezes, staff cuts, eliminating out-of-town travel and many other money-saving measures are now the norm. But there are other actions that can help ensure the organization stays afloat. Seven are discussed, including relying more heavily on board members and reviewing the nonprofit’s investment portfolio to find assets that aren’t generating operating income.
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News for Nonprofits

This issue’s items: whether excise taxes will apply to private foundations and their board members who placed up to 100% of their portfolio assets with Bernard Madoff; when a charity’s products for sale may or may not be subject to unrelated business income tax (UBIT); and why nonprofits should think twice about trying to save money by treating people as independent contractors rather than as employees.
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