​Be transparent.
Build trust.
Strengthen relationships.
Raise more money.
Repeat.
 
There you have it: the secret to nonprofit success!
 
If only it were that simple, right?! The most successful development professionals and their nonprofits spend years building trusting relationships with their donors. Trust is not easily earned and it’s as fragile as glass. But did you know that new research shows that financial transparency is key in the trust-building process? Donors who see the financial impact that their funds make on your mission are more likely to give again.  So, why do so many nonprofit organizations only share financial data internally? Did you know that sharing financial data with donors can change the fundraising game for your organization?
 
Here’s the research to back it up: the Give.org Donor Trust Report and research by GuideStar prove a positive correlation between organizational transparency and donor giving.  When the first goes up, so does the other.
 
So, what does it mean to be transparent? What can you do to infuse transparency into your organization?
 
Our team at Blue Fox created a step-by-step guide to guide you through this transformative process. And our recommendations are not as abstract as you might think.
 
Here’s what we know: Donors want to see the impact of their dollars. They need to know each and every penny (hey, that’s our mascot’s name!) is leveraged to its fullest. They want all the feel goods that come from giving to their passion. So, let’s show them!
 
Here’s what you do…
 
6 Steps to Build a Transparent Nonprofit Organization:
 
Step 1:
ORGANIZE: Your Financial Systems & Information
Honesty is the best policy. This is especially true when it comes to the financial data you share with your board members, staff, committees, donors and the community as a whole. Only share financial information if you’re 100% sure it’s accurate. Start here:

• Make sure your books are up to date.
• Streamline processes to ensure anyone with access to financial information is entering data in a consistent and accurate way.
• Consider hiring an outsourced accounting firm (like us) to seamlessly manage your back office or to simply complete an comprehensive review of your financials (You can bet that GuideStar’s team will be doing a deep dive review of your financials if/when you apply for their Seal of Transparency).

 
Step 2:
TEACH: Educate Your Staff & Board
Whether you realize it or not, your entire internal team (staff and board members) are walking, talking promoters and fundraisers for your organization. It’s time to educate them on the innerworkings of how the organization operates, the current state of the financials and future needs. Educated employees are empowered employees. Now that your financials are squeaky clean, use them to mobilize your team:

• Review financial statements at staff meetings (you’ll be shocked how this can motivate people)
• Use dashboard style reports at board meetings to get their attention.
• Analyze financial information with your team to reveal what the data is telling you

 
Step 3:
PROVE: Your Credibility, High Standards & Stewardship
You’re on the way to financial stewardship excellence and it’s time to prove it. Disclaimer: this step may take some time but it’s worth it. Keep your eye on the prize and remember that checking these boxes will build the foundation for your new level of transparency. This is the step where you generate the powerful content for your future public relations efforts (steps 5 and 6).
 
(1) Certifications, accreditations and memberships are a sure-fire way to boost your credibility and legitimacy (a.k.a. trust) in the eyes of donors.

• GuideStar Seal of Transparency
• Mission-aligned accreditations
• Memberships with professional alliances
• Personnel certifications (Ex. Nonprofit Leadership Alliance NCP)

 
(2) Schedule a brainstorming and analysis session with your team. It’s time to build a financially data-driven list of your organization’s accomplishments and future goals. What do we mean by data-driven? Use your financial data to frame your story (percentages, numbers, benchmarks). Some of these might seem basic, but many organizations overlook them:

• Our fundraising events cost $____ per attendee
• We are 85% funded to launch XYZ new program
• Our overall budget grew by X% last year allowing us to serve X# of more…
• If we want to bring in $____ in money next year, it means either raising program fees to ____ or getting XX donors to give at $____ level or higher

 
Step 4:
ALIGN: Your Funding Needs & Systems
Okay, so you’ve got ducks in a row internally. You know where you’ve been and are excited to tell the world where you’re going, with data to back it up! But, wait! There’s one more step before you can package the information and shout it from the roof top. Make sure to coordinate your fundraising efforts with your marketing messages. Ask yourself these questions:

• What are your most pressing funding needs based on your data?
• What funding requests in the pipeline will appreciate your new transparency-based communications? Do not miss this opportunity to ask for support!
• Do your donors receive follow-up communication after making a contribution and how can you integrate transparency-related messages?

 
 
Step 5:
DEVELOP: Your Key Messages & Marketing Collateral
It’s time to call in the marketing team! (If you don’t have one, consider trading sponsor visibility with a local agency.) This is when you compile your data-driven information, accomplishments, accreditations and certifications in an easy-to-digest manner (everything from step 3). Here are some suggestions:

• Write a press release
• Create an infographic
• Create graphics
• Write blurbs and summaries
• Create a visually-appealing annual report

 
BRING IT HOME: Your primary messaging goal is to show that you’re a financially responsible, trustworthy organization that uses every dollar raised to provide services to your community. Always bring your messages back to how donors are making an impact. Use the data to tell a story and don’t be afraid to pull some heart strings.
 
Step 6:
PROMOTE: Publish, Send, Schedule, Post, Share, Spread the Word!
It’s time to publicize the whole kit-and-kaboodle. You’ve prepared all of your data-driven key messages and connected them to fundraising appeals. Now it’s time to spread the word:

• Share information on your website
• Send your press release
• Communicate with email subscribers
• Integrate your messages into event announcements
• Hold an event to celebrate a major accomplishment
• Schedule social media posts
• Weave messages into fundraising collateral
• Update signage (for high traffic and even-based nonprofits)

 
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! It takes massive effort and commitment from the very beginning to become a more transparent nonprofit. But the reward is worth the work. Take these steps one-by-one. Eat that elephant in bite size pieces. And, when you’re finished, donors will see your organization as a highly trustworthy and impactful place to invest.
 
And remember, our team of nonprofit financial gurus can provide back office support along your journey. The best time to ask us for help is the very beginning (step 1). Whether you need bookkeeping services or help with financial analysis, Blue Fox is here to help.
 
Your financials have a story to tell. Let’s start listening and telling that story!
 
Authors:
Chantal Sheehan, Founder & CEO, Blue Fox
Chelsea Clementi, Director of Marketing, Blue Fox

If you’re like us, your daily inbox is jam-packed with newsletters and educational opportunities from like-minded social impact leaders. These spectacular humans work around the clock to foster positive change in their communities. Then, somehow, find time to share their story. We tip our hat to them! Here are just a handful of our favorite resources this month:

• (ARTICLE) Learn to Listen: How — and Why — to Gather Employee Opinions at an Impact Company
• (PODCAST STORY) Meet the Female CEO Who Created A Social Enterprise From A Palestinian Refugee Camp
• (TRENDS) These Social Entrepreneurship Trends Will Hit All the Emotions in 2020
• (CONFERENCE) Frontiers of Social Innovation: People, Power & Resources: The Redistribution Wave
• (PREDICTIONS) Five Fintech Predictions For 2020
• (OPINION) ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) is About Value, Not Values, Says This CEO

 
Thanks for stopping by to explore our picks for social enterprise news this month! If you’re interested in hearing more from us, subscribe to our newsletter today! 

When Bill.com calls to interview your CEO, you jump at the opportunity! Especially when they mention that your CEO is viewed as an industry-leading financial services provider and they want to share her expertise. And, now we’re blushing!
 
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE:
Blue Fox, AI, and Maximizing Value for Accounting Clients
 
Our CEO, Chantal Sheehan has first-hand experience with the challenges that nonprofit face and has structured Blue Fox services to support those unique challenges. In this interview, she explains how Blue Fox takes advantage of Bill.com’s AI-powered Intelligent Virtual Assistant to most efficiently serve clients.
 
One of our favorite quotes from the interview is when our CEO, Chantal Sheehan said, “We focus on leveraging technology like AI so that we can apply human time where it counts for clients.” This is part of the Blue Fox philosophy and why we work so hard to provide the latest and greatest technology solutions for our clients.
 
If your nonprofit or social enterprise is looking to professionalize your back office operations, give us a shout any time at (321) 233-3311 or hello@yourbluefox.com.

Nonprofits, take note.  This is important!
(This also applies to the for-profit social enterprises we serve too!)
 
Over the past month, we’ve answered these questions a lot:

• How will changes to the federal overtime law will affect my organization?
• Do we need to restructure how we pay employees?
• When do changes need to be in place?
• Do commission and bonuses count toward the salary minimum?
• Can you help me calculate and weigh my options? (Of course! Let’s schedule time.)

 
After explaining this for the umpteenth time last week, our ‘let’s blog about it’ light bulb went off and we started to write. Hopefully, we can provide some clarity and if you want to chat in more detail, just call us at (321) 233-3311.
 
But first, if you are new to the nonprofit HR or management game, you may want to brush up on exempt verses non-exempt employee status.
 
THE NITTY GRITTY
 
[Grab some water, this section is dry]
 
On September 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule that “updates the earnings thresholds necessary to exempt executive, administrative and professional employees from the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) minimum wage and overtime pay requirements, and allows employers to count a portion of certain bonuses/commissions towards meeting the salary level.”
 
Effective January 1, 2020, the rules governing overtime pay for non-exempt workers will change to the following:

• The “standard salary level” will go up from the currently enforced level of $455 per week to $684 per week (equivalent to $35,568 per year for a full-year worker);
• The total annual compensation requirement for “highly compensated employees” increases from the currently enforced level of $100,000 per year to $107,432 per year;
• Employers may now use nondiscretionary bonuses and incentive payments (including commissions) paid at least annually to satisfy up to 10% of the standard salary level, in recognition of evolving pay practices; and
• Changes to the special salary levels for workers in U.S. territories and the motion picture industry.

 
Before we delve into how the new overtime law affects the nonprofit industry, know that not all states have the same guidelines. Quite a few states have salary thresholds higher than the FLSA. For example, California’s ceiling for a non-exempt employee is $49,920. Visit your State Department of Labor before making salary changes.
 
DID YOU KNOW? 
The nonprofit industry now employs over 12.3 million people which is 10% of the US workforce. Even more inspiring to us: according to the 2019 Nonprofit Employment Report From Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies, “Nonprofit jobs grew almost four times faster than for-profit jobs over the last decade.”
 
It’s clear that updates to the federal overtime law will significantly affect the nonprofit sector and its employees.
 
SO, WHAT’S A NONPROFIT TO DO?
Accept the change.
Don’t hyperventilate.
Start thinking proactively about 2020.
Everything will be just fine!
 
It’s time to evaluate your people resources. The new year is knocking on our door. Take a look at each of your staff member’s compensation and overall staffing structure.
 
As you do this, consider these 4 questions:

• Are your staff members currently being compensated appropriately? This is the very first question to answer because if your employees are classified incorrectly (exempt versus non-exempt), your organization is at risk for fines, legal trouble, staff morale issues and consequently some bad PR. Check out the The Exemption Test from University of Minnesota’s Office of Human Resources.  You will also want to evaluate at your employees whose salaries border the new standard salary level. Does it make more sense to pay them occasional overtime pay or transition them into a role that fits exempt status?
• Are you leveraging your staff members time efficiently? Every member of our team at Blue Fox has significant nonprofit experience. So, we get it. The industry comes with long hours and we don’t get paid like they do on Wall Street. It’s the feel goods that make us stay! Our philosophy at Blue Fox is that nonprofits should run their back-office operations like a for-profit. Your organization must make efficient use of staff time. (And they will thank you for it). Ask yourself if all of your employees need to attend every after-hours event. Does the office need to open at 8:00 a.m. or would 9:00 a.m. work? Can you shift program calendars for more consistent week to week staffing needs? And, don’t get us started on the time suck of unnecessary meetings?!
• Will the changes above affect your ability to provide services? So after reading the second bullet above, you may see a need to adjust how your team is spending their time. But be mindful that any changes don’t affect your ability to provide services. You do important work and it’s not time to compromise the vital resources your community needs. That leads me to the next point…
• How will your organization fill the funding gap for staffing cost increases? So, let’s say you’ve evaluated your staffing structure and the ‘thing’ that has to give is simply paying your employees more to maintain the hours they work. We love this option, by the way, but it comes with a cost (pun intended). In this case, you’ll need to figure out how to fund the cost increase. Check this out: A few years ago when the overtime rules were first proposed, our friends at NonprofitAF published this article. We particularly love the section about funders responsibilities. It offers several helpful tips on getting funders on board to support the organization’s changing needs.

 
Need more help? I bet that your local or regional Chamber of Commerce has information on this matter and they may even be holding workshops or Q&A sessions. Or, consider becoming a member of SHRM. Their members section has a digital FLSA Exemption Questionnaire to help you make the determination if an employee is exempt or not.
 
2020 is coming quick. If you need additional assistance, Blue Fox is happy to consult with your leadership and we will even take those pesky tasks like bookkeeping, payroll and tax prep off your hands. We do that too! Give our friendly team a call any time at (321) 233-3311 or email hello@yourbluefox.com.
 
Oops, just went over 40 hours. Gotta’ go!
 
[The information contained in this article is not legal advice and is not a substitute for such advice. State and federal laws change frequently, and the information in this article may not reflect your own state’s laws or the most recent changes to the law.] 

Author: Chelsea Clementi, MBA, Director of Marketing & Business Development for Blue Fox
​
Resources:

• Johns Hopkins University, Center for Civil Society Studies 2019 Report
• NonprofitAF, Why the new overtime rules are good for nonprofits and thus for our community
• The Balanced Careers, Difference Between an Exempt  and a Non-Exempt Employee
• University of Minnesota, FLSA Exempt and Nonexempt Defined
• U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor Issues Final Overtime Law

A bookkeeper in a small office opens the top drawer on her desk over and over throughout the day. She opens it slowly, peers in at something, closes it, and then returns to her accounting on her computer. She does this multiple times a day. 

She locks the drawer every night before she leaves, and the other office staff gossip quietly every day about what's in the drawer. Chocolate? Can't be. It's not edible. A pet rock? Possibly. She's a little quirky. They speculate endlessly.

One day, the bookkeeper dies suddenly. The business owner gets her desk drawer keys from her family a few days later. The office gathers around as the big secret of the drawer is revealed. What's in it?

A simple piece of paper with the words "Accounting Bible" at the top. On the sheet is a strange coded set of words and symbols labeled "T-Accounts." The office staff stares in wonder, unable to make anything out of it. Then someone puts it back in the drawer and they walk away... Guess she really was an odd duck.

Get your very own Accounting Bible here ;)

If you’re like us, your daily inbox is jam-packed with newsletters and educational opportunities from like-minded social impact leaders. These spectacular humans work around the clock to foster positive change in their communities. Then, somehow, find time to share their story. We tip our hat to them! Here are just a handful of our favorite resources this month: 

• Social Entrepreneurs, Create A Startup Then Do Good Like These Companies
• Points of Light Announces the Civic 50 for 2019
• Moving Toward an Inclusive and Regenerative Economy
• 5 Ted Talks for Social Enterprise Leaders
• More Investors Exploring Nature-based Growth Opportunities

 
Thanks for stopping by to explore our picks for social enterprise news this month! If you’re interested in hearing more from us, subscribe to our newsletter today!
 
About Blue Fox: Our team provides customized, boutique financial and back office services for social impact organizations. Services range from standard bookkeeping and payroll services, to coaching and consulting, to comprehensive virtual CFO services. Our mission is to disrupt the traditional accounting model through technology, innovation, and a radically client-focused approach that truly empowers nonprofits and social enterprises. For more information call (321) 233-3311, email hello@yourbluefox.com, and visit www.yourbluefox.com. 

[Data and statistics courtesy of QuickBooks Prospective Client Infographic]
 
Did you know that most small businesses owners spend 10 hours per week balancing their books? That equates to about 25% of a 40-hour work week spent on non-revenue generating or mission-related tasks. We know social impact executives often work longer hours than most but still - 10 hours is probably 9 hours too many don’t you think?
 
But are you ready to outsource your accounting function?
How do you know when the time is right?
Ask yourself these questions:  

• Do I have the time to learn and/or manage the bookkeeping system?
• Am I able to stay up-to-date on new tax laws in order to avoid legal troubles?
• Is my time best spent managing the accounting system?
• How much does my bookkeeper’s time (or my time) cost compared to accounting firm fees?
• Does staff turnover affect our back-office efficiency?
• Is the board of directors asking me to provide financial data beyond my ability? And a corollary: do I spend at least half a day before each meeting prepping financial reports?
• Wouldn’t it be nice to wow the board with some snazzy reports like financial dashboards?

 
Most nonprofit leaders were not born to be CFOs. Many social impact executives come from a marketing or fundraising background. The choice to hire an accounting firm can give marketing-minded executives piece of mind. It’s like bringing on the perfect business partner with complementary expertise. A ‘balanced’ partnership (accounting pun intended). ;)
 
So, what exactly can an outsourced accounting firm do for your organization?

• Analyze the financial big picture and offer strategic advice.
• Produce key financial documents and can help with annual tax filings
• Can act as a chief financial officer beyond tax season, to advise on financial strategies
• Perform day-to-day hands-on tasks like handling new hire paperwork and payroll, paying bills, submitting invoices, etc.
• Track company expenses accurately and maintain a healthy audit trail

 
Our team at Blue Fox offers all of those services and more! Blue Fox is an accounting firm specifically for nonprofits and social enterprises. Our team members have broad expertise in the social impact space, with backgrounds as nonprofit leaders, board members and volunteers. The entrepreneurial spirit runs deep on our team. This means we manage your back-office from the same perspective as you would.
 
If you think it may be time to hire an accounting firm, let’s have a chat and see how Blue Fox can help you reach your goals. Call us anytime at (321) 233-3311 or email hello@yourbluefox.com.

Does your information presented at board meetings go in one ear and out the other? According to recent reports, the human attention span is now shorter than a goldfish, down from 12 seconds to a measly 8 seconds. What the Fox?!
 
It’s now trickier than ever to capture the attention of your stakeholders. And without their attention how do to you establish buy-in and encourage action?
 
There has to be a better way!
 
Enter financial dashboard style reporting. Charts. Graphs. Visuals. Infographics. With a little illustrative razzle dazzle, your board members are paying attention. Better yet, they can quickly see your overall financial position. Gone are the days of reviewing tedious financial statements and boards of directors are thrilled!
 
Ruth McCambridge, Editor in Chief of the Nonprofit Quarterly explains it best, “A well designed dashboard shows whether a nonprofit is making headway on its critical variables… it organizes and focuses conversations.”
 
So, what do you include on your dashboard? Well, ask yourself what drives the success of your organization? Do you have defined strategic objectives that are measurable? You might measure quantity of memberships or donations, clients served to date, cash on hand, program income budget vs actual, annual revenue by source, restricted vs unrestricted funds, and so on. The possibilities are endless – the question is: what key information matters most to you and your management team?
 
Our team at Blue Fox builds dashboards for clients upon request. Some are more extensive and others are one-page snapshots. Customization is key and no two organizations have exactly the same needs. The common factor is that our clients present interesting, concise, actionable data to their stakeholders to make their board and management meetings truly useful moments.
 
About: Our team at Blue Fox provides customized, boutique financial and back office services for social impact organizations. Services range from standard bookkeeping and payroll services, to coaching and consulting, to full-blown virtual CFO services. Our mission is to disrupt the traditional accounting model through technology, innovation, and a radically client-focused approach that truly empowers nonprofits and social enterprises. For more information call (321) 233-3311, email hello@yourbluefox.com, and visit www.YourBlueFox.com.
 
 
Resources:

• Nonprofit Quarterly & FMA, How to Build a Dashboard for your Nonprofit: A Critical Strategic Tool Reveals Itself
• Time, You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish, Kevin McSpadden

Ready to have your mind blown? Go ahead and Google “The Future of FinTech”. Half of what you read might sound made up. And, no, the interwebs are not speaking Dothraki. Terminology like Blockchain, Ethereum, Insuretech, and robo-advisor are all real. Any Scrabble junkies want to pull out the dictionary and challenge us? Go ahead. Just know that new technology may take over before Merriman Webster can crank out a new print edition.
 
Constant change in the financial technology space can overwhelm small businesses, especially those in the nonprofit and social impact space. But rest assured that Blue Fox is hip to the newest developments. We stay up to speed on innovations in the FinTech space so that we can provide you with the most useful and reliable technology tools out there.
 
Our favorite back office technology solutions? 

• Intuit QuickBooks Online – With over 5.6 million global users, QuickBooks Online breeds efficiency, accuracy, collaboration, organization, automation and oversight over all aspects of your organizations financial picture. Bank-level encryption, payroll processing, and the ability to integrate CRMs and project management apps make QuickBooks Online the leader in small business accounting software. 
• Bill.com – Automates and simplifies the way you pay bills, send invoices, and get paid. Electronic vendor payments and a perpetual audit trail are our favorite features of this revolutionary platform.
• Citrix ShareFile – 100% secure file storage with 24/7 file accessibility. Dropbox, Box, and Google Drive are good solutions, but Citrix security, encryption, and granular user privileges are unrivaled in the cloud storage space.
• Expensify - The world's leading application for expense management, receipt scanning, and business travel. Track your mileage, file an expense report, and use it for easy credit card reconciliations.

 
The core of our Blue Fox philosophy is the marriage of technology and humanity – that’s why our tagline is Agile Accounting for Impact. We believe that the right mix of automation and human-touch makes all the difference. If your organization feels the same, we want to work with you! Don’t hesitate to call us at (321) 233-3311 or book a free consultation with us today! 
​
About: Our team at Blue Fox provides customized, boutique financial and back office services for social impact organizations. Services range from standard bookkeeping and payroll services, to coaching and consulting, to full-blown virtual CFO services. Our mission is to disrupt the traditional accounting model through technology, innovation, and a radically client-focused approach that truly empowers nonprofits and social enterprises. For more information call (321) 233-3311, email hello@yourbluefox.com, and visit www.YourBlueFox.com.

As usual, at the end of 2018 the IRS revised the mileage reimbursement rates for business, charitable, and medical/moving miles driven. The new rates are as follows for 2019:

• Business: $0.58 per mile
• Medical or moving: $0.20 per mile
• Charitable: $0.14 per mile

Ever wonder: what goes into those rate changes? Is there just a dude sitting at Treasury somewhere who makes the call, or is there a formula of some kind in place? As satisfying as it might be to blame an unknown dude at Treasury, it turns out there are a few known factors that go into the mileage rate calculation:

• Fuel costs
• Vehicle maintenance costs
• Insurance rates
• Actual costs to purchase a vehicle

Generally, when the costs above go up, we see an increase in the mileage rate. And when they go down, we see a decrease. As a consumer, though, it often feels to me like the best indicator that there will be an increase is gas prices. (If you want to geek out and compare historic fuel prices with historic mileage rates, have at it. We did!)

In 2019, gas prices are expected to continue to rise so the IRS has provided a 3.5 cent bump to the business mileage rate. (Woohoo! Don’t spend it all in one place!) If you use an app like Expensify, MileIQ, or Motus to track your business miles, the apps should compute your mileage reimbursement correctly.

If you’re old school and using a paper expense report to get mileage reimbursement from your employer, or to track your own business mileage deduction, then you’ll want to correct all your expense report formulas and forms to reflect the new rate. 

And stay tuned: word on the street is that there might be a 2nd mileage rate hike mid-year if gas prices aggressively rise this year.

About: Our team at Blue Fox provides customized, boutique financial and back office services for social impact organizations. Services range from standard bookkeeping and payroll services, to coaching and consulting, to full-blown virtual CFO services. Our mission is to disrupt the traditional accounting model through technology, innovation, and a radically client-focused approach that truly empowers nonprofits and social enterprises. For more information call (321) 233-3311, email hello@yourbluefox.com, and visit www.YourBlueFox.com. 
​
Author:  Founder & CEO, the Original Blue Fox, Chantal Sheehan, MS, CFP(r) ​