Nonprofit Organizations
Bookkeeping & Accounting for Nonprofit Organizations
Nonprofit accounting works its own way — restricted funds, grants, functional expense reporting, and Form 990 each follow their own rules. Back Office Desk keeps the accounting organized, tracks funds and restrictions, handles payroll and tax-related accounting, and keeps reporting ready for board, tax, and outside-review needs.
Why it's different
Nonprofit accounting has different demands
In a nonprofit, money often arrives with conditions on how it can be used. A few things have to be built into the accounting from the start.
Restricted & unrestricted funds
Money is separated by what it can be used for, not only how much there is.
Grants
Spending is tracked to each grant's purpose and time window.
Contributions & donor activity
Gifts are recorded with any donor restrictions attached.
Functional expense reporting
Costs are split across program, management and general, and fundraising.
Program vs. supporting presentation
Statements show program delivery apart from management and fundraising.
Board & management reporting
Results are written to be read by people who are not accountants.
Form 990 & compliance
The public filing draws on the same records, kept accurate through the year.
What we help with
What Back Office Desk helps nonprofits manage
The nonprofit-specific work, handled as part of your ongoing accounting.
Fund accounting
Restricted and unrestricted funds tracked separately, so you always know what is committed and what is available.
Grant tracking
Spending recorded against each grant's purpose and period, ready for funder reporting.
Contributions & donor accounting
Gifts recorded with any restrictions attached and tied back to their source.
Functional expense reporting
Expenses classified across program, management and general, and fundraising.
Board & management reporting
Nonprofit-format statements and summaries written to be read by non-accountants.
Payroll, AP & reimbursements
Pay runs and filings, plus vendor bills and reimbursements organized for approval under your controls.
Reporting
Clear reporting for management and boards
Reporting shaped around how your organization runs — enough to make decisions, without the noise.
- Budget-to-actual reporting against plan
- Visibility into funds and restrictions
- Useful nonprofit-format financial statements
- Management and board reporting
- Reporting shaped around your organization's needs
Tax & compliance
Tax and compliance support
Handled from the accounting side, with organized records that keep it straightforward.
Form 990
Preparation and support, drawn from the records we maintain through the year.
Payroll tax
Payroll-tax payments and the required filings, recorded with your books.
Sales tax
Applicable sales tax support where it is relevant to your activities.
Year-round awareness
Tax considerations kept in view through the year where appropriate.
Audit & review
Prepared for outside audit or review support
If your organization has an annual audit or review, Back Office Desk supports it from the accounting side — organizing and maintaining reconciliations, schedules, supporting documentation, financial records, and the accounting information your outside CPA firm, auditor, or reviewer requests, and coordinating with them through the engagement.
Back Office Desk is not a CPA firm and does not perform audits, reviews, compilations, or other attest services. The audit or review itself is carried out by your organization's independent auditor.
Working together
How nonprofits work with Back Office Desk
Ongoing outsourced nonprofit accounting
Recurring accounting, reporting, payroll, and Form 990 support, scoped to your organization.
Support for an existing internal team
Added capacity and accounting support alongside the staff you already have, with responsibilities agreed together.
Nonprofit FAQ
Questions nonprofit leaders ask
A little more detail on how the work fits your organization.
Ongoing bookkeeping and accounting set up for nonprofits — fund accounting, grant and donor tracking, functional expense reporting, nonprofit-format financial statements, board and management reporting, payroll, accounts payable and reimbursements, and Form 990 preparation.
Yes. Funds are tracked separately, so you always know what is committed to a specific purpose and what your organization can direct freely.
Yes. Spending is recorded against each grant's purpose and period, so you can report back to funders and apply for the next grant without rebuilding the numbers.
Yes. Expenses are classified across program, management and general, and fundraising, in the format boards, funders, and Form 990 expect.
Yes. Form 990 preparation is part of what we do for nonprofit clients, using the accounting records we maintain through the year.
Yes. We can supplement an internal team with added capacity and accounting support, with responsibilities agreed together.
We support it from the accounting side — getting records in order, preparing schedules and supporting information, and coordinating with your auditor. Back Office Desk does not perform audits, reviews, compilations, or other attest services; the engagement is carried out by your organization's independent auditor.
QuickBooks Online and Xero for accounting, and QuickBooks Payroll and Gusto for payroll. We can work with existing books on those platforms or discuss options for other systems.
Yes. We provide cleanup and catch-up support, scoped to the condition, history, and complexity of your records.
After we understand your accounting needs, we can recommend an appropriate scope of services and provide clear pricing based on the services and level of support involved.
Looking for a stronger accounting foundation for your nonprofit?
Tell us how your funds, grants, and reporting work today, and we will talk through the options.