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SPOTLIGHT: Inside 2025’s Boldest Shifts in the Nonprofit Sector
Unlocking Potential – A Closer Look at Private Operating Foundations
PKF O’CONNOR DAVIES: A private operating foundation is a sub-classification of a private foundation. Unlike a private non-operating foundation, a private operating foundation utilizes its resources to actively conduct its own mission-related exempt activities. Common examples of private operating foundations include museums, performing art centers, artist-endowed foundations, zoos, medical research facilities, libraries and environmental or archeological sites. But how and why, exactly, would a foundation pursue operating foundation classification? Let's dive into the requirements for classification and other key considerations.…
Enhancing Nonprofit Operations: Utilizing External Expertise to Boost Efficiency & Reduce Risk
ANCHIN ACCOUNTANTS & ADVISORS: As nonprofit organizations navigate the evolving challenges of 2025, strategic approaches are essential for optimizing operations and reducing risk. Balancing mission-focused objectives with limited resources, regulatory demands, and operational complexities requires thoughtful planning and the smart use of external support. By leveraging solutions such as operational reviews, outsourced accounting, and advanced technology like artificial intelligence, nonprofits can improve efficiency, enhance decision-making, and better align resources with their mission. These strategies empower organizations to strengthen internal processes, reduce exposure to risk, and amplify their impact on the communities they serve.…
The Risk You Can’t Afford to Ignore – The Consequences of Operating Without an Internal Audit Function
In today’s complex regulatory and financial landscape, the Internal Audit (IA) function is not a luxury but a necessity. Internal auditing's primary objective is to provide independent and objective assurance that an organization’s risk management, governance, and internal control processes are operating effectively. Most organizations think they have this covered…
Budgeting for Nonprofits: Planning for Impact, Allocating with Purpose
Budgeting is more than numbers on a spreadsheet—it’s a strategic process that empowers nonprofits to turn vision into reality. A well-crafted budget is not just about balancing income and expenses; it’s about aligning financial resources with your mission, maintaining transparency, and enabling your organization to deliver meaningful impact to the…
Nonprofits Must Strengthen Resilience to Navigate Federal Funding Uncertainty
The nonprofit sector stands at a critical crossroads. Federal funding, which has served as a bedrock for many organizations across diverse mission areas, faces an uncertain future. Recent Congressional budget negotiations, changing administration priorities and shifting political landscapes have created what many nonprofit financial leaders are describing as a "flux"…
The Truth About 501(c)(3)s: Debunking the Top Non-Profit Myths of 2025
Understanding the financial nuances in the non-profit sector can be complex, especially for small and mid-sized organizations that may not have dedicated financial staff. Below are key aspects and common misconceptions to…
Shaping the Future of Safety: Overcoming Challenges and Driving Innovation in the Nonprofit Sector
In the ever-evolving nonprofit landscape, organizations are facing mounting challenges—from donor fatigue and rising operational costs to workforce burnout and increasing demand for services. Yet with these challenges come opportunities for innovation,…
Turn Unexpected Donations into Impact: Proven Best Practices for Nonprofits
“We just had a last-minute event cancellation,” the caterer shares. “We’ve got a dinner prepared for 75 people, but it won’t last until our next event. Could you use it?” This kind…
Nonprofit Fiscal Challenges – “Past Performance is No Guarantee of Future Results”
Nonprofits have their antennas up as headlines appear on an almost daily basis: Government Funding Cuts Put Nonprofits at Risk Across the Nation; S&P 500 Drops 4.6% in First Quarter of 2025;…
Rising to the Challenge – Drive Change with Strategic Advocacy
The concerns regarding the freeze on federal funding for nonprofits and the overall financial health of the sector are pressing issues that deserve comprehensive examination and responsive action. The nonprofit industry is…
Resilience in Action: Holistic Risk Management, Financial Strength, and Lasting Impact
History teaches us that nonprofits flourish not just by enduring challenges, but by embracing innovation, diversifying revenue streams, and deepening community engagement. In today’s environment, nonprofit finance executives are uniquely positioned to…
CFO & Leadership Catalyst
Shedding the Shadow Skin: An Open Dialogue on Executive Growth and the Modern CFO
We all carry a shadow skin. Not physically, of course, but mentally and emotionally. It is the version of ourselves built over time by pressure, disappointment, fear, and misinterpreted success. For CFOs and executive leaders, this shadow skin functions both as armor and as a burden. What fascinates me is that it begins as a survival tool. It helps us make it through. It keeps us safe. At some point, though, it becomes something else entirely. It starts serving as a barrier to becoming who we were meant to be as leaders.…
The Game-Changing Power of a CFO with Business Development Skills: Bridging Finance and Strategic Growth
Traditionally, the CFO’s role has been centered around core financial responsibilities such as reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, and ensuring regulatory compliance. While these responsibilities remain crucial, today’s CFOs…
Positioned to Win: Fractional CFO and Investment Banker Collaboration for Successful Exits
When entrepreneurs set their sights on an exit, the caliber of talent they bring to the table can make or break the outcome. One of the earliest and most critical…
Every CFO Falls into One of Two Camps
1. The Defensive CFO This CFO sees change as a threat. They stick to old objections: They view AI as a risk to be managed, not an advantage to be…
The Long Game: Rory McIlroy, the Masters, and What Endurance Reveals About Leadership
In a world where patience often feels like a liability, Rory McIlroy offers a masterclass in what long-term commitment can actually achieve. The story is not about a single putt, a single round, or a single moment. It is about the full span of time, the years in the making, and the pressure that compounds when greatness is expected but…
The Glass Cannon: Leading When Strength Is Fragile
Recently, I posted about the concept of a “glass cannon.” It’s a term borrowed from gaming, used to describe a character that delivers massive damage but has almost no defense. It’s powerful, yes, but fragile. High output. Low durability. Deadly, but vulnerable. I didn’t expect it to resonate the way it did. But it turns out the glass cannon isn’t…
How AI is Rewriting the CFO Playbook
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come a long way from back-office automation. Far surpassing number crunching, it actively shapes strategy, influences boardrooms, and helps financial executives lead with insight, speed, and foresight. After sharing AI’s top finance use cases (and why enterprises fail) -Where do we go from here? That question is exactly what this article is about. Whether you're a CFO, VP of Finance, or strategic advisor, this is the moment to look beyond incremental improvement and automation. Think in terms of innovation through AI…
The AI Enabled Finance Organization of 2028
If Part I – How AI is rewriting the CFO Playbook opened your eyes to what’s working now, then Part II is about widening your field of vision. Because what we’re seeing in today’s AI finance use cases is just the beginning. The real change is ahead, and it’s coming fast. Most finance leaders still think in terms of automation, how AI can help them go faster, cleaner, or cheaper. And that’s fine… for now.…
From Possibility to Playbook – Turning AI Vision Into Execution
The future sounds impressive, but how do we get there? In Part II – The AI Enabled Finance Organization of 2028 we looked into the future on how AI will reshape financial strategy, reporting, ESG, risk, and workforce planning by 2028. We explored the possibilities. The promises. The edge that early adopters are already starting to realize. However, a bold vision means nothing without the ability to execute. This final part of the series is…
Strategic AI Adoption in Investment Fund’s Compliance Management: The Build vs. Buy Dilemma
Generative AI technology has emerged as both a powerful and disruptive force, transforming workflows and enabling tasks that once seemed impossible. This disruption is especially noticeable in the asset management industry, where efficient, compliant, and scalable AI solutions are becoming competitive necessities. As investment management…
Unlocking Hidden Cash: Calvetti Ferguson’s Experts Reveal Sales and Use Tax Refund Opportunities
CFOs, controllers, and treasurers are sitting on a goldmine – untapped sales and use tax refunds. Calvetti Ferguson, a regional accounting and consulting firm with clients nationwide, is helping businesses unlock this hidden cash through expert-led refund reviews. Brian Valencia and Orges Lleshaj recently shared their invaluable insights with financial executives, shedding light on how to identify overpayments, explore potential exemptions, and maximize refund opportunities. Bryan, a seasoned tax expert who leads the tax incentives team, and Orges, head of Calvetti Ferguson’s sales and use tax practice, bring a combined wealth of knowledge to the table. Calvetti Ferguson Team’s Proven Track Record With a strong focus on tax compliance and advisory…
Taking A Closer Look at Fractional CFO Services in LATAM
The Fractional CFO, a relatively new concept in the world of finance, has been gaining popularity among businesses of all sizes. Mark Blackton takes a closer look at this emerging trend in his presentation on the Fractional CFO model for…
The Future of Treasury Management Systems and its Role in Cash Forecasting
In the beginning, the bank account was created. As companies grew, they started using many accounts at many banks. To manage/ account for this valuable asset (i.e., cash), companies relied on general ledgers and a financial close process to provide…
Strengthening CMO-CFO Collaboration
In an important session of The Financial Executives Networking Group (FENG), two notable thought leaders, Mark Sue and Reed Berglund, unraveled transformative insights on fostering synergy between CFOs and CMOs. Given their significant expertise and background in finance and marketing,…
Acing the Financial Game in Manufacturing
At a recent gathering of the Manufacturing Special Interest Group (SIG) of The Financial Executives Networking Group (The FENG), financial virtuosos Mark Sue and Scott Meyers dispensed some valuable wisdom on the nitty-gritty of manufacturing, labor efficiency, and the dynamics…
Navigating Philanthropy: Strategic Insights for Finance Executives
Financial advisor Juan Ros recently addressed The Financial Executives Networking Group, sharing his wisdom on aligning charitable giving within business exit strategies. Ros, well-versed in financial management and philanthropy, shed light on the symbiosis of financial objectives and charitable inclinations.…
The Case for Project Finance
Why choose project finance, over another type of financing – identifying the common elements of project finance is a worthwhile exercise to determine if project finance is really the best type of financing for your deal. If you cannot envision all of…
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