Running a nonprofit is no small feat—especially when your team is wearing multiple hats. One of our recent success stories shows how we helped a nonprofit get their finances in order, leading to their best audit ever.
The Nonprofit’s Struggle: One Person Handling It All
In this case, the Education Director wasn’t just focusing on education—she was also stuck doing accounting tasks like bank reconciliations, credit card tracking, and expense entries. Sound familiar?
At first, they thought hiring a part-time bookkeeper would solve the problem. But that only addressed a small piece of the puzzle.
Our Fix: A Full Financial Team for the Price of One Hire
When we stepped in, we knew they needed more than just a bookkeeper. So, we built a custom financial team to fit their exact needs:
- A Bookkeeper for 12 hours a week
- An Accounting Manager for 10 hours a week
- A Controller for 8 hours a week
Instead of hiring one full-time employee (FTE) for $70,000, they got three financial pros for the same cost. That means specialists handling exactly what they’re good at, without burning out one person.
The Impact: Best Audit Results and a Thrilled Board
The results? They crushed their audit—the best one they’ve ever had. The financial reports were accurate, the budget was solid, and both staff and the audit committee felt confident about the numbers.
The audit committee was so impressed, they started recommending Optima to other nonprofits. That led to us working with even more organizations in the sector!
Why Nonprofits Need Clear, Simple Financial Reporting
One thing we always stress when working with nonprofits is the importance of clear, concise financial statements for your Board of Directors. Too much detail can overwhelm them, making it harder to make smart decisions.
When Optima manages your accounting, you can be sure your board and leadership team get exactly the right financial insights to drive your mission forward and invest back into your organization.
