Introduction
Ever business organization needs to keep detailed financial records to maximize their chances of success. If a company cannot make payroll or pay its expenses it will fail. Much has been made of nonprofits behaving more like for profit organizations in the recent past; however, in accounting, the nonprofits financial records cannot and should not be like most for profit businesses. The chart of accounts is the critical first step in a nonprofit’s accounting system (Scarano, 2016). This paper will look at the purpose of a part of the nonprofit accounting system, the chart of accounts, focusing on the purpose, importance, use, and audience.
Background and Purpose
The Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 117 as promulgated
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A 2010 article in the American Journal of Evaluation, financial reporting (together with human resource reports, turnover reports, and recruitment reports) was an integral part of how the board and senior management evaluated the operations of the nonprofits. They also found that these reports final evaluations, when incorporated into their annual reports, could be used to educate funders, elected officials, and other stakeholders about their accomplishments as well as serve as a marketing tool (Joanne G. Carman, 2009). Furthermore, usable reports based on a solid chart of accounts allow the Board to get a clear picture as to the organizations income portfolio. An income portfolio is the organization’s mix of income sources or streams which can be used by the nonprofit’s leadership under one or more of the evaluation methodologies available (Young, 2007, pp. 291-292). The financial reporting based on the chart of accounts is also used by external sources such as Guide Star, Charity Navigator, and the media, when rating the charity as well as external entities when deciding between nonprofits for …show more content…
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