Reporting the Costs of Fundraising

About this event

Yee Lee Lo, CPA, Partner
Gary McGee & Co. LLP

Presentation & Continental Breakfast at 7:30
Networking at 9:00

For most nonprofits, fundraising constitutes an important way to secure funds to further their charitable mission and/or bring awareness to their cause. Organizations raise funds through activities such as direct mail, email, online, phone, and in-person solicitations; solicitation of nongovernment or government grants; and special fundraising events (e.g., dinners, auctions, raffles, benefit concerts, walkathons, and symposia). Some organizations conduct fundraising activities in which the attendee receives a direct benefit. Common accounting and tax questions arise when organizations conduct these fundraising activities. In this session, you will get answers to the following questions so that your organization can capture the information to properly account and report fundraising revenues and expenses under GAAP, comply with IRS reporting and disclosure requirements, and report operational information that is meaningful to management.

• What is a fundraising expense? What activities constitute fundraising?
• What costs are typically reported in a category (e.g., costs of direct benefit to donors) separate from the fundraising expense category?
• What amount of sponsorship or event ticket revenue and event expenses must be recognized immediately or deferred until the event occurs?
• How should the gross revenues and costs of special events be reported under GAAP and in the Form 990?
• What portion of a sponsorship payment or ticket purchase is deductible to the donor or attendee?
• What are the IRS disclosure requirements in solicitation materials and acknowledgement letters?

About the Presenter

Yee Lee Lo, CPA, has devoted her entire professional career to serving public and private nonprofit institutions. Lee joined Gary McGee & Co. LLP in 1997, following two years on the accounting staff at Warner Pacific College. She graduated from the University of Oregon with an accounting degree in 1994. As a partner in the firm, Lee devotes the majority of her practice to the provision of audit services, but also advises organizations on a range of technical accounting matters and leads the firm’s exempt organization tax practice. She is a member of the Oregon Society of Certified Public Accountants, OSCPA Not-for-Profit Strategic Team, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

About the Network

Nonprofit Fiscal Managers Association provides regular learning opportunities so you can stay up to date on nonprofit financial management practices and related legal and compliance issues. You will gain the knowledge, strategies, and systems you need to keep your organization on track.

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