Financial Services

The group that establishes standards for financial accounting and reporting has approved two new projects that seek to streamline the way nonprofits complete their annual financial statements.

The projects were recommended by a nonprofit advisory board to the Financial Accounting Standards Board, a private organization in Norwalk, Conn., that sets the rules that many nonprofit groups follow to satisfy creditors, investment managers, and auditors.

Ten years ago, you would have been hard-pressed to find philanthropy specialists in most private banking and investment firms. But today, philanthropic services are a major division of most wealth management operations, offering clients a myriad of investment vehicles and services to do good.

“… Philanthropy has become a central part of relationship management because it’s so much a part of a high-net-worth individual’s life,” says Eileen Heisman, CEO and President, National Philanthropic Trust.

Certain ideas make so much sense that one wonders why no one thought of them sooner. Case in point: Global leaders struggled for decades to think of a way to improve education. Ten years ago, Fred Mednick, Ph.D., started his nonprofit aimed at supporting those who can best provide that education.

Henrico County-based ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions is merging with a New York-based financial counseling nonprofit. The deal with Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central New York was announced Wednesday. It could be months before it is finalized, though, because the merger needs regulatory approval.

The New York firm will take the ClearPoint name, and the combined nonprofit's headquarters will stay here.

The city of Delray Beach and Consumer Credit Management Services are celebrating National Financial Literacy Month in April with "Operation: Money Makeover." The free contest, which begins on Friday and will continue for a year, focuses on promoting personal financial stability. CCMS, a local nonprofit agency, will be offering workshops on managing finances, reducing debt and increasing savings. Seminars and workshops are free, but contest participants will earn points toward winning.

2010 Nonprofit Consultant of the Year Lori Van Dusen passes along some of her advice to fundraisers.

This year I wanted to 1) motivate nonprofit communicators to reflect so they'll increase the impact of their work this year and 2) share the core lessons learned with their peers. Thus the "most valuable marketing lessons learned in 2010" survey was born.

Fundraisers from all walks of life are encountering many challenges these days, but what do the C-level executives see as the most important issues facing the sector? At the Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation’s 2010 New York Nonprofit Conference, three top nonprofit executives joined moderator Tom Harrison, president and CEO of Russ Reid, to discuss these issues in a two-part session, “Cracking the Shell: Open Dialogue & Discussion With America’s Top Nonprofit C-Level Executives on the Sector’s Most Pressing Issues."

Affinity and co-branded debit card provider Tempo announced that Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières is offering supporters an affinity debit card powered by Tempo.

The Girl Scouts of the USA is automating and streamlining nonprofit financial management across its more than 100 councils with Sage North America's Sage MIP Fund Accounting system.