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Welcome to the new Nonprofit Essentials, renamed and redesigned for 2023 from the “old” Nonprofit Knowledge Monthly – but with the same commitment to bring you the latest news, resources, and in-depth analysis of value to nonprofit professionals like you. As always, we’d love to hear your feedback.

This newsletter’s new look and easier-to-digest format reflect our optimism about bringing renewed energy and fresh thinking to the challenges nonprofits face in 2023. Most of these challenges, like increasing demands for nonprofit services, rising financial pressures, the national nonprofit workforce shortage crisis, the continuing public health risks, and more, are all too familiar from the past several years. Still, even as 2023 begins with a sense of déjà vu, let’s seize and hold onto the feeling of optimism that comes when starting something new. The good news is that this new year brings opportunities to reconnect with longtime friends and colleagues, earn trust and respect by doing the right thing, and make a positive difference in the lives of others through the spirit of service.

🔷Top 4 Essentials🔷

A Storm is Brewing: The Accountant Shortage

Nonprofits have historically struggled to recruit and retain quality accountants, controllers, and CFOs. That struggle is about to get much worse due to shifting demographics: more CPAs retiring and fewer people joining the profession. This will impact both staffing and the cost of audits and 990 filings. Jerilyn Dressler of Your Part-Time Controller outlines steps that nonprofits can take to address both issues. [Read More]

Website Accessibility
and Nonprofits

Ensuring your nonprofit’s website is accessible to all, including those who are visually impaired, has many benefits: extending your nonprofit’s reach, demonstrating your commitment to equity, complying with the ADA and other laws, and most importantly, doing the right thing. Kim Alfonso of Results One LLC shares her personal story, her practical insights and expertise, and helpful resources. [Read More]

Bonterra advertisement sharing the four winners of their Impact Award.

Fundraising Trends – Insights from FL study

The recent “Giving in Florida” study reveals fundraising insights and trends that nonprofits everywhere can use. Sabeen Perwaiz, President & CEO of the Florida Nonprofit Alliance, breaks it down for us. [Read More]

What’s in the SECURE Act 2.0 for Nonprofits?

Several of the provisions in the “Secure Act 2.0” passed last month are significant for nonprofit organizations. Tax expert Steven Woolf explains the provisions related to charitable giving and retirement – and why they matter to nonprofits. [Read More]

Advertisement for NPSS Corporation's fundraising registration, renewal, and compliance services.

👀What We're Seeing👀

The U.S. experienced 18 separate billion-dollar plus disasters in 2022, totaling more than $165 billion in damage (NPR). [Read more]

Map of the U.S. 2022 Billion-dollar Weather and Climate Disasters with 18 icons of weather events.

And as we’re all seeing, the frequency and severity of natural disasters have been increasing the last several years. Indeed, in just the last month, we’ve witnessed – or experienced – everything from the historic blizzard burying western New York to tornadoes in the South and severe winter storms, flooding, and mudslides on the West Coast.

These and other natural disasters impose outsized financial and human burdens on charitable nonprofits who leap into action to provide services to people in great need – often when they themselves have been devastated by the same disaster.

Since Congress allowed three vital charitable giving incentives to expire on December 31, 2021, the federal government has declared 96 natural disasters, leaving charitable nonprofits without the resources they need to respond to critical needs of victims of these disasters.

Image of a professional with the text, "We've got your next hire. BYU Marriott Virtual MPA Career Fair. Thursday, February 2, 2023."

✨New Resources✨

Tech Impact’s excellent “Automation for Nonprofits” guide is accessible to non-techies, provides a good overview of different categories of automation, shares case studies, and includes worksheets to help you analyze opportunities and get started. [Download]
Idealist’s Salaries tool now has more than 22,000 data points that nonprofit professionals can access at no cost by sharing their own salary and other data. [Check it out]
HR professionals (and those wearing HR hats at smaller organizations) are faced with many compliance deadlines throughout the year. Nonprofit HR created a handy 2023 Compliance Calendar to help nonprofits keep on top of regulatory requirements, reporting obligations, and other associated due dates. [See the Compliance Calendar]
Linda Rosenthal, JD, of For Purpose Law Group ended 2022 with a blog post including insights and links to other writings, all looking at what nonprofits can do while waiting for “the next normal.” [Read]
High net worth donors are looking for inspiration. (Giving USA) [Read how]

📝Parting Note📝

By the end of 2022, more than 360,000 borrowers had qualified for $24 billion in debt forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Thanks to everyone who helped get the word out about the Limited PSLF Waiver! [Read about the current status of PSLF]

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