Volunteer: Nonprofit Financial Governance & Controls Assessment

Overview

This volunteer opportunity is provided by a nonprofit organization that creates social change through pro bono connections.

The organization is an early-stage 501(c)(3) nonprofit developing immersive cultural and educational programming within music and cultural festivals, focused on energy, ecology, sustainability, regenerative practices, and community engagement. The team is preparing for its first meaningful grants, donations, festival partnerships, and program budgets. Before significant funding arrives, the organization is seeking to establish proportionate financial controls, Board oversight, grant-accounting readiness, and clear reporting practices.

The organization also operates alongside a legally separate commercial entity. Some future festival projects may involve both nonprofit programming and separate commercial activation activity, which introduces additional considerations around entity separation, shared costs, documentation, and financial controls.

This project is advisory and planning-focused. It does not require the consultant to provide legal advice, perform bookkeeping, or prepare tax filings.

Scope of Work & Deliverables

By the end of this project, the consultant will deliver:

• A concise Financial Governance & Controls Assessment
• A prioritized Year 1 roadmap

The assessment should include recommendations for:

• Core financial controls appropriate for an early-stage nonprofit
• Restricted versus unrestricted fund tracking
• Grant accounting and reporting readiness
• Budget-to-actual and Board-level financial reporting
• Documentation, approvals, reconciliations, and recordkeeping
• Form 990 and general nonprofit accounting readiness
• Identification of issues that should be escalated to an outside CPA or legal counsel
• Maintaining clear financial separation between the nonprofit and its related but legally separate commercial entity
• A defensible approach to shared-project cost allocation when nonprofit and commercial activities occur around the same festival project
• Immediate, near-term, and later-stage financial priorities

Success Criteria

Success means the organization has a practical financial-governance framework that:

• Protects donor and grant funds
• Supports independent Board oversight
• Improves funding readiness
• Is appropriate for the organization’s current size without creating unnecessary bureaucracy

Requirements

• Accounting experience
• Board governance experience
• Nonprofit management experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience advising on nonprofit financial controls and governance
• Familiarity with grant accounting and nonprofit reporting practices
• Experience with nonprofit/commercial entity separation and shared cost documentation (preferred)