NORTH BAY – Pisenti & Brinker, a Santa Rosa-based accounting firm, and the Business Journal are partnering on two “Nonprofit Boot Camps” in May in Napa and Sonoma counties aimed at informing the leadership of organizations about governance, employment and financial issues.
“In talking to some of my nonprofit clients, I realized that some had never read a financial statement,” said Christina Hollingsworth, a CPA and manager at Pisenti & Brinker.
In for-profit businesses, the board is part of the management, she said. “But in nonprofits, the board is not necessarily familiar with making management decisions; they are volunteers.”
Employing best practices in community organizations is critical to the success of the North Bay economy and its communities, said Business Journal Associate Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Brad Bollinger.
“Community organizations, which make up the so-called third sector of our economy, represent a major part of our employment. They face many of the same operational challenges, the same legal and finance questions, as for-profit business. These boot camps are intended to support them and give them the tools to succeed,” he said.
Two years ago, Pisenti & Brinker held its first boot camp for nonprofits.
“We got a lot of comments that it was really helpful, and they could use a lot more information,” she said.
“Executives from the nonprofits found this helpful,” she said. “It was an opportunity for nonprofits to get up-to-date information.”
This year the boot camp speakers are:
Ingrid Mittermaier, J.D., Adler & Colvin talking on nonprofit governance and keeping up with new developments and nonprofit mergers.
Ms. Hollingsworth, CPA, Pisenti & Brinker on thinking about alternative revenue streams in the nonprofit world, and how to do the right thing related to accounting and reporting requirements.
Kay Marquet, Wealth Management Consultants.
Joe Goldberg, CIF, CRPS, Buckingham Asset Management on offering the most rewarding retirement plans for nonprofits by improving investment options, employee education, and overall participation.
Linda Bertauche of Summit State Bank on opportunities for nonprofit to benefit from the Community Reinvestment Act and top five tips for nonprofit marketing, sponsorships and Web/SEO maximizing.
Erwin Reeves of Mechanics Bank on how Community Reinvestment Act changes how banks support nonprofits and redevelopment funds and knowing banking options.
Teresa Bockwoldt, MST, MBA of Vibato on risk mitigation, fraud reduction, external audit costs minimization and how to ensure reporting compliance.
Lomesh Shah of IQR Consulting on cloud computing and how technology can help nonprofits gain operational efficiencies.
And keynote speaker Brenda Fellows, Ph.D, Fellows Corporate Consortium on how to attract and retain the best talents for a nonprofit under constant budget constraints.
The Napa event will be on May 19 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Napa Valley Opera House. The Sonoma event will be on May 24 at 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Sonoma Mountain Village. Not all speakers will be at both events.
Lunch is included. Cost is $35. For more information and to register, click here or call 707-521-5264.
