Running a non-profit means answering to a board, members, funders and the government, usually with a small team. This page collects the free tools we built for BC societies and registered charities, in plain English, so you can run your own numbers before a board meeting, a funder call or a call with us. Nothing you type is saved. The tools sit alongside our non-profit accounting services.
- Eight free tools, each with a CSV download or print option where it helps
- Written for volunteer treasurers and executive directors, not only accountants
- Works for a small society or a large foundation
- Nothing you enter is saved or sent to us
The eight tools
The first four suit every kind of non-profit. The next two are for registered charities. The last two help with money that comes with strings or goes out the door at an event.
- Audit, review or compilation picker. Answer a few questions about your bylaws, funders, lender and size and get a plain-English suggestion on which level of financial statements to ask for.
- Annual filing calendar. Your AGM, BC society annual report, T3010 or T1044, T4 and Employer Health Tax dates for the next 12 months, with a CSV download for the board calendar.
- Operating reserve and runway. How many months your unrestricted cash lasts and how far you are from a reserve target.
- Program, administration and fundraising split. Share rent and salaries across the three groups and get the percentage split funders ask for, with a CSV download.
- Charity disbursement quota. For registered charities, especially foundations with investments: the amount to spend each year and whether you are above or below it.
- Donation receipt and donor tax credit. What can go on a receipt when a donor gets something back, and the federal and BC credit a donor could claim.
- Grant and restricted-fund tracker. What is left on each grant, whether you are ahead or behind the pace and what could go unspent, with a CSV download.
- Fundraising event and campaign calculator. Net proceeds, cost per dollar raised, break-even guests and the receiptable amount per ticket.
Where to start, by size
| Your organization | Good places to start |
|---|---|
| Large organizations and foundations (professional finance team, multiple funders, investments) | Disbursement quota, cost split, donation receipts and the grant tracker. Use the audit picker to prepare for a conversation with the audit committee. |
| Mid-sized organizations (a small staff, several grants, a yearly campaign or gala) | Grant tracker, fundraising event calculator, reserve and runway and the filing calendar. |
| Small societies and volunteer-run groups (a volunteer treasurer, one or two funders) | Filing calendar first, then the audit, review or compilation picker and reserve and runway. |
A few things that come up again and again
- Which level of assurance do we need? It depends on your bylaws, your funding agreements, your lender and sometimes the BC Societies Act. Read those documents first. A review engagement is accepted by many funders, and an audit is not always required.
- Employer Health Tax. Registered charities and many non-profits get a higher exemption of $1.5 million of BC payroll, so most small organizations owe nothing and do not need to file. Read our Employer Health Tax guide and the Province’s page for charities and non-profits.
- Restricted money. Money given for a purpose should be tracked separately from general funds. The grant tracker and the reserve tool keep the two apart.
- Receipts. Only registered charities can issue official donation receipts, and the receipt is for the gift, not for what the donor gets back.
What the tools do not do
They give estimates from the numbers you enter, using rules that were current when we last reviewed them. They cannot see your bylaws, your funding agreements or your books. Rates and filing rules change, and they depend on the type of organization you are. Please confirm with the firm before relying on a result. Contact the firm for help with your own financial statements, review engagements and annual filings.
Prepared by HJ Wu & Company Inc. (CPA). General information only, not personal advice. How the guides are written and reviewed.
Talk to HJ Wu & Company Inc.
Phone: 604-636-1862
Email: inquiry@hjwucpa.com
512 - 938 Howe Street, Vancouver
Related services
- Non-profit & charity accounting
- All the non-profit tools
- Business & organization accounting
- Tax services
- Strata financial reviews
- All FAQs
Helpful BC guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about HJ Wu & Company Inc. and how the firm can help. See all FAQs
The firm covers the full list: accounting and financial reporting, bookkeeping, payroll, review (assurance) and compilation engagements, Trust Accountant's Reports, corporate (T2) and personal (T1) tax returns, GST and PST, budgeting and forecasting, fractional CFO and Controller services, and advisory and consulting. So you can get your books and your taxes handled by the same people. Tell the firm what you need and they'll point you to the right service.
Yes. The firm helps growing businesses build a reliable payroll system with proper controls, and prepares the payroll tax returns on time to avoid penalties. If payroll has started to eat your week, reach out to the firm and hand it off.
A compilation means an accountant organizes your numbers into proper financial statements without giving any assurance on them. A review adds limited assurance, which gives lenders, investors or regulators more comfort. Which one you need usually depends on who is asking for the statements. The firm provides both, so contact the firm if you're not sure which fits.