Bookkeeping is the foundation of good nonprofit finance. Every audit, every report, and every reconciliation traces back to it. Yet many nonprofits build their processes reactively, patching together spreadsheets and one-off workarounds instead of creating a real system. With funding shifts happening on a broad scale, financial resilience matters more than it used to, making a dedicated recordkeeping approach essential.

Too many nonprofit leaders quietly avoid their own finances, trusting that a clean audit or a capable CPA means everything is handled, and that blind spot can put a mission at real risk. In this episode, Patton talks with Sean Hale, founder of Nonprofit CFOs, who busts five money myths that hold organizations back: that the audit has them covered, that finance is the CPA’s job, that nonprofits aren’t supposed to make a profit, that confusing financial reports are just part of the territory, and that you say yes to whatever a funder asks.

How well have you protected your nonprofit from fraud? Learn more about how fraud happens in nonprofits and how you can prevent it.

Thieves will strike when you least expect them. External audits provide weak protection against fraud at your nonprofit. Read this blog to learn about more effective alternatives.