Bookkeeping for Small Nonprofits
Unleashed Bookkeeping provides monthly bookkeeping for small nonprofits nationwide, working exclusively in QuickBooks Online. Each month I categorize transactions, reconcile accounts, and keep restricted and unrestricted funds cleanly separated - so your board, grantors, and CPA can trust the numbers year-round. I'm Richard Roche, an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor working solo, with hands-on experience managing books for a nonprofit client receiving grant funding from the State of New Jersey.
How Nonprofit Bookkeeping Works in Quickbooks Online
Nonprofit bookkeeping has one requirement most general bookkeepers don't handle well: keeping restricted and unrestricted funds separate and reportable. When a grant or donation comes in with conditions attached - a specific program, a spending deadline, a reporting requirement - that money can't just sit in the same bucket as your general operating funds. It has to be tracked separately from the moment it hits your books.
In QuickBooks Online, I handle this using classes to tag transactions by fund or program, so you can pull a report at any time showing exactly what's been spent from a restricted grant versus your unrestricted funds - without needing a separate accounting system. This matters most when a grantor asks for a report, or when your board wants to see fund balances at a glance. It's also the difference between books that pass a grant audit cleanly and books that create a scramble every time someone asks a question.
Our Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work with nonprofits outside New Jersey?
Yes. Unleashed Bookkeeping is a fully remote practice, and all bookkeeping is done through QuickBooks Online - so I work with nonprofits nationwide, regardless of where you're based.
Do we need to already be using QuickBooks Online?
Not necessarily. If you're currently on QuickBooks Desktop, spreadsheets, or another system, I can handle the full migration to QuickBooks Online before we start monthly bookkeeping - most clients do exactly this.
How is nonprofit bookkeeping different from bookkeeping for a regular business?
The main difference is fund accounting. Nonprofit funds - grants, restricted donations, program-specific gifts - have to stay separate and reportable, not lumped in with general operating funds. I track this in QuickBooks Online using classes, so you can pull a clean report on any fund at any time.
Do you prepare our tax return or Form 990?
No - I don't prepare tax returns or file Form 990. What I do is keep your books accurate and fully organized throughout the year, so whoever handles your tax filing has clean, tax-ready numbers to work from.
Our books are behind - can you get us caught up?
Yes. A one-time cleanup gets your QuickBooks Online file current - reconciled, correctly categorized, and accurate - before we move into ongoing monthly bookkeeping.
What size nonprofit do you typically work with?
Small nonprofits - generally organizations with a single program up through multiple grants and active board reporting needs. Pricing is based on transaction volume and complexity; see the pricing table above for specifics.
Do you only work with nonprofits?
No - I also work with small businesses nationwide. Nonprofits are one of three areas where I have direct client experience, alongside pet service businesses and gyms/fitness studios.