Not-for-Profit

Our Expertise

You focus on your mission. We’ll focus on you.

Whether you’re facing decreased funding due to government changes or membership and/or donor fatigue, struggling to navigate complex regulations that are constantly changing, or challenged to fill talent gaps, you’re not alone. These issues can burden even the most established not-for-profit organizations.

We have the expertise to help. For 95 years, we’ve served more than 1,000 not-for-profit organizations just like yours. We understand and respect the importance of your mission, and we recognize that just as your mission is unique, so are the structural, financial, and operational issues you face. Whether your goal is to build, grow, or sustain your organization, our nonprofit industry experts can help you develop a business model that supports your ability to thrive.

Our experts are heavily involved in the industry, and we host and sponsor numerous webinars and events to help you connect to peers, stay up to date on current issues, and share ideas, best practices, successes, and challenges. With this intimate knowledge of what affects not-for-profits, we’re here to help you with today’s challenges with an eye on the future.

    Change is the only constant.

    From the pressure to stay on top of evolving regulations to the increasing pace of technology, it’s a challenge to manage it all. But your mission depends on it. Whether you’re an arts and cultural institution, foundation, social service agency, trade and professional association, religious organization, a private education organization, or other tax-exempt organization, let us help you with:
    Audits
    How confident are you in your current audit’s accuracy or quality? Our firm has developed and refined proprietary engagement tools. These tools not only enhance the quality of our work and improve efficiency, but also reduce the amount of work for your staff. Through our audit process, we’ll help you reduce risk and ensure stability, giving you peace of mind to focus on your mission. With our staff’s technical skills and organized approach, our audits — done right and on time — will transform your organization.
    Cybersecurity
    If your organization was hacked today, do you have the resources in place to respond? Our IT and cybersecurity experts will evaluate your current systems and procedures and help you mitigate risks and protect not only your organization, but your members as well.
    Leadership events
    Are your current and future leaders and board members armed with the knowledge to succeed? Our specialized Leadership Day events cover a range of topics from accounting, tax, and reporting, to succession planning, board responsibilities, and more. Board members and decision-makers have told us these customized sessions have recalibrated their strategy and vision.
    Single audits
    Do you feel burdened by reporting requirements? You won’t when you partner with us. On an annual basis, we perform the second most single audits in the nation — more than $9 billion of federal expenditures per year. We understand the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) and tailor each audit — meaning a more efficient audit for you.
    Succession planning
    Have you identified future leaders in your organization? We can help you recognize the top talent and create development plans to accelerate the path to leadership. Because leadership is what ultimately drives your organization forward, this is a critical piece of your future success.
    Tax reporting
    Are you satisfied with the timeliness and quality of your tax returns and tax reporting? Our professionals help tax-exempt entities navigate a changing regulatory environment. This is our area of expertise. In fact, our 200 dedicated professionals file 1,800 Form 990s every year.




    Client Experience

    Missions in unison

    Like you, we guide our firm by our values. We follow the Golden Rule, we put people first, and we believe there’s no right way to do the wrong thing. These principles help us to support your growth and success. While your goal is to fulfill your mission and give back in meaningful ways to your community, our goal is always the same — allow our clients to spend less time worrying about their financial health and more time doing what they do best.

    John Bebes, our not-for-profit practice leader, is proud of his team’s experience and enthusiasm for this industry. “Not only do our partners and staff have the technical know-how to help clients build sustainable organizations, but they’re also driven by their passion to leave the world a better place for others.”

    Our clients say

    The Plante Moran team I interact with is very professional and responsive, and has a strong industry knowledge of not-for-profits and the regulations that are required. Their annual not-for-profit accounting update is very beneficial, as it provides a nice way to touch base and details any new standards that we may need to consider in the future for planning purposes. I feel comfortable reaching out to them any time I have a question, and I appreciate that they take the time to explain the details we need to know. I would recommend Plante Moran to other organizations.

    Anne-Marie Eischen
    Chief Financial Officer, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago