Blogs

Planning a Month of Social Media in 20 Minutes

By Sam Paredes
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When you plan social media, can you create a month’s worth of social media in less than 20 minutes? Use the three E’s: Events, Encouragement, & Engagement. We sit down every month to plan the entire next month of social media for each client. We take a look at what’s coming up and what initiatives the pastor wants to hit and put that side-by-side with your sermon series calendar to guide us. Then we start putting content types from these three categories on the calendar… Events First, we put events for the month on the calendar. Then we work backward and place posts before and after the events that will be used as promotional. We’ll decide ...
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CapinCrouse 2021 National Church Virtual Seminar

By Allison Webb
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Here is some information about the CapinCrouse Webinar that takes place tomorrow! What lies ahead for churches? Join the CapinCrouse 2021 National Church Virtual Seminar as we explore this question and provide resources and solutions to support you as we move forward together. Dr. Warren Bird, ECFA Vice President of Research and Equipping, will delve into research and share considerations for multi-site and spin-off churches as well as merger models. David Middlebrook and Steven Goodspeed of Middlebrook | Goodspeed will provide an update on legal developments churches need to be aware of. Additional sessions will cover insights gained from 2020; accounting ...
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6 Warning Signs for a Nonprofit Board to Take Action

By Brenda Jacinto
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What might be indicators that a nonprofit board of directors should sit up, take notice and act? I believe there are six signs or indicators that pose as a call to action for a nonprofit board — with the first step usually involving a discussion with the executive director or CEO: Regulators raise yellow or red flags Clients express dissatisfaction with or cease using services Funders and donors introduce conditions or stop giving Staff turnover is high and/or they frequently complain to the board Rocky board/CEO relationship (where trust is on the decline or absent) Professional advisors identify concerns The remainder of this article describes ...
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New law provides additional flexibility for health FSAs and dependent care assistance programs

By Sam Paredes
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Employers may allow participants to carry over unused amounts WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today provided greater flexibility, due to the pandemic, to employee benefit plans offering health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) or dependent care assistance programs. Under the COVID-related Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, these plans now have additional discretion in 2021 and 2022 to adjust their programs to help employees better meet the unanticipated consequences of the public health emergency. Notice 2021-15 responds to unanticipated changes in the availability of certain medical care and dependent care. As a result ...
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Faith-Based Finance Collaborative Postponed

By Sam Paredes
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We were so excited about the upcoming Faith-Based Finance Collaborative set for next week. However, due to recent severe weather that has rolled through much of our nation, we've made the hard decision to postpone the event to Wednesday March 24th and Thursday March 25th.   We know that a lot of you have lost power and have had many disruptions due to these recent storms. Our thoughts are with you and we pray that you are safe and warm.   If you already registered, we are transferring everyone's registration to the new dates. We will update you soon with login information for the conference.   If you haven’t registered yet, you can still do so here: ...
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Three cybercrime trends to prepare for in 2021

By Christopher Grady
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Cyber breaches have become more common threats for businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digitalization of many companies and a shift to remote working. That increased first-quarter cybercrime   273%    in 2020 compared to 2019. The new and innovative ways hackers found to steal company data cost U.S. businesses an average of   $8.64 million per breach . Even more startling: small businesses were victims of   nearly a third   of all cyberattacks. What new trends, patterns and hacks can we expect this year? How can CPA firms protect their practice and their clients from cyberattacks? Jim Bourke, CPA, CITP, CFF, CGMA, a cybersecurity ...
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Volunteer Satisfaction – 4 Opportunities To Ask Questions

By Sam Paredes
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Successful organizations understand the value of   listening to the feedback of their customers .  In the non-profit world, one of the main customer group is the volunteers. Volunteers give their time and provide free labor because they care about the organization and have a passion for its   vision and mission . Keeping volunteers engaged ensures maintaining a long term relationship. One way to engage them is to provide an opportunity for them to offer feedback about their experience. This makes it important to create a system that facilitates two-way communication between the organization and its volunteers. This two-way communication is a great way ...
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6 Skills Your Managers Need To Succeed

By Brenda Jacinto
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Churches rely on their leadership team to get the job done. Some   church leaders   are volunteer leaders, and some are staff managers. Most church hierarchies use staff managers to inspire, motivate, and influence employees and volunteers to do the ministry’s work to   fulfill its mission . Management skills and leadership skills are different – yet the same. What I mean by that is it requires strong   leadership skills   to manage effectively. Management requires operational control of the work that needs to get done, whereas leadership is the delivery of that control. For instance, let’s say you have a manager who oversees the custodial staff. A ...
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How Cloud Church Accounting Software Helps Attract New Donors

By Allison Webb
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Faith-based donors are known for being passionate, committed, reliable givers. Unfortunately, Giving USA states the overall percentage of households affiliated with religion has been trending downward with each younger generation, which means faith-based nonprofits will have to work harder to engage a smaller set of donors in order to fulfill their missions. Religious donors understand stewardship and value it.   Cloud church accounting software   enables the transparency, accountability, and financial reporting that are prerequisites for maintaining trust with existing donors and have proof of your outcomes to engage with new donors. Demonstrating Mission ...
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5 Nonprofit Trends to Watch for 2021

By Sam Paredes
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Nonprofit organizations continue to battle the effects from last year as they begin planning for the year ahead. 2021 presents a new era of new possibilities and new opportunities for nonprofits. And now is the time to look toward the future and decide how to structure strategies that will lead organizations toward fundraising success. Each year, NonProfit PRO releases   its annual 40 trends,   and this year is no different. While 2020 brought on unforeseen circumstances, many of last year’s trend predictions still held true — technology and innovative tools and tactics were things that helped nonprofits continue to connect with their supporters and continue ...
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How Much Can We Plan in Moments of Intense Uncertainty?

By Brenda Jacinto
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Here is an article by   Renee Rubin Ross from NonProfit Pro: Recently, I got a call from Sarah, the executive director of a human services nonprofit, the Immigrant Services Center (not the real names). Sarah is trying to determine whether the Immigrant Services Center should begin the strategic planning process now. At the beginning of 2020, the center had been about to engage in the process. The organization had been through change in the past few years, and the previous strategic plan was no longer applicable. When the pandemic hit, these plans were put on hold. The organization moved their staff to serving remotely, shifted their service delivery ...
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Here are reasons taxpayers should file a 2020 federal tax return – and why e-file is best

By Sam Paredes
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Most people with gross income of $12,400 or more must file a federal tax return. Some people with a lower income are not required to file. However, these individuals should still consider filing for a refund of federal income tax withheld. They may also be eligible for certain tax credits, like the earned income tax credit, the  recovery rebate credit   and others. Pandemic-related tax topics Here are a few important things for taxpayers to know this year. Anyone who is eligible for an Economic Impact Payment but did not get the payments or did not get the full amount,   must   file a tax return to claim the recovery rebate credit even if they aren't ...
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AcctTwo Honored to Have Faith-Based Clients on the Best Christian Workplaces Institute List

By Allison Webb
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The Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI) honored 157 faith-based organizations as Certified Best Christian Workplaces for 2020. “AcctTwo has decades of combined experience when it comes to the numerous team members of   church accountants , solution architects, and more,” Christopher Grady, Strategic Relationship Executive, said. “And it’s that depth of knowledge that defines our relationships with customers as a strong partnership and not simply a vendor of a particular service. So, when our customers are recognized in this fashion, it reinforces the bond that we’ve created by working together for many years.” Several of AcctTwo's faith-based clients ...
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IRS Issues Updated FAQs on Paid Sick and Family Leave Credits

By Allison Webb
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As we previously reported, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which was signed into law on December 27, 2020, extended the availability of the tax credits for eligible employers for emergency paid sick leave and family leave taken through March 31, 2021. These tax credits were created by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and were previously only available through the end of 2020.   It’s important to note that these credits are  extended  from 2020 and are not new benefits. The credits available apply to periods of leave from April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021, not solely to new periods of leave taken in 2021. For example, if you ...
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Beware of identity theft scam involving unemployment benefits

By Christopher Grady
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The IRS is warning taxpayers of an identity theft scam involving fraudulent claims for state unemployment benefits. Identity thieves are reportedly using stolen personal information to file for and receive unemployment benefits. This scam has proliferated during the COVID-19 pandemic as unemployment claims in general have skyrocketed. In response, the IRS says taxpayers who receive Forms 1099-G,   Certain Government Payments ,   reporting unemployment benefits they did not receive should contact the state unemployment agency and get a corrected form saying they did not receive those benefits ( IR-2021-24 ). The IRS told taxpayers who are unable to obtain ...
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Texas Ministry Conference

By Sam Paredes
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AcctTwo is a proud sponsor of the Texas Ministry Conference. The vision of the Texas Ministry Conference℠ is to provide tools and resources for people in all types of ministry and ministry support. This includes, but is not limited to churches, schools and other nonprofit organizations. We look forward to seeing you at this year’s virtual TMC! More information
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If 2020 Was The Year Of The Pivot, 2021 May Well Be The Year Of Transformation

By Christopher Grady
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Here is an article from Forbes: The year 2020 was filled with unexpected and unprecedented challenges that most of us were unprepared for, requiring us to pivot as we attempted to adapt to our new conditions. My business was no exception. I started 2020 with $500,000 already committed to my business from clients — my business that relied on in-person trainings and international travel. I had just published a new book, developed and refined my programs to be more effective than ever and my expertise was being acknowledged and appreciated in big ways. I was ready to glide through the year. But of course, that didn’t ...
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Working From Home: 10 Tips to Improve Work-Life Balance

By Sam Paredes
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Exclusively working from home can feel as if the line between work and life is virtually nonexistent. These 10 tips will help you strike a good balance. PwC recently conducted a survey,   and they found out that among 669 CEOs, 78% agree that remote work is here to stay. Gartner   surveyed company leaders and discovered that 80% plan to allow partial work from home after the pandemic, and 47% might allow full-time remote work. In another survey by   FlexJobs , 65% of participants want to work full time remotely post-pandemic, and 31% prefer a hybrid working environment, where they could have a few days working in the office and a few days at ...
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10 Questions To Ask When Selecting Church Leadership

By Brenda Jacinto
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Churches need a team of leaders who can help oversee the army of volunteers who do the ministry’s work. A leader is someone who unites people and guides them toward a shared goal. Church leadership helps to set the target, the pace, and the   culture within the church .  This valuable group of leaders are crucial to a ministry’s ability to   achieve its mission . Every church has a slightly different leadership model and terms for describing those leaders. However, the basic characteristics of a   church leader   should be the same. When selecting leaders within your church, ask these questions to determine if they are the right fit to lead your church ...
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Church Leadership Succession Planning: Red Flags to Watch Out For

By Allison Webb
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AcctTwo spoke to Todd Clark, Senior Associate in Senior Leadership at Slingshot Group, about his vast experience with succession planning and what possible red flags you might want to watch out for if you’re in the middle of church leadership succession planning. Read it here: https://www.accttwo.com/blog/succession-planning-red-flags-to-watch-out-for
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