Finance

11 Best Small Business Insurance Companies for 2026
I recently finished a government grant proposal that had only a two-week deadline. Of course, it required many hours, day and night, and over the final weekend to complete. And, as you may have guessed, it was submitted at 2:00 am on Monday. It would be nice if I could take sole credit for this …
Forming an LLC is a smart move to shield your personal assets from business liabilities, but that protection only holds if you keep your finances separate. One of the first and most important steps? Opening a dedicated business bank account. The choices you make early on can have a lasting impact on your business, and …
Tennessee’s vibrant mix of urban centers like Nashville and Memphis, historic small towns, and scenic rural communities means residents need banking solutions as diverse as their lifestyles. Whether you’re a music industry professional, a college student in Knoxville, a retiree in the Smoky Mountains, or a small business owner in Chattanooga, your bank should offer …

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This post was supposed to be Part 2 of Proposal Development for Grants. I’m moving that post to February 7th, however, so I may share a couple of personal insights on year-end giving campaign. The holiday – and year-end giving – season is over. We’ve all packed away our lights and decorations, year-end donor lists, …
As the year-end approaches, and since most non-profits use the calendar year for their tax returns, I wanted to highlight a few important aspects of a charity’s CFC Application and Tax Reporting and its financial management practices. First, in terms of applying to the CFC, there are three size categories with different levels of financial …
There is a philosophy, widely subscribed to in the n-p sector, that views nonprofit start-ups as having a responsibility to the sector and to society to prove themselves viable before looking to raise funds from (too far) outside of the founding group. Just because they may have a valid purpose, and may come to serve …
Once you have decided to apply for a federal grant, you must focus your nonprofit organization’s people and resources on the application process, which is likely to take at least a month. However, first you should determine whether you have all the requirements in place to apply. This financial checklist will define (suggest) the steps …
It’s common, especially for new or small nonprofits, to combine the responsibilities for fundraising and marketing into the same Board committee — after all, both functions include “getting the word out.” That’s what they have in common. But they have much more that is not in common. Part of a Fundraising Committee’s job is to …
In my June 6, 2011 post, I introduced “A Four-Step Process for Effective Grantsmanship,” including: (1) prospecting for foundation funding, (2) cultivation, (3) grant proposal development, and (4) grant management and stewardship. So far, I’ve provided a lot of introductory information on foundation and corporate grants, organizational readiness, grant management, and information on the first …
To be a successful fundraiser, you must know not only how your organization raises money, but also how it is spent. You must know and understand your organization’s budget so that you can explain to others the costs of operation and how the money to cover those costs is to be generated. Nearly all non-profits …