Using Audit Techniques Can Help You Shape Your Future

Whether or not a not-for-profit organization engages an independent auditor, an organization can employ moves from an auditor's playbook to gain a better understanding of its overall revenue picture. Techniques, such as analyzing year-over-year trends and benchmarking to other not-for-profit organizations, can be extremely useful in planning both your short-term and long-term future.

Review Donor Trends

Most not-for-profit organizations rely on donor contributions to balance their budgets. An easy way to utilize trend analyses is to compare the dollars raised in the current fiscal year to the past 3-5 years to see if you can pinpoint any trends. For example, have individual contributions reached a plateau in recent years? Have there been any targeted fundraising campaigns launched during that period?