--- title: "Catch-up bookkeeping for nonprofits & charities" description: "Catch-up bookkeeping for nonprofits & charities: backlog bookkeeping that clears months or years of transactions, reconciles every account and hands you." url: https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/nonprofits/catch-up-bookkeeping/ updated: 2026-09-11 publisher: LedgerBPO (SS Support Network LLC) language: en-US --- # Catch-up bookkeeping for nonprofits & charities Catch-up bookkeeping for nonprofits & charities is usually triggered by a deadline: a Form 990 due date, a funder demanding a report, an audit that cannot start or a new executive director who inherited an unreconciled ledger. Our catch-up desk rebuilds the back months in order, reconciling cash first, then matching platform payouts to the CRM, then coding every expense to fund, grant, program and functional category, then reconstructing restricted balances and releases. - Since 2020 - US · UK · CA · AU - Named accountant plus backup - Your software, no lock-in [Get a custom quote](https://ledgerbpo.com/get-a-quote/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://ledgerbpo.com/book-a-call/) Updated September 2026 ## How it runs for nonprofits, charities and associations Grants are reconciled to their award budgets so overdue funder reports can be produced from real figures. Each block of months is reviewed before the next begins, and findings go to the executive director as they arise. ## What is catch-up bookkeeping? Catch-up bookkeeping is a one-time project that records and reconciles months or years of transactions that were never entered. The goal is a set of books where every bank, card and loan balance agrees with the statement and every period can be reported on. It ends when the backlog is current and reconciled, usually followed by ongoing monthly bookkeeping. ## What we handle for nonprofits, charities and associations - Reconcile every back month of bank, card, Stripe and PayPal activity - Match historical gifts in the CRM to platform payouts and bank deposits - Recode expenses to fund, grant, program and functional category - Reconstruct restricted balances and releases from grant agreements - Produce overdue grant reports from the rebuilt ledger ## The KPI that matters here Back months reconciled and fund-tagged at a rate of at least 3 months per fortnight with overdue funder reports prioritized by due date. ## Nonprofits compliance notes ### IRS Form 990 data (US) Tax-exempt organizations file Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-N depending on gross receipts and assets, by the 15th day of the fifth month after year-end. We prepare the underlying data: revenue by source, functional expenses by program, management and fundraising, net assets by restriction, and officer compensation schedules. Your CPA reviews and files the return; we provide preparation support only. ### Restricted versus unrestricted funds Under ASU 2016-14, net assets are presented with donor restrictions and without donor restrictions, and restrictions are released when the purpose or time condition is met. We track each restricted gift and grant from receipt to release in the ledger, so the statement of activities and the notes show releases with support rather than estimates. ### Charity Commission (England and Wales) Registered charities with income over £25,000 must file an annual return and accounts within 10 months of the financial year-end, and those above the audit threshold need an independent examination or audit. We keep the books to Charities SORP categories where the charity reports on an accruals basis, and assemble the figures for the trustees' annual report. The trustees and their examiner or auditor remain responsible for the filing. ### ACNC (Australia) Charities registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission lodge an Annual Information Statement within six months of year-end, with financial reporting obligations that rise with size. We prepare the financial figures and, where the charity is registered for GST, the BAS workpapers for your TPB-registered BAS agent or accountant. We do not lodge the statement or the BAS. ## Nonprofits software we work in - [QuickBooks Online](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/quickbooks-online/) - [Xero](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/xero/) - [Sage Intacct](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/sage-intacct/) - [Bill.com](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/bill-com/) - [Stripe](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/stripe/) - [PayPal](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/paypal/) - [Gusto](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/gusto/) - Bloomerang - DonorPerfect - Neon CRM - [All 50 platforms](https://ledgerbpo.com/software/) ## More for nonprofits, charities and associations Other services for nonprofits - [Bookkeeping](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/nonprofits/bookkeeping/) - [Invoicing and billing](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/nonprofits/invoicing-and-billing/) - [Accounts receivable](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/nonprofits/accounts-receivable/) - [Accounts payable](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/nonprofits/accounts-payable/) - [Bank reconciliation](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/nonprofits/bank-reconciliation/) - [Month-end close](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/nonprofits/month-end-close/) - [All nonprofits services](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/nonprofits/) Catch-up bookkeeping in other industries - [Marketing agencies & consultancies](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/agencies/catch-up-bookkeeping/) - [Auto repair shops & dealerships](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/auto/catch-up-bookkeeping/) - [Behavioral health practices](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/behavioral-health/catch-up-bookkeeping/) - [Daycares, schools & education](https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/childcare-education/catch-up-bookkeeping/) - [The full catch-up bookkeeping page](https://ledgerbpo.com/services/catch-up-bookkeeping/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you rebuild fund balances if the old books were not tagged? Yes, we recode each transaction to a fund and program using the grant agreements, invoices, payroll allocations and your staff's knowledge of what each expense was for. Restricted balances are then reconstructed from receipts and coded spending. Where a cost cannot be attributed with confidence it is coded to the general fund and listed for your review rather than guessed onto a grant. ### How long does nonprofit catch-up take before the 990 can be prepared? A single-entity nonprofit with a few bank accounts and one or two donation platforms typically moves at about three back months per fortnight once statements and CRM exports are received. Grant-heavy organizations take longer because each award has to be reconciled. We give a timeline with the quote, which we send within 1 business day. ### Will overdue funder reports be accurate after catch-up? They will be built from reconciled, fund-tagged transactions supported by invoices and payroll records, which is what funders and auditors expect. We recommend telling the funder a report is coming and when, and we prioritize the rebuild so the oldest report is produced first. Your grant manager reviews each report before it is submitted. Next step ## Books closed. Invoices paid. Every month. Tell us what is going on with your books or billing. You will hear from a named person within 1 business day, with a custom quote and a plan for the first close. - Reply from a named person within 1 business day - No setup fee, month-to-month - Your software, your data, no lock-in Start with a custom quote [Get a custom quote](https://ledgerbpo.com/get-a-quote/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://ledgerbpo.com/book-a-call/) Or call [+1-657-777-0006](tel:+16577770006) during US, UK or Australian business hours. --- Source: https://ledgerbpo.com/industries/nonprofits/catch-up-bookkeeping/ · Contact: https://ledgerbpo.com/contact/ · Full site map for agents: https://ledgerbpo.com/llms.txt