Summary: Learn how Aprio’s Client Accounting and Advisory Services team stepped in during a leadership crisis to rebuild financial processes, restore timely reporting, and help a national nonprofit achieve a clean audit, all within a year.
About the client
Aprio’s client is a national 501(c)(3) membership-based association with approximately $30 million in annual revenue and approximately 100 employees. The nonprofit organization draws income from membership dues, two major annual events, corporate donations/sponsorships, and educational initiatives. It operates as a single entity and uses Sage Intacct as its accounting system.
The challenge
The nonprofit’s financial operations had long been anchored by a small, experienced team that had built deep institutional knowledge over many years. Like many organizations, it faced a period of significant leadership transition. In June 2025, a new Senior Director of Finance joined just as the CFO announced his retirement, and soon after, the longtime Senior Director who managed most of the organization’s accounting functions stepped down from their post as well. Combined with broader staffing changes, the timing created a meaningful gap in continuity: one that called for a thoughtful approach to knowledge transfer and lasting operational stability.
Previously, the organization had worked with Aprio on a project-based engagement, so the new Senior Director reached out for assistance. The disruption affected the department’s ability to operate efficiently. Bank reconciliations were two to three months behind. Monthly close had not been completed on time in months. Reconciliations with subsystems (e.g., Salesforce, Expo Tracker) were complex and incomplete. The organization records several monthly allocations (e.g., direct, occupancy, indirect) and none of the remaining team members in the department fully understood the calculations.
The operating cash account is extremely complex. It has more than ten distinct revenue streams flowing into it: checks, credit cards, direct deposits, PayPal, Shopify, and more, each requiring its own sub-reconciliation before a full bank reconciliation is possible. Coordination across multiple internal teams (i.e., development, membership, events, and education) was needed just to understand where transactions originated. Nevertheless, the client was clear: they needed to keep their heads above water before discussing process improvements.
The Aprio solution
After aligning with the client on the action plan, Aprio transitioned from project-based support to a full outsourced accounting engagement. A dedicated team was assembled, including a manager to strategically oversee the work, a senior accountant to execute the responsibilities of the engagement, and an associate to provide additional daily support.
Aprio’s team focused on five core areas:
- Cash reconciliation rebuild: The team mapped out every revenue stream flowing into the primary bank account, collaborated with the development, membership, events, and education teams to trace each transaction, and rebuilt reconciliation schedules from the ground up. Three Aprio team members now work the cash account from different angles each month, with a lead handling review. Reconciliations that were months behind are now completed in a timely and efficient manner.
- Full monthly close support: Aprio reviewed accounts payable and accounts receivable, and prepared reconciling schedules for cash accounts, investment accounts, prepaids, endowments, net assets, and allocations. Each area now has a documented process and a consistent owner. The organization moved from perpetual catch-up to a structured, on time close every month.
- Month-end close calendar: A formal calendar with due dates for every close task was rolled out to the entire finance team. This gave staff visibility into dependencies and helped surface delays before they compounded.
- Weekly team check-ins: A standing weekly meeting was established with Aprio, the nonprofit’s finance team, and the Senior Director. These sessions drove accountability, surfaced blockers early, and helped the client’s staff understand how their work is connected to the broader close process.
- Training and knowledge transfer: With most of the original finance staff having left, the Aprio team took on an active advisory and training role to help support the Senior Director. Staff learned how to complete their tasks more efficiently while utilizing the current systems they had. In addition, Aprio professionals explained why each step mattered and how delays in one area affected everything else downstream.
The impact
Within 12 months of engaging Aprio, the organization went from months of accumulated backlog to a stable, well-documented operation:
- Bank reconciliations: Completed every month in a timely manner, and down from a backlog of two to three months.
- Monthly close: Consistently on time, with documented processes across every major accounting function.
- Clean audit: The organization completed its annual audit with minimal auditor requests and minor adjustments. Audit preparation took roughly two months. Financial statements were finalized by the end of June.
- Team stability: The organization has rebuilt its finance team with a new CFO, a tenured Accounting Manager, and a converted AP Specialist. Staff are trained, accountable, and working within a clearer structure.
- Reduced operational risk: With documented processes in place and full visibility into every transaction, the organization moved from an environment fraught with uncertainty to one where leaders can confidently trust the numbers.
- A trusted advisor partnership: What began as an effort to streamline financial operations has grown into an ongoing advisory relationship. With the monthly close now consistently on time, Aprio and the nonprofit shifted their focus toward proactive process improvements: nurturing a relationship where Aprio serves as a sounding board for the Senior Director of Finance on broader organizational development.