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Your first 90 days as a nonprofit board treasurer
By the Ember team · November 2, 2026
You said yes at the board meeting. Now you have a folder of bank statements and a login that may not work. You don't need an accounting degree for this job. You need a plan for the first three months.
In weeks 1 and 2, get on the bank accounts and take old signers off. In month one, read the last Form 990 and financial statements, and sort restricted money from unrestricted. By day 90, have three habits: a one-page monthly board report, two people on every payment, and one filing calendar.
What a nonprofit treasurer does, and does not do
A treasurer doesn't have to do the bookkeeping. Your job is to see that the books are kept, the board understands them, and filings go in on time. Read what your bylaws say about the treasurer first.
State law can add to that. California, for example, requires its public benefit nonprofits to have a treasurer or chief financial officer. That person can't also be the president or chair of the board (Corporations Code section 5213). California also lets directors rely on reports from people they believe are reliable and competent. They still have to act in good faith and ask questions when something looks wrong. You also carry all the responsibilities of a board member.
Weeks 1 and 2: get access, and take old names off
If you run the nonprofit, share this page with your new treasurer and do weeks 1 and 2 together.
Get on the bank accounts
Ask your bank what it needs to add you as a signer. Bring the minutes of the vote that elected you. Set up your own online login, and never use someone else's password.
Take old signers off
Remove the last treasurer and anyone who has left the board or staff, and keep the list short. Do the same for cards, your donation page and payment apps.
Gather the paperwork
Collect the bylaws, the IRS letter granting your exemption, the last three Forms 990, and the latest financial statements and budget. Add every open grant agreement and a list of bills paid automatically.
Check your standing
Look your group up on the IRS's Tax Exempt Organization Search, which shows your exempt status and filed returns. Then confirm with your state that the corporation is active.
The first month: read what you inherited
Start with the last Form 990. It's public, so funders and donors can read it too. Page one puts two years of revenue and expenses side by side. It also shows net assets, what you own minus what you owe, at the start and end of the year. From that page alone you can tell if the group grew, shrank or broke even. Then turn to Part IX for where the money went, and Part X for what you own and owe. Part VI shows which written policies the group has, such as a conflict of interest policy.
The 990-EZ has the same basics in less detail. The 990-N e-Postcard has no financial figures. It only confirms gross receipts of normally $50,000 or less, so the bank statements and books are your whole picture. Which Form 990 you file depends on your size.
Next, ask for the latest financial statements. Check the cash they show against the bank statement, and ask about any gap. Matching the two each month is called a bank reconciliation. If the records are a mess, don't try to fix them quietly on your own. California's Attorney General publishes a guide for charities that is useful in any state. It says to write down your concerns, raise them with the board, and make sure the minutes record them.
The first month: restricted and unrestricted money
Restricted money came with a condition from the donor: a set purpose, a set date, or both. If you ask donors for a van, the gifts they give for it can only pay for the van. Unrestricted, or flexible, money can pay for anything in your mission, rent included. If your books follow FASB ASC 958, the nonprofit accounting standard, the full Form 990 splits net assets this way too. Money the board set aside on its own still counts as unrestricted, because the board can change its mind.
For each restricted gift or grant, write down who gave it, what it is for and how much is left. If some was spent on other costs, tell the board now. It's easier to fix today than when the funder's report is due.
By day 90: a one-page report for the board
Make the same short report every month, and send it before each board meeting:
- Cash in the bank, and how many months of costs it covers.
- Money in and out, this month and year to date, next to the budget.
- Restricted money still to spend, gift by gift.
- Bills and filings due before the next meeting.
- Anything unusual, in plain words.
- One line on what the money made possible, like meals served.
The California guide says boards should get an income and expense statement, balance sheet and budget report before each meeting. It also says to look into any big gap from the budget. Send your page with the packet, and the meeting can go to questions instead of reading. The board meeting agenda template has a slot for it.
By day 90: two people on every payment
Start with one rule: one person approves a payment, and a different person makes it. The guide warns that letting one person do both can make theft easier. Treat gifts the same way: the person who records them should not also deposit them.
The guide adds a few more habits: never pre-sign checks, pay only against a receipt or invoice, and require two signatures on checks over a set amount. It also says the board, or someone it names, should review the bank statements. If you pay the bills, ask another board member to read each statement. If the director pays them, that reader is you. Then ask the board to adopt these rules in writing.
By day 90: every filing on one calendar
A yearly filing is easy to lose when the treasurer changes. Build the list now:
- Your Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-N, due the 15th day of the 5th month after your fiscal year ends. A weekend or holiday moves it to the next business day. Miss it three years in a row and the IRS revokes your exemption automatically.
- Your state's annual report, if it has one, and your charitable registration renewal, if you are registered.
- If you have staff, payroll returns each quarter (Form 941) and W-2s early each year.
- Grant reports and insurance renewals.
Give each date one owner and a reminder a month ahead. The full Form 990 asks if every voting board member got a complete copy before filing, so leave time for that. The nonprofit compliance calendar covers the main dates.
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When should you bring in a bookkeeper or CPA?
A bookkeeper helps once you run payroll, juggle several grants, or spend more than a few hours a month on entries. A certified public accountant (CPA) helps once you outgrow the 990-N, or when a funder wants reviewed or audited statements. Call one, too, when the numbers won't add up.
Some states set their own lines. Here are two, as of 2026. In Massachusetts, a public charity with over $500,000 in gross support and revenue must file a CPA review or an audit. Above $1 million, it must be an audit (General Laws chapter 12, section 8F). In California, the audit line is $2 million in gross revenue, with some government funding left out (Government Code section 12586). Check with your state's charity office.
Budget versus actual is the report you'll give most. Sign up for Ember Budget and keep restricted and flexible money apart before your first board meeting. Free if your budget is under $50K a year, with no credit card.
This is general information, not legal, tax or accounting advice. A treasurer's duties depend on your state's law and your bylaws, so read both. Ask a CPA about your own books.
The Ember tool for thisEmber Budget
Ember Budget tracks money in and out by program and keeps restricted funds apart from flexible funds. Free under a $50K budget. Unlimited users on every tier.
Sources: Internal Revenue Service: Form 990 series: which forms do exempt organizations file, Annual exempt organization return: due date, Automatic revocation of exemption, Form 990-N (e-Postcard), Search for tax exempt organizations, Copies of exempt organization returns, Public disclosure of exempt organization returns, Form 990 (2025) and its instructions, Form 990-EZ (2025), About Form 941 and 2026 General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3; California Corporations Code section 5213 and section 5231, Government Code section 12586, and the California Attorney General's Guide for Charities; Massachusetts General Laws chapter 12, section 8F. All read 24 September 2026; due dates and W-2 dates re-read 23 October 2026. PwC Viewpoint, not-for-profit guide 6.7: donor-imposed restrictions (ASC 958-605-45-4, restrictions implied by an ask for a stated purpose), read 29 September 2026.