March 2011
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Nonprofit vs. For-Profit Boards: Critical Differences
By Marc J. Epstein and F. Warren McFarlan
There are many similarities between nonprofit and for-profit boards of directors, but credibility and effectiveness might depend on understanding the differences. The authors discuss five key differences. Foremost is the societal mission of the nonprofit—without a mission, there’s no purpose. Funds for the two come from different sources, with nonprofits depending on operations, grants, and philanthropy. In for-profits, short-term financial goals are critical, but nonprofits require deep focus on long-term goals. Nonprofit boards tend to be larger with a nonexecutive volunteer chair plus a CEO, and for-profits might combine chair and CEO.
A New Hue of Green for the Management Accountant
By Thomas L. Barton, CPA, and John B. MacArthur, FCCA
Reeling from the sticker shock of high energy prices, smart companies are looking for creative and profitable ways to insulate themselves from the vagaries of the energy marketplace. This article illustrates how one medium-sized ski and snowboard resort on the East Coast completed a very successful wind turbine project that adds a high degree of stability to its energy costs, helps fulfill a corporate mission to protect the environment, and allows the use of “green” marketing to attract even more visitors.
Achieving Innovative Corporate Performance Management
By Bob Paladino, CPA
Because management accountants play an important role in the design and effectiveness of the information system, they need to understand IT MWs (material control weaknesses) and their effect on their firm’s profitability. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) requires reporting IT-related MWs in the annual 10-K. The authors detail types of IT control weaknesses and explain how they’re related to profitability and audit fees.
PERSPECTIVES
Achieving Strategic Clarity
TOP LINE
Connect at Our Conferences
TAXES
Business Provisions of the Tax Act of 2010
ETHICS
Did Ernst & Young Really Assist Financial Fraud?
FINANCIAL REPORTING
Healthier Accounting Standards for Healthcare Entities
CAREERS
Leveraging Self-Awareness
IMA LIFE
My IMA Career
SF BULLETIN
• Two Provisions to SEC’s “Say on Pay” Final Rule
• Treasury Moving Forward on Standard Identifier
• Sharing Your IMA Life
• Books: Implementing Fair Value Accounting
EXCEL
Which Records Are New?
ACCESS
The Master Budget Project: Data Entry
XBRL
XBRL Beyond SEC Filings
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Cropmark Bluetooth Keypad, IRS2Go, Samsung ML-2855ND, TurboTax Deluxe
TECH FORUM
New Newspapers Online
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