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| Resource Links: CPA Firms |
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| CPA Firms |
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| HILARY CROSBY Crosby & Kaneda Bay Area |
www.ckcpa.biz Hilary Crosby & Adele Kaneda are the prinicpals in Crosby & Kaneda, a small CPA firm serving nonprofits in the Bay Area. They combine stout accounting guidance and independence with a genuine care for, and involvement with the sector as well as excellent politics. In July 05, taught a day-long Lorman seminar with Hilary Crosby on Tax Issues for Exempt Organizations. Seems every time I look at a local nonprofit that interests me, Hilary is their auditor! |
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| MIKE FONTANELLO & CAROL DUFFIELD Fontanello, Duffield & Otake Bay Area |
www.fdocpa.com Fontanello, Duffield & Otake is another small San Francisco firm serving Bay Area nonprofits. Well-grounded in tax theory, Mike Fontanello and Carol Duffield provide help to a number of prominent advocacy-oriented and philanthropic nonprofits. They have been consistently generous with their time and spirit, mentoring me, teaching me, and never refusing a call, even on the busiest days of the year (when I forget, for example, that not everyone is on a May 15 reporting schedule). They bring a seasoned mix of knowledge, and aren't easily intimidated by stupid redundant rules. They have a strong practice in private wealth and private foundations, but I've also seen them tackle large advocacy organizations of various types. Amazing versatility for a very small firm. |
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| GARY McGEE Gary McGee & Co. Portland |
gary at garymcgee dot com, 503-222-2515 Gary McGee & Associates specializes in nonprofit accounting and tax, and operates at the highest level of mastery in the field, combining both tax and GAAP expertise to advise clients effectively. Gary is a treasure and Portland is lucky to have someone practicing at his caliber and in such a caring fashion. He maintains a deep bench of associates. He's one of the kindest people I know, and manages to juggle a busy practice yet invest continuously in his own knowledge base; his comments to me have presaged entire trends in the industry. I'm lucky to count him as a mentor and friend. |
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| ESTHER RATTERREE, BARBARA CYPHERS, Armanino McKenna, LLP Bay Area |
www.amllp.com Armanino McKenna, LLP is one of the top 100 firms in the country, growing rapidly, and touting its placement on many of the "best places to work" lists. In the course of some recent work, I asked a number of colleagues about them, and what I kept hearing was "they seem happy...I have a feeling it actually is a good place to work, else they wouldn't seem happy; and their work is great!" I first met Esther Ratterree, a principal at Armanino McKenna LLP in the consulting area specializing on nonprofits in 2005. I had assumed an interim Finance Director engagement, and had to rapidly get myself up to speed on the mind-numbingly "powerful" (a/k/a complex) Blackbaud fund accounting software in order to understand the client's costs in a five-segment chart of accounts with a sixth grant / job code (500 page general ledger!) Esther provided me with a day of tutoring. (It's the most I have ever personally invested in professional services). I found her articulate, responsive, and of course, expert in her field. Later, one of her staff provided me with remote support, and that worked flawlessly. Esther also mentioned to me that CYMA, a long-time powerful general ledger program is coming out with a mid-market nonprofit accounting product for groups that are past QuickBooks but can't afford Blackbaud, MIP or Fundware. Because Esther has direct and current public accounting experience with nonprofits, her software implementation recommendations are clear and useful. Since then I have begun to do some work with Bruce Coblentz and Barbara Cyphers, Tax principals at Armanino McKenna. Barbara is taking over the firm's exempt organization tax clients from Bruce as he prepares for retirement. So far, all contacts I have had with the firm confirm their reputation as a high-quality high-morale organization. |
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| HYDEH GHAFFARI, Ghaffari Zaragoza Bay Area |
www.gzs-cpa.com Hydeh Ghaffari [HIGH-day GHA-far-ie] and her firm Ghaffari Zaragoza also specialize in serving nonprofits here in the Bay Area. I have heard Hydeh give impressively clear information about the lack of clarity on the meaning of "overhead" and "indirect" expenses. Hydeh is also a nationally-known teacher of Federal grant accounting rules and negotiated indirect cost rates. |
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| DAVID KARLSSON, Brown and Cold Bay Area |
www.brownandcold.com David Karlsson, through Brown and Cold, An Accountancy Corporation, is another CPA working to specialize in nonprofit and charitable giving matters. Brown and Cold provide audit and assurance, tax, consulting and wealth management services. (I don't often see that last item emphasized, though I wish many donors had better advice, say, when giving through a fiscal sponsor.) David got in touch with me when checking Google ratings (more fun than your own site stats!). In addition to his work with Brown and Cold, he has large firm experience with Burr, Pilger & Meyer, I think on a contract basis. The large firms have been having trouble staying staffed up with the skill level they need to charge the rates they charge - I know it's the same way in law firms serving the tax and corporate needs of nonprofits. Nonetheless, the range of firms is bound to strengthen David's work. |
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| DENNIS JOHNSON, CINDY BARTHOLOMEW McDonald Jacobs LLP Portland |
http://www.mcdonaldjacobs.com/index.asp I first met Dennis Johnson when he was our tax partner when I was CFO of the Association for Portland Progress. Dennis came in and did a nice thoughtful job checking for tax issues at the time of the audit (this is a common oversight even at big firms). Later I knew Dennis as a member of the Board of Basic Rights Oregon when I was Finance Director, so I know he cares. The McDonald Jacobs (Dennis' firm) website has an unusual and intriguing pitch: "At McDonald Jacobs, we know we're different. We're okay with that--and our clients are too." Nonprofits are the fist listed area of business on the site. (The pitch reminds me of the joke: "What's the definition of normal?" A: "Someone you don't know.") |
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| M. TONY POHL Bay Area |
www.pmbcpas.com/bio-pohl.html Tony Pohl is another Bay Area CPA who invests in his ongoing education about issues in the sector and whom I've seen tackle thorny client matters. He specializes in the audit and accounting side, speaking, and is lead named partner of Pohl, McNabola, Berg & Company, LLP. |
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| HANK LEVY Bay Area |
www.hanklevycpa.com Hank Levy, through Henry C. Levy and Company, also has a substantial nonprofit practice, particularly serving Labor and also with expertise on campaign finance reporting. |
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| MINDI VanEVERY VanEvery and Company, LLC Albuquerque |
www.vaneverycpa.com Mindi VanEvery is a CPA practicing in Albquerque with her husband Karl VanEvery and a couple other professionals. I work with Mindi on a shared client with interesting nonprofit tax compliance issues and I know that she puts quality time and work into even a very small client - not discriminating on size, and with constant attention to staying abreast and investing time in learning this ever-changing field. Without that attention, clients are lost. This firm is a good choice for groups in the Southwest. |
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| ELLIOTT D. BUCKDRUKER Bay Area |
415-362-6204 Elliott Buckdruker is a solo practitioner (with the "coolest" office on the list, down on a pier) who is not afraid to tackle complex nonprofits that pose complex tax exemption issues. He brings the calm, steady demeanor of an experienced professional. |
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| CHRISTINE L. MANOR Rockville, MD (D.C.) |
301-762-7798 Christine Manor is not someone I know well, but she is the author of the Sleeter book QuickBooks for Nonprofit Organizations which spells out how to use QuickBooks in a very advanced way where Classes at the first level represent each class of Net Assets, and then at the sub-class level different programs or functions or sub-groups of temporarily restricted net assets, and where Customers = Funders and Jobs = Grants. In addition, Christine tells me that she is the "keeper" of the Unified Chart of Accounts, discussed on the Resources - Information & Publications page. |
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