Financials Your Board & Funders Trust — Nonprofit CPAs in Minneapolis, MN
Beacon serves Minneapolis nonprofits — and only nonprofits. Clean single audits, a 990 that tells your story, fund accounting, and board-ready reports, so your funders, board, and community trust every number.
Everything a Nonprofit Needs From a CPA
🤝 Nonprofits Only ✓ Peer-Reviewed 📅 On-Time Audits, Every Year
Numbers in Service of Mission
Beacon Nonprofit CPAs was founded in 2000 to serve the organizations that make our community better — and to serve them with the specialized expertise their finances demand. Nonprofit accounting is its own world: fund accounting, restricted grants, Uniform Guidance single audits, the public Form 990, and boards who need to understand and trust the numbers. A generalist firm rarely masters all of it.
We serve nonprofits exclusively. In twenty-six years we've audited and advised 400+ organizations across human services, arts, education, and community foundations. We're AICPA peer-reviewed, we deliver every audit on time, and we prepare 990s that don't just comply but tell your story well to donors and charity raters. When your funders and your board look at a Beacon-prepared statement, they trust it — and that trust is the foundation everything else is built on.
- ✓Nonprofits exclusively — 26 years
- ✓Single audits, 990s & fund accounting
- ✓AICPA peer-reviewed, on-time delivery
- ✓400+ organizations served
Why Nonprofits Trust Us
Specialized expertise, on-time delivery, and genuine care for your mission.
Nonprofits Are All We Do
Fund accounting, restricted grants, single audits, 990s — this is our entire practice, so we get it right the first time.
On Time, Every Year
Grant deadlines and board meetings don't move. Neither do we — 100% on-time audit delivery, so you're never scrambling.
A 990 That Tells Your Story
Your 990 is public and donors read it. We prepare it to be compliant AND a credit to your organization.
Boards That Understand
We produce clear, board-ready reporting so your treasurer and directors actually understand and trust the finances.
The Full Range of Nonprofit Finance
From your annual audit to your tax-exempt application — the specialized work nonprofits require.
Single Audits
Uniform Guidance single audits that satisfy federal and state funders and keep your grant funding secure.
Form 990 Preparation
A compliant, well-told 990 that stands up to donors, charity raters, and the IRS alike.
Fund Accounting
Proper tracking of restricted and unrestricted funds so every grant dollar is accounted for correctly.
Grant Compliance
Confidence that you're meeting every grant's financial and reporting requirements, audit after audit.
Board Reporting
Clear monthly and annual reporting your board can actually read, understand, and govern with.
Tax-Exempt Status
Formation, 501(c)(3) applications, and ongoing compliance to protect your exempt status.
Trusted by Minneapolis Nonprofits
Our federal grants require a clean single audit every year, and Beacon delivers it on time, every time. Our program officers have never once questioned a Beacon-audited statement. That reliability is everything.
Beacon prepares our 990 so it tells our story well — not just compliant, but a document we're proud for donors and charity raters to read. They understand a nonprofit's 990 is public and matters.
Fund accounting, grant compliance, and board-ready reports every month. Beacon feels like our outsourced nonprofit finance department. Our board finally trusts and understands the numbers.
Your 990 Is a Story, Not Just a Form
Unlike a business tax return, your Form 990 is public — donors, grantmakers, and charity raters like Charity Navigator all read it. A 990 prepared as a rushed compliance chore can undersell your impact or raise questions you never intended. We prepare yours to be fully compliant AND to present your mission, efficiency, and stewardship in the best honest light, so the document that represents you to the world actually helps you raise more.
- ✓Compliant and donor-ready
- ✓Tells your impact and stewardship story
- ✓Built for charity-rater scrutiny
How an Engagement Works
A clear, on-schedule path from proposal to clean report.
Proposal & Planning
We learn your organization, funding, and requirements, then issue a clear proposal with scope, timeline, and fee.
Fieldwork
We perform your audit and prepare your 990 efficiently, coordinating closely with your finance team.
Report & Present
We deliver on time and, when helpful, present the results clearly to your board and finance committee.
Year-Round Partner
We stay available between audits for grant questions, fund accounting, and board support all year.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does our nonprofit need a single audit?
Under Uniform Guidance, if your organization expends $750,000 or more in federal awards in a fiscal year, a single audit is required. Some states and grantmakers require audits at lower thresholds too. We'll help you determine exactly what your funders require and perform it on time.
Why does the way our 990 is prepared matter?
Your Form 990 is a public document — donors, foundations, and charity raters all read it. Prepared thoughtfully, it demonstrates your impact, efficiency, and good stewardship. Prepared carelessly, it can undersell your mission or raise unnecessary questions. We prepare yours to be both fully compliant and a credit to your organization.
What is fund accounting and do we need it?
Fund accounting tracks restricted and unrestricted funds separately, so you can prove every grant dollar was used as intended. It's essential for nonprofits with restricted grants and is what your auditors and funders expect. If your books don't handle this well, it's usually the first thing we fix.
Can you help us apply for 501(c)(3) status?
Yes. We guide new organizations through the tax-exempt application process, help set up compliant fund accounting from the start, and make sure you understand the ongoing filing requirements that keep your status protected.
Do you present results to our board?
Gladly. Boards govern best when they understand the finances. We produce clear, board-ready reporting and are happy to present audit results and answer questions at your board or finance committee meetings.
How are your fees structured?
Audits and 990s are quoted as a fixed fee based on your size and complexity, agreed up front. Ongoing fund accounting and advisory can be arranged on a monthly basis. We're mindful that you're a nonprofit and price fairly and transparently.
Give Your Board & Funders Financials They Trust
Request a proposal and get a clean audit, a strong 990, and a CPA partner who cares about your mission.
Request a Proposal
Tell us about your organization and what you need. We'll respond within one business day.
- Visit us80 S 8th St, Suite 900, Minneapolis, MN 55402
- Call us(612) 555-0154
- Email ushello@beaconnonprofitcpas.com