Sectors Served

If you’re looking for a jack-of-all-trades firm that serves every industry imaginable, we’re not for you. We are here to partner with the do-gooders in the world that are out there striving to create equitable, just, vibrant, inclusive communities and societies. With our focus on serving the social purpose sector to fill a market gap and develop specialized expertise that can scale the sector, we only serve organizations that have a primary focus other than profit.

The following business models reflect the main types of organizations that we serve. To learn more about the differences between them and the pros and cons, visit our blog post on the topic here.

Not-for-profits

Historically at the center of the social purpose movement, not-for-profit organizations have been serving and advocating for marginalized communities since the later 1800’s. Religious roots of donating to collective causes have existed for centuries.

Not-for-profits, or NFPs, have unique needs and face different challenges than for-profits. Where for-profits sell a product or service to generate revenue, NFPs can rely on grants, donations, partnerships, and sales. Most non-profits require an independent Board of Directors to govern while for-profits typically have no independent oversight when starting out. Accounting rules are different. Cultural norms are different. The challenges and opportunities are different.

Does it make sense to receive services from experts that are trying to serve both for-profit and non-profit organizations? We don’t think so, which is why we founded Purpose Forward to specialize in serving the not-for-profit space.

Learn more about how we specialize in serving NFPs

There are some key considerations that every non-profit needs to understand when they get started, but founders often lack the expertise to develop a strategy and execute an operational plan outside of their programmatic expertise. Almost all of our clients are NFPs. We are able to offer a unique

Technical leadership

Finance & Accounting

Fund accounting | Accounting Standards for Not-for-Profits (Part 3 CPA Handbook in Canada, GAAP for Non-profits in the US) | Supporting external annual financial audits that are mandatory for most non-profits | Banking and borrowing options

Governance

Development

Grant finding and management, including searches through databases we license of government, corporate, and foundation grants available in Canada and the US | Refining your story and brand messaging for fundraising | Leadership in grant applications

Technology

Identify and help you access discounts and donated solutions (there are lots!) | Setup and manage your Microsoft 365 (donated and best fit for most non-profits) or G-Suite environment | Configure automation and Business Intelligence reporting to reduce administrative burden on our staff and yours | Work with you to select the appropriate accounting, payroll, payment processing, CRM, and configure and manage them, as long as they are cloud based since we don’t support hardware or on-premise security

Cultural alignment

Like the NFPs we serve, we are a mission driven organization that is governed by an independent Board of Directors. We think and speak the language of compassion and community, not just of a bottom-line. Our service, like yours, is to our society and leaving this world better than we came into it.

Oftentimes when working with consultants in functions like finance or technology, non-profits often struggle to effectively communicate their needs and vendors typically create a power dynamic that puts their profits above the organization’s mission. Our mission is freeing up your capacity so you can focus as much of your energy, time, and money to better the community your mission serves.

Partnerships & networks

Since most of our clients are NFPs, we can leverage best practices from across the sector to help build the collective capacity. If one organization is struggling with a specific challenge that another has already confronted, we’re happy to make the connection or share learnings (with permission).

We’re not only partnering with other non-profits though, we are building a network of resources that work with non-profits too. From technology service providers to payroll services to funders to free and paid resources, our vision is a robust social purpose sector where not-for-profits continue to play a foundational role.

You can learn more about our existing partnerships here.

Charities

Charities are a special type of non-profit that has been granted tax exempt status and the right to issue tax receipts for donations. In Canada charities are regulated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and in the US the federal authority that governs charities, often called 501(c)(3)’s, is the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As you can imagine, not having to pay income tax and being able to issue donation tax receipts can be very beneficial to an organization. Charitable status can even provide the perception of a ‘stamp of approval by the federal regulator’, but it comes with additional responsibilities and scrutiny while being restricted to specific causes.

All charities are not-for-profits, but not all NFPs get the privilege or benefits that come with being a charity. Here at Purpose Forward, we are a non-profit but not a charity (check out our blog post where we talk through our decision-making process) while most of our clients are charities too.

Learn more about how we specialize in serving charities

Since all charities are not-for-profits, the benefits that we can offer NFPs above also apply to you. In some cases, charities are eligible for even more grants and donated technical solutions than non-profits. There are a few unique services that we offer exclusively to the charities we work with.

Annual reporting to the federal tax authority with the 990 in the US and the T3010 in Canada

Design, execution, and processing of donation receipts for tax purposes in an integrated way with financial and reporting systems

Grant searches and management using our licensed grant databases and systems

Social enterprises

Social enterprises can be either for-profit or not-for-profit, and a ubiquitous definition doesn’t exist. Some jurisdictions consider the organization type while many more do not. In our mind, a social enterprise is any organization that has a primary purpose other than profit, even if profit is generated. Co-operatives fall into this category as well.

Not-for-profit social enterprises fall into the previous categories, and you will receive all of the benefits listed above by partnering with us.

For-profit social enterprises have many similar needs to our core client base. They come with the added benefit of access to capital that non-profits usually have a hard time getting. Our team has extensive experience in the for-profit space from our prior work and we pair that with the benefits of non-profit partnerships and governance that we spend our days thinking about.

Learn more about how we specialize in serving for-profit social enterprises

Many of the benefits that we offer NFPs are also available to social enterprises, although philanthropic/corporate grants and donated technology are more limited. There are a few services that apply to social enterprises that have not been reflected.

Culture of being mission driven with an increased emphasis on profit/capital generation

Support external tax provider in tax planning and filing

Shareholder reporting and social enterprise accounting (varies by type and jurisdiction)

Advice and support for capital funding with a variety of lenders including governments, banks, credit unions, corporations, and philanthropic foundations

Book a free virtual consultation

Booking a free, no obligations virtual consultation with Purpose Forward is easy! To learn more about how we can accelerate your mission, please follow the link below to be redirected to our Microsoft Bookings page where you can see upcoming availability and choose a time that works for you!

Book here!