8 Steps to Show Financial Integrity
Beyond the required financial documents for a grant application, these visible tactics can demonstrate ongoing financial stewardship for your organization. More tips are available at Charity Navigator.
Publish your Form 990(s) and an annual financial summary on your website.
Put the latest Form 990 PDFs where donors can find them (e.g., “About → Financials” or “Resources” page).
Post current, (un)audited financial statements and the organizational budget vs. actuals.
Unaudited financial statements plus board-approved budgets provide transparency to donors even when an audit isn’t performed.
Publish governance and financial policies (Conflict of Interest, Whistleblower, Document Retention, Reserve policy, Compensation policy).
Charity Navigator and other evaluators look for these policies on the 990 and website; making them available signals strong oversight.
Show evidence of board oversight and meeting summaries.
Post board bios, finance committee charter, frequency of finance reviews, or an annual governance report. Demonstrating active board engagement is one of the clearest signs of accountability.
Use an independent third-party review/compilation if a full audit is cost-prohibitive.
A CPA compilation or review provides a professional statement about the financials and strengthens trust for donors and funders.
Make program metrics and impact data public and tie them to dollars spent.
Simple, verifiable metrics (number of families housed, length of stay, success stories with follow-up) plus a short cost-per outcome table show stewardship of resources.
Provide evidence of internal controls and best financial practices.
Describe these controls on your website or in a donor FAQ.
Link to independent profiles and encourage donors to check them.
Provide links to your Charity Navigator and Candid/GuideStar pages (and to your Form 990 on ProPublica/IRS) and note any discrepancies that you are addressing.
