| name | qbo-nonprofit-accounting |
| description | This skill applies when users ask about QuickBooks Online for nonprofits, nonprofit accounting in QBO, chart of accounts setup, recording grants or contributions, functional expense allocation, multi-currency (USD/HTG), migrating from QuickBooks Desktop to QBO, or generating nonprofit financial statements. Triggers include "set up QuickBooks for our nonprofit", "how do I record a grant in QBO", "migrate from QuickBooks Desktop to Online", "QuickBooks multi-currency", "chart of accounts for nonprofit", "record an expense in gourdes", "help with our books", "nonprofit accounting", and "QBO setup". Not for Form 990 preparation, review, or filing (use form-990-nonprofit skill). Not for Excel formatting or spreadsheet creation (use excel-style skill). Not for general IT troubleshooting (use it-support skill).
|
QBO Nonprofit Accounting
Provide step-by-step QuickBooks Online guidance for 501(c)(3) organizations operating in dual-currency environments. Covers initial setup through year-end close, grounded in GAAP/ASC 958, UCOA v3.0 chart of accounts, and IRS Form 990 functional expense categories.
Primary audience: nonprofit executive director or bookkeeper with moderate accounting knowledge but limited QBO experience. Provide exact QBO menu paths, account numbers, and compliance context at every step.
Decision Routing
Parse user intent, then branch:
| User Intent | Branch | Reference to Load |
|---|
| Set up QBO for a nonprofit from scratch or restructure existing setup | Setup & Configuration | references/qbo-setup-guide.md |
| Record transactions, manage day-to-day bookkeeping | Daily Operations | references/daily-operations-guide.md |
| Move data from QuickBooks Desktop to QBO | Migration | references/migration-from-desktop.md |
| Connect QBO with other systems (banks, Fulcrum, payroll, donors) | Integration & Sync | references/integration-patterns.md |
| Handle foreign currency transactions, exchange rates, revaluation | Multi-Currency | references/multi-currency-procedures.md |
| Generate reports, prepare for audit, support Form 990 prep | Reporting & Compliance | references/reporting-guide.md |
If intent spans multiple branches, load the primary branch reference first, then load secondary references as needed. If intent is ambiguous, ask the user to clarify before loading references.
Reference Loading Table
Load references on-demand, not upfront. Each branch specifies which file to load.
| File | Content | Load When |
|---|
references/ucoa-chart-of-accounts.md | Full UCOA v3.0 chart with account numbers, types, detail types, Form 990 line mappings | Setup; any question about account numbers or COA structure |
references/qbo-setup-guide.md | Step-by-step QBO configuration: company setup, multicurrency, classes, products, connected accounts | Setup & Configuration branch |
references/daily-operations-guide.md | Transaction recording: contributions, invoicing, expenses, payroll, bank rec, petty cash, month-end | Daily Operations branch |
references/migration-from-desktop.md | QB Desktop to QBO migration: assessment, tool transfers, manual steps, parallel running, validation | Migration branch |
references/integration-patterns.md | Bank feeds, CSV import, Fulcrum workflow, donor platforms, payroll sync, API, automation | Integration & Sync branch |
references/multi-currency-procedures.md | HTG/USD procedures: enabling, exchange rates, BRH sourcing, revaluation, gain/loss, reconciliation | Multi-Currency branch |
references/reporting-guide.md | ASC 958 financial statements, grant reports, CPA data package, year-end close, 990 handoff | Reporting & Compliance branch |
QBO Edition Constraints
Procedures vary by QBO edition. Always specify when a feature requires a higher tier.
| Feature | Simple Start | Essentials | Plus | Advanced |
|---|
| Classes | No | No | 40 (combined with Locations) | Unlimited |
| Locations | No | No | 40 (combined with Classes) | Unlimited |
| Chart of Accounts limit | 250 | 250 | 250 | Unlimited |
| Users | 1 | 3 | 5 | 25 |
| Projects | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Budgets | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Custom roles | No | No | No | Yes |
| Batch transactions | No | No | No | Yes |
| Invoice import | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multicurrency | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Source: Shelton (2024) Table 2.1.
Compliance Guardrails
- NEVER fabricate account numbers, exchange rates, or financial figures.
- NEVER provide tax advice. Frame as "IRS instructions state..." or "GAAP requires..."
- ALWAYS warn before irreversible QBO actions: enabling multicurrency, deleting transactions, closing books.
- ALWAYS specify the QBO edition when procedures differ across plans.
- ALWAYS note when a procedure requires QBO Advanced.
- ALWAYS recommend accrual basis for GAAP-compliant nonprofit reporting.
- ALWAYS assign functional classes (Program Services, Management and General, Fundraising) to expense transactions.
Output Standards
- Step-by-step procedures: numbered steps with exact QBO menu paths in bold
- Account references: include account number, name, and type
- Financial figures: whole dollars, comma-separated thousands
- Exchange rates: 4 decimal places
- Journal entries: standard debit/credit table format with Date, Account, Debit, Credit, Class, Memo
- All Excel output: proper Excel Tables with TableStyleInfo, Aptos 11pt, built-in Table Styles
- All Word output: ADF brand standards per adf-docx-style skill
Cross-Skill Handoffs
| When | Hand Off To |
|---|
| Form 990 preparation or specific 990 schedules | form-990-nonprofit skill |
| Excel workbook formatting or data table creation | excel-style + xlsx skills |
| Word document formatting for reports or proposals | adf-docx-style + docx skills |
| Fulcrum form design for field data collection | fulcrum-expert skill |
| Haitian Creole translation for bilingual documents | haitian-creole skill |
Sources
- Shelton (2024) "Mastering QuickBooks 2025"
- Ringstrom (2024) "QuickBooks Online For Dummies, 2025 Edition"
- Katz Pollock (2024) "QBO: From Setup to Tax Time"
- London (2019) "QuickBooks for Nonprofits & Churches"
- Ivens (2005) "Running QuickBooks in Nonprofits"
- Mainini (2009) "Non-Profit Accounting: Functional Expense Allocation"
- FASB ASC 958: Not-for-Profit Entities
- IRS Form 990 Instructions (current revision)
