Finish Strong, Start Ready: A Nonprofit's Guide to Q4 & 2027

Q4 moves fast. Between year-end giving, audit and filing deadlines, benefits decisions, and board conversations about next year, there's a lot to keep track of, and often not many people to do it.

Bearing Tree's team talks through practical guidance on what leaders should be focused on right now across:

  • Finance & Accounting: what to have in place ahead of audits and filings

  • Payroll & Benefits: the year-end decisions and deadlines to get ahead of

  • Development Operations: how to keep gift processing and reporting running smoothly during peak giving season

You'll have a clearer picture of what you should be doing today to prepare for 2027.

We've put together a checklist of what organizations should be reviewing throughout Q4. Please save this as a resource and work through the details for your organization.