In-kind donations (gifts of goods and services rather than cash) are a vital resource for nonprofits – sometimes as meaningful as a cash donation. But because of their unique nature, proper accounting and tracking of these non-cash gifts is more complex than you might initially think.
At ProNexus, with a majority of our client base in the nonprofit sector, we’ve seen that organizations which build structured processes around in-kind gifts gain two key advantages: (1) clearer visibility into their full resource base, and (2) stronger accountability (to donors, boards and regulators). Below is a guide on how to treat in-kind donations in your books, and how you can put internal processes in place to support them.
Why In-Kind Donation Accounting Matters
While it’s tempting to think “nothing changed hands, so nothing needs recording,” that’s not correct for nonprofits.
- Donors of goods or services often place restrictions on how the gift is used, and you need to track compliance with those.
- Standards such as Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) rules and IRS requirements demand that non-cash gifts be properly documented and reported.
- Without tracking the value of these donations, your financial statements may understate real resource input (and your board or executive team may be missing critical data). For example: If your organization is operating rent-free for a facility by doesn’t record a value, you could be blindsided if that benefit disappears.
- Transparency and credibility matter. Donors (and boards) expect good governance and full visibility into all assets, not just cash.
In short: treating in-kind gifts with the same rigor as cash means you build stronger operations and better decision-making.
What Are In-Kind Donations?
Any gift other than cash can qualify. Here are common examples:
- Food, catering or other consumables
- Furniture, office or warehouse equipment
- Medical supplies
- Construction equipment
- Pro bono services (legal, accounting, marketing)
- Free rent or donated real-estate use
- Stocks or other securities
Because such donations vary so widely, nonprofit accounting teams must be ready for different valuation and tracking challenges.
Key Accounting Standards & Principles
Here are the guiding principles for nonprofits when it comes to in-kind donations:
Fair Market Value
You must determine a value for the gift as if you had purchased or replaced it in the open market.
- For goods: use retail/wholesale comparable pricing, adjust for bulk discounts or used condition.
- For services: multiply an appropriate hourly rate by hours donated.
- For real estate or major assets: use comparable sales or appraisals.
Document your valuation methods and keep them on file.
Recording Revenue, Expense (or Asset)
- When a nonprofit receives an in-kind gift it typically records revenue equal to fair market value.
- If the donated item is used immediately, you’d also record an expense (same amount) so that the net income isn’t distorted.
- If the gift is a capital asset (e.g., building, major equipment), you record it as an asset on the balance sheet and depreciate it appropriately rather than as an immediate expense.
Separate Tracking From Cash Donations
Under current disclosure rules, nonprofits cannot simply lump cash and in-kind donations together. They must report non-cash contributions separately, often by category. This supports better transparency and more useful internal management information (for example: how much of your operations are supported by pro bono services vs. purchased services).
Documentation & Reporting Requirements
You’ll need to maintain:
- A gift-acceptance policy (do you accept all in-kind gifts? Under what conditions?)
- A policy for valuation (how you determine fair market value)
- Records of how the gift was used or sold
- Conflict of interest, document retention, and other supporting policies from a tax perspective, for U.S. nonprofits the IRS Form 990 must report non-cash gifts. Large aggregate gifts may also trigger schedule requirements (e.g., Schedule M) or other disclosures.
Practical Steps: Building Your In-Kind Accounting Process
Here’s a recommended workflow your organization should implement:
- Policy & Procedure Implementation
- Adopt a written gift acceptance policy specific to in-kind donations.
- Develop a documented valuation policy (e.g., define FMV methods, determination approval).
- Define roles: who performs valuation, who approves, who records entries.
- Valuation & Recording at Donation Date
- Determine fair market value using your policy.
- Record the donation as revenue in the period it was received.
- If the asset is used immediately, record expense; if capitalizable, record asset account.
- Categorization & Tracking by Type
- Track separately from cash donations (i.e., distinct fund/line item).
- Categorize by type of good/service (professional services, real-estate use, equipment) to support internal management and external disclosure.
- Usage Monitoring, Disposal or Sale
- If the donated item will be sold, document the sale and record actual proceeds; record any difference between fair value and sale price as adjustment.
- For items used, document program, data of use, and how gift supported the mission.
- Reporting & Transparency
- Prepare disclosures for board, management and external stakeholders (financial statements, Form 990, annual reports).
- Provide donor acknowledgment letters describing the gift and, optionally, the organization’s estimate of value (with caveat that donor should consult tax advisor).
- Technology & Systems
- Use your accounting/finance system to create distinct tracking codes for in-kind gifts.
- Build reporting that separates in-kind from cash, and allows drill-down by category, program and period.
- For organizations doing significant non-cash gifts (especially nonprofits with complex operations like those we serve at ProNexus), consider automation or added fields to capture standard details (gift type, valuation method, use/disposition, restrictions).
Why Your Board Leadership Team and Donors Will Thank You
By building a robust process around in-kind donations, your organization gains:
- Better financial visibility: truer picture of resource input and cost offsets.
- Strong governance: you’re equipped with data to show how non-cash contributions are managed, valued and used.
- Reduced risk: you avoid surprises (e.g., benefit ends; assets required; under-reported resource).
- Improved fundraising strategy: tracking by category helps you see where donors prefer to give (pro-bono legal time vs equipment) and lets you optimize outreach accordingly.
- Donor credibility: proper acknowledgement and documentation support donor confidence and may enhance stewardship and future giving.
How ProNexus Can Help
As a trusted partner to nonprofits, ProNexus works across financial operations, advisory and consulting, and interim staffing to help ensure that your resource-tracking, financial systems and governance structures are best-in-class. Whether you’re operating in the cloud, expanding your footprint, or preparing for an audit, we can help you build and implement a tailored approach to in-kind donation accounting with:
- A review of your current policies, controls and documentation for non-cash gifts
- Mapping of workflows and system requirements (including fund accounting, separate tracking, disclosures)
- Implementation support (staff training, system setup, reporting dashboards)
- Interim or project staffing to support your finance team during high-volume gift periods or during transitions
If you’d like to explore how to strengthen your nonprofit’s accounting for in-kind donations, we’re happy to connect.
Closing Thought
Non-cash contributions are more than “free stuff.” They represent real value and require the same level of care as cash donations. By intentionally accounting for them, you strengthen your financial foundation – and show your donors, board and stakeholders that you take your mission (and your resources) seriously.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES