WE SPECIALIZE IN

Helping Nonprofits Take Control Of Their Financial Health

Your nonprofit has a mission. And you work hard to make sure your programs and efforts are realized. A big part of doing that means obtaining funding, and that often hinges on healthy and transparent financial accounting.

Cook & Company, A Professional Accountancy Corporation, is a certified public accounting firm that works exclusively with California nonprofit organizations. By specializing in nonprofi audit, tax and review services, we live and breathe nonprofit accounting and are able to invest all of our energy in making these specific service offerings as high-quality as possible.

INDEPENDENT AUDITS

A third-party audit helps demonstrate that your organization uses its funds responsibly. We’ll create a detailed and accurate report you can use to reassure donors and open the door to new funding opportunities.

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FINANCIAL REVIEWS

A Financial Review is a less detailed version of a full audit. Unlike many other firms, we offer clients a summary of findings, known as a Management Letter, for the nonprofit’s senior management and board.

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NONPROFIT TAX RETURNS

Incorrect or missed returns could put your organization’s tax-exempt status at risk. We make sure returns are done right and filed on time.

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WHY CHOOSE COOK & COMPANY?

We are nonprofit experts. We specialize in audits, financial reviews, and tax returns for California nonprofits. Period. That means we’re on top of the latest changes in nonprofit tax and accounting rules and simply just know things general CPA firms often miss.

PROVEN HIGH STANDARDS

We’re proud to be members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The AICPA sets the benchmark for CPA firm performance and conduct, requiring its members to meet the highest ethical and professional standards.

UP-TO-DATE TECHNOLOGY

Just because something’s been done a certain way in the past doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do it. Our team is addicted to technology, and we’re always “thinking outside the box” to provide our clients with a faster, less expensive, and more reliable way to do things.

RELAXED AND FRIENDLY

We see no reason why a CPA has to be stuffy or grumpy. We’ve hand-picked friendly, open people who can translate GAAP and IRS jargon to plain English and are committed to sharing their knowledge and experience with others.

REASONABLE RATES

Large firms with nonprofit divisions can be expensive, and small, general firms can be “jacks of all trades” who may not have the necessary experience with nonprofit requirements (which can lead to expensive mistakes). We bring you the best of both worlds: value and expertise.

CERTIFIED GREEN

We are one of the few Green Certified CPA firms under the California Green Business Program and make every effort to reduce our carbon footprint and be environmentally responsible.

Meet Our Team

Friendly and mission-minded, the Cook & Company team is passionate about helping nonprofits achieve more through better financial management

Douglas E. Cook, CPA/MPA

Douglas Cook has 16 years of professional accounting experience, primarily working with nonprofit organizations. . “As an accountant and teacher, I view each of our client relationships as an educational opportunity to help an organization strengthen its infrastructure, and thereby be in a better position to deliver its mission.”

Douglas E. Cook, CPA/MPA

Founder & Principal

Ying Zhang, CPA/MS

Ying Zhang is our senior associate on financial review engagements. She also serves as a technical advisor to the audit team and is our go-to person for training junior staff. She has significant expertise in government contracts, temporarily restricted net assets, endowments and functional expenses.

Ying Zhang, CPA/MS

Senior Staff Accountant

Kelsey Branstetter

Kelsey joined the firm in 2018 with a background in a variety of administrative support and client services positions.

Kelsey Branstetter

Bookkeeper / Executive Assistant

DISCOVER THE MANY WAYS WE CAN HELP YOUR NONPROFIT ACHIEVE MORE

Get our FREE tool: Sample Nonprofit Accounting Close & Financial Statement Preparation Checklist.

Client Results

  • "A deep understanding of the complex nature of our organization."

    Aimee K. Little
 - Controller, 10,000 Degrees

    Cook & Company has been our auditor for the past two years and they operate in a very thorough and professional manner. They work to meet our very tight year-end schedule and perform a comprehensive audit within the required time frame. It is important to us that we have an auditor that works exclusively with nonprofits and one who has a deep understanding of the complex nature of our organization. Cook & Company has proven to be the perfect choice.

  • "We are delighted with the quality of Cook & Company’s service."

    Geri DeLaRosa - Executive Director, Sunburst Projects

    Sunburst Projects is a small non-profit agency that has worked with Douglas Cook for the past ten years. As our independent accountant, Douglas and his staff have provided Sunburst with professional, knowledgeable, friendly and reliable service through some very complicated and trying times for the agency. He and his staff are responsible for Sunburst’s annual audit and 990 returns. We are delighted with the quality of Cook & Company’s service, integrity, competence and reliability. They are extremely knowledgeable about nonprofits and fiscal management and we would highly recommend their services.

  • "Douglas Cook and his staff are straightforward and meticulous."

    Leah Shahum - Executive Director, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

    The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has had quite a positive experience working with Cook & Company for our audits and 990s. Douglas Cook and his staff are straightforward and meticulous. We would recommend Cook & Company to other nonprofit organizations.

  • "Our audit committee found [the] presentations to be rigorous and helpful."

    Sumi Paik
 - Director of Finance & Administration, Public Advocates Inc.

    Our finance team highly values the working relationship we have with Douglas and his staff. They are incredibly well organized, quick to respond to our various (and sometimes many) inquiries and attentive to our particular concerns. Douglas knows our organization well and it shows in the thoroughness of his questions and his ultimate work product. He doesn’t just understand nonprofit accounting and tax issues; he is also very skilled at explaining them. Our board’s audit committee – which can be a “tough crowd” – has consistently found his presentations to be rigorous and helpful.

    On top of all of this, Douglas and his team are just wonderfully pleasant to work with, which I can’t say has been a common experience when working with audit and tax professionals!

LATEST POSTS

Nonprofit Remote Accounting in the COVID-19 Era: Automating Accounting Processes for Greater Simplicity & Security
Nonprofit Remote Accounting in the COVID-19 Era: Automating Accounting Processes for Greater Simplicity & Security

It was clear when the lockdowns began which nonprofits had automated their accounting processes. In the COVID-19 era, how can you make the move to the cloud?

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Received a Loan from the CARES Act? Does Your Nonprofit Need a Single Audit?
Received a Loan from the CARES Act? Does Your Nonprofit Need a Single Audit?

Has your nonprofit organization received a loan as part of the CARES Act? You may be required to have a “Single Audit”. Find out more about how to prepare here…

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Nonprofit audit reports: What are the main changes and how will they affect you?
Nonprofit audit reports: What are the main changes and how will they affect you?

The nonprofit audit reports are about to change in 2020. Learn what the main changes are and how they will affect your organization here…

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Thank you for taking the time to visit our website. We look forward to hearing from you.

One Sansome Street, Suite 3500
San Francisco, CA 94104

 

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