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.

FIND OUT MORE
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.

FIND OUT MORE
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.

FIND OUT MORE

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, PhD/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.”

Read More
Douglas E. Cook, PhD/CPA/MPA

Founder & Principal

Douglas E. Cook, PhD/CPA/MPA
Douglas E. Cook, PhD/CPA/MPA

Founder & Principal

Douglas Cook has 17 years of professional accounting experience, primarily working with nonprofit organizations.

Douglas earned his Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree (with an emphasis in Nonprofit Finance) from San Francisco State University, where he conducted award-winning research on nonprofit governance issues. He also holds a B.A. in Business from Dominican University of California and completed a Certificate in Accounting at U.C. Berkeley.

He is a member in good standing of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the AICPA Not-for-Profit Section and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Douglas is also committed to teaching. “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,” he explains. “One of the greatest pleasures of being a CPA for nonprofits is knowing I can use my knowledge and experience to help so many organizations make a positive difference in today’s complex world.”

Douglas currently teaches Nonprofit Financial Management as part of the Nonprofit Management Certificate Program at San Francisco State University. He has also taught accounting and auditing to undergraduates and graduates  at Golden Gate University, and has served as a Fiscal Compliance Panelist/Instructor for the Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership’s Emerging Leaders Program.

In addition, he recently started a blog where he discusses various topics relating to nonprofit accounting, financial management and good governance practices.

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.

Read More
Ying Zhang, CPA/MS

Senior Staff Accountant

Ying Zhang, CPA/MS
Ying Zhang, CPA/MS

Senior Staff Accountant

Ying is the firm’s senior associate on financial reviews and she is passionate about working with numbers and nonprofits! She also serves as a technical advisor to the audit team and is our go-to person for training junior staff.

Prior to joining Cook & Company, she served as a Staff Accountant for Star Vista, a multimillion dollar human services nonprofit. Ying’s experience in accounting for government contracts, temporarily restricted net assets, endowments, and functional expenses has proven invaluable to our clients.

Ying, who moved to the United States from China, is a CPA and holds an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Florida State University. She is also a member in good standing of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.

MEET THE WHOLE TEAM

DISCOVER THE MANY WAYS WE CAN HELP YOUR NONPROFIT ACHIEVE MORE

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

DOWNLOAD NOW

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

5 Simple Steps to Optimize Your Organization’s Charity Navigator Rating – A Nonprofit Auditor’s Guide
5 Simple Steps to Optimize Your Organization’s Charity Navigator Rating – A Nonprofit Auditor’s Guide

As government and institutional funding becomes less predictable, many nonprofits are looking for new ways to support their programs. Although individual giving isn’t a new fundraising strategy, Charity Navigator (CN) is working to bridge the gap between donors and nonprofits with its accessible, unbiased nonprofit rating system. If your organization wants to increase funding, improving …

Continue reading “5 Simple Steps to Optimize Your Organization’s Charity Navigator Rating – A Nonprofit Auditor’s Guide”

READ FULL STORY
Nonprofit Remote Accounting: Automating Accounting Processes for Greater Simplicity & Security
Nonprofit Remote Accounting: Automating Accounting Processes for Greater Simplicity & Security

It was clear when work from home became more popular which nonprofits had automated their accounting processes. With employees increasingly working from home, how can you make the move to the cloud?

READ FULL STORY
Received a Loan Recently? Does Your Nonprofit Need a Single Audit?
Received a Loan Recently? Does Your Nonprofit Need a Single Audit?

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

READ FULL STORY


CONTACT US

(415) 621-1112 | toll-free (855) 676-2727 | fax (855) 568-8895

    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

     

    COOK & THE BOOKS

    Our monthly newsletter
    for nonprofits

    SUBSCRIBE
    © 2026 Cook & Company, A Professional Accountancy Corporation.