Contributions Received and
Contributions Made

In June 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2018-08, Not-for-Profit Entities (Topic 958): Clarifying the Scope and the Accounting Guidance for Contributions Received and Contributions Made . These amendments clarify and improve the scope and accounting guidance around contributions of cash and other assets received and made by not-for-profit organizations (NFPs) and business enterprises. The ASU clarifies and improves current guidance about whether a transfer of assets, or the reduction, settlement, or cancellation of liabilities, is a contribution or an exchange transaction.

The guidance provides criteria for determining whether the resource provider is receiving commensurate value in return for the resources transferred which, depending on the outcome, determines whether the organization follows contribution guidance or exchange transaction guidance in the revenue recognition and other applicable standards.

It also provides a more robust framework for determining whether a contribution is conditional or unconditional, and for distinguishing a donor-imposed condition from a donor-imposed restriction. This is important because such classification affects the timing of contribution revenue and expense recognition.

This ASU does not apply to transfers of assets from governments to businesses. The amendments in this Update will likely result in more grants and contracts being accounted for as either contributions or conditional contributions than previously observed in practice.
For more information or assistance with this topic, please contact Michael Garczynski, Accounting and Auditing Services Partner, michael.garczynski@actcpas.com .