Nonprofit Bookkeeper

Shorefront Legacy Center

Evanston, Illinois

Position: Part-Time Bookkeeper

Reports to: Executive Director

Schedule: 20 hours per week; $28-$32/hour relative to experience; hybrid

About Shorefront Legacy Center

Shorefront Legacy Center is a nonprofit community archive dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories of Black individuals and communities throughout Chicago’s suburban North Shore. Through its archives, educational programs, exhibitions, research, and community partnerships, Shorefront works to ensure these histories are preserved, accessible, and carried forward for future generations.

Position Summary

Shorefront Legacy Center is seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Bookkeeper to manage the organization’s day-to-day financial records and support accurate, timely financial reporting.

The Bookkeeper will maintain Shorefront’s accounting records in QuickBooks Online, process accounts payable and receivable, run a simple payroll, reconcile accounts, track grants and restricted funds, and help ensure that donations recorded in the accounting system are accurately coordinated with Shorefront’s donor management system.

This role requires someone who is organized, dependable, comfortable working independently, and understands the particular financial recordkeeping needs of a nonprofit organization with multiple active programs and events. The ideal candidate can manage routine bookkeeping while also recognizing when something needs additional attention, documentation, or follow-up.

Key Responsibilities

Accounting & Bookkeeping

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records in QuickBooks Online
• Record and properly classify revenue, expenses, deposits, payments, transfers, and other financial transactions
• Manage accounts payable, including vendor bills, payments, supporting documentation, and appropriate expense coding - for both organization operations and grant-supported programs
• Manage accounts receivable and track outstanding balances as applicable
• Reconcile bank, credit card, and other balance sheet accounts monthly
• Maintain an accurate chart of accounts and appropriate class, program, grant, and/or fund coding
• Maintain organized electronic documentation supporting financial transactions
• Assist with month-end and year-end close procedures
• Identify discrepancies or unusual transactions and work with appropriate staff or advisors to resolve them

Grants & Restricted Funds

• Maintain financial tracking for grants, restricted contributions, and other designated funding
• Ensure grant-related revenue and expenses are coded accurately and consistently
• Track grant budgets, expenditures, remaining balances, and reporting periods
• Provide financial information and reports needed for grant reporting and reimbursement requests
• Maintain supporting financial documentation required by funders
• Work with the Executive Director and program staff to help ensure grant expenditures align with approved budgets and funding restrictions

Donations & Donor Records

• Process and accurately record individual donations, including checks, online contributions, and other gifts
• Maintain and reconcile donation records between QuickBooks Online, Little Green Light, and other giving/payment platforms
• Enter and maintain accurate donor and gift information in Little Green Light
• Prepare and process timely donor acknowledgments and tax receipts
• Track restricted and designated gifts appropriately
• Help maintain accurate records for year-end donor reporting and acknowledgments
• Research and resolve discrepancies between accounting, banking, and donor records

Financial Reporting & Compliance

• Prepare routine financial reports for review by the Executive Director and organizational leadership
• Support preparation of budget-to-actual and grant-specific financial reports
• Assist with annual budgeting and financial planning as requested
• Maintain complete, well-organized financial records in accordance with nonprofit accounting practices and Shorefront policies
• Support preparation of annual IRS Form 990 and other required financial reporting by providing accurate records and requested documentation
• Coordinate with Shorefront’s external accountant, tax preparer, and other financial advisors as needed

Audit Support

• Help prepare financial records and supporting documentation for annual financial reviews or audits
• Respond to auditor requests and assist with schedules, reconciliations, transaction documentation, grant records, and other supporting materials
• Help maintain accounting records throughout the year in an audit-ready manner

Qualifications

Required

• Experience managing accrual-based accounting specifically for nonprofits
• Strong proficiency with QuickBooks Online
• Experience with bank and credit card reconciliations, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general ledger maintenance
• Experience tracking grants, restricted funds, or project-specific budgets
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
• Excellent organizational and recordkeeping skills
• Ability to manage recurring deadlines and work independently
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to handle confidential financial and donor information with discretion
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets and Google Drive

Preferred

• Experience with Little Green Light or a comparable nonprofit donor/CRM database
• Experience processing charitable contributions and donor acknowledgments
• Understanding of nonprofit fund accounting and restricted versus unrestricted revenue
• Experience preparing grant financial reports and supporting documentation
• Experience supporting an annual nonprofit financial audit or review
• Familiarity with nonprofit Form 990 preparation and year-end accounting processes
• Experience working with a small or growing nonprofit organization

What Success Looks Like

A successful Bookkeeper will help Shorefront maintain financial records that are accurate, current, organized, and easy to understand. Donations can be traced from receipt through acknowledgment and accounting; grant expenditures can be clearly connected to their funding sources; accounts are reconciled on schedule; supporting documentation is easy to locate; and leadership has reliable financial information available when needed.

Just as importantly, the Bookkeeper will be a collaborative and dependable partner who understands that strong financial stewardship helps Shorefront protect its resources, meet its commitments to funders and donors, and sustain its mission for the future. The goal is to create a clean financial chain from donation/grant → donor or funder record in Little Green Light → QuickBooks Online → reporting → audit support.

Please submit resume and cover letter to Shorefront’s Executive Director, Laurice Bell: office@shorefrontlegacy.org with the subject line Shorefront Bookkeeper.

English: Fluent

Any additional languages are beneficial but not required.