Practical Finance, Accounting & Operations for Mission-Driven Organizations

Social Innovation Solutions is a small professional practice supporting nonprofits, affordable housing organizations, and other mission-driven organizations with hands-on finance, accounting, compliance, and operational work.

We focus on the work that has to function in practice: reliable financial information, useful reporting, workable systems, and experienced support when internal capacity is stretched.

Our work is grounded in direct experience inside nonprofit finance and affordable housing operations, including the complementary expertise of Masa Nohara, CPA, and Joel Barson.

Explore Our Services
About

Built from Real Operating Experience

We have worked inside the kinds of organizations and systems we now support — not just alongside them.

We understand what it is like to close the books with limited staff, manage grant restrictions, explain financial results to a board, prepare for an audit, keep housing operations compliant, and fix processes that have become too dependent on spreadsheets, workarounds, or one person’s institutional knowledge.

Our approach is practical by design. We do not begin with a framework and force an organization into it. We start with the actual problem, the people doing the work, and the information they need to make good decisions.

The goal is not a more impressive process on paper. It is a finance or operating system that works, can be maintained, and leaves the organization stronger.

How We Think About the Work

Solve the Actual Problem

We start with what is really happening, not what the process is supposed to look like. Sometimes the problem is accounting. Sometimes it is reporting, staffing, workflow, technology, or simply a system that has accumulated too many workarounds.

Make It Usable

A technically correct system is not enough if no one can maintain it. Financial reports, procedures, spreadsheets, and workflows should make the work clearer rather than create another layer of complexity.

Build Capacity, Not Dependency

Good outside support should make an organization stronger. We aim to leave behind clearer information, more reliable processes, and systems that staff can understand and continue to use.

Who We Are

Masa Nohara Masa is a CPA with more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit finance, accounting, grants, and operations. His prior roles include serving as Finance & Administration Director at Avalon Housing, an affordable and supportive housing nonprofit. His work includes monthly close and financial reporting, budgeting and cash flow planning, grant accounting and compliance, audit preparation, Form 990 preparation and review, internal controls, and accounting and reporting system improvements. Masa takes a hands-on approach to understanding what is actually happening, getting the numbers and processes reliable, and building systems that staff and leadership can use. Joel Barson Joel is a licensed real estate broker and affordable housing operations specialist with more than two decades of experience in property management, occupancy, tax credit compliance, and housing operations. His experience includes Section 8, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) programs, residency operations, and housing program administration. He brings an operational perspective to the complex requirements that affordable housing organizations manage every day.

Services

What We Help With

We offer a range of finance, accounting, and operational support services — designed to meet organizations where they are and provide the right level of support without unnecessary overhead.

Accounting & Bookkeeping

Accurate, timely recordkeeping using nonprofit accounting standards. Chart of accounts setup, reconciliations, month-end close, and clean financial records your team can rely on.

Financial & Board Reporting

Clear, well-organized financial reports for leadership and boards. We translate numbers into narratives that help decision-makers understand organizational health at a glance.

Budgeting & Forecasting

Annual budget development, multi-year forecasting, and program-level budgeting that reflects funding realities and organizational priorities.

Grant Management & Compliance

Grant tracking, funder reporting, budget-to-actual analysis, and compliance support that keeps your organization audit-ready and your funders informed.

CFO & Strategic Advisory

Fractional CFO support for organizations that need senior-level financial guidance without a full-time hire. Strategic thinking on cash flow, reserve policy, and financial sustainability.

Process & Systems Improvement

Workflow documentation, process cleanup, and technology support for accounting and back-office systems — reducing manual work and building more reliable operations.

How We Work

Practical, Collaborative, and Flexible

We do not come in with a rigid methodology or a fixed package. We start by understanding where your organization is — what is working, what is not, and what kind of support would actually make a difference. From there, we work alongside your team in a way that fits your capacity and your timeline.

We can engage in a variety of ways — from ongoing monthly finance support to short-term projects, reporting cleanup, system transitions, or interim coverage. The goal of every engagement is to leave the organization with stronger systems and clearer information than when we arrived.

Who We Serve

Organizations Doing Important Work

We work with organizations at the intersection of mission and management — where the stakes of good financial stewardship are high, but the internal capacity to manage it all is often limited. If your organization fits one of the profiles below, our work may be a good fit.

Nonprofits

501(c)(3) organizations across program areas including human services, education, health, and community development — particularly those with grant-funded operations and broad reporting and compliance requirements.

Affordable Housing Organizations

Community development organizations, housing nonprofits, and affordable housing developers navigating complex funding streams, compliance requirements, and property-level accounting.

Social Enterprises

Mission-driven businesses and hybrid organizations that blend earned revenue with philanthropic funding and need financial infrastructure that reflects that complexity.

Small Mission-Driven Organizations

Growing organizations that need experienced finance support but are not yet ready — or resourced — for a full-time internal finance department.

Testimonials from Nonprofit Partners

Carole McCabe, Executive Director

Masa has been a game changer for our organization. His financial expertise, technological skills and extensive nonprofit experience make him an invaluable team member. He helped us improve all aspects of our financial management and is easy to work with. I highly recommend him for nonprofits of any size.

Aaron Cooper, Executive Director

Masa is a strategic thinker who blends financial expertise with creative problem-solving. At Avalon, he elevated our nonprofit’s financial systems while ensuring decisions aligned with our mission. His expertise and knack for simplifying complex matters make him an asset to any mission-driven team.

Contact

Reach Out If Our Work Seems Relevant

If you are a nonprofit, affordable housing organization, or mission-driven group looking for practical finance and back-office support, we are happy to hear from you.

You can reach us through the contact information on this page.

Or email us directly at info@socialinnovation.net

What to Expect

01

Send us a brief note

A sentence or two about your organization and what kind of support you are looking for is enough to start.

02

We respond thoughtfully

We will read what you send and respond with honest feedback on whether we might be able to help.

03

We talk if it makes sense

If there seems to be a fit, we can set up a brief call to learn more about each other before any commitment is made.

Social Innovation Enterprise, LLC

DBA Social Innovation Solutions

© 2026. All rights reserved.

Empowering nonprofits with financial clarity and operational excellence to maximize their social impact.