Clarity & Integrity in Trusts, Estates and Nonprofits
Specialized Trust Accounting, Campaign Finance and Planned Giving Advisory Services
Some funds are not simply money.
They come with fiduciary duties, donor intent, legal obligations, family legacy, and public trust.
Old Colony Law’s Ben Palkowski is the mind behind the Fiscal Highlands philosophy. As a dual-licensed attorney-CPA, Ben brings a legal and an accounting perspective to environments where both are required but tend to be disjointed.
Nonprofit leaders, trustees and political committee treasurers come to Ben when the stakes are high, and where accounting blunders can translate into legal problems.
Ben is called upon when routine bookkeeping is not sufficient and a deeper level of technical expertise is required. Ben focuses specifically on trust accounting, campaign finance, conducting investigations and managing restricted funds.
Elevation Brings Clarity
The elevation of the Highlands presents a beautiful and clear perspective of the land and waterways below. Believing strongly that similar clarity is essential in regulated financial environments, like tax-exempt entities, Ben conceived the notion of organizations operating in Fiscal Highlands while visiting the Scottish Highlands a few years ago.
Fiscal Highlands is a place where:
Accounting does not obscure;
Reporting does not confuse;
Compliance does not feel reactive or chaotic; and,
Stakeholders are confident.
Ben helps organizations bolster planned giving, endure transitions and find confidence, even when the pressures of donor wishes, regulatory oversight, financial reporting and public scrutiny feel overwhelming.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE
〡 STRATEGIC ACCOUNTING-LEGAL GUIDANCE 〡
At Your Service
Working with clients who value precision, discretion, and thoughtful guidance, Ben Palkowski offers both in person and virtual consultations, proudly collaborating with:
• Nonprofits and tax-exempt organizations navigating multiple revenue streams, restricted contributionsnor leadership transitions
• Boards and leadership teams seeking a neutral, technically skilled, advisor
• Trustees new to their role, and requiring fiduciary accounting support
• Political influencers and advocacy groups establishing political organizations and navigating federal and state campaign finance compliance reporting obligations
• Corporations and individual donors engaging in charitable or political giving
Clients across Massachusetts, New England, and beyond engage with Ben when the stakes are high and clarity is essential. Ben delivers direct guidance and an assurance that organizational funds are handled in accordance with the law and the wishes of donors. If you’re seeking a highly skilled and experienced partner, you’ve come to the right place.
A Disciplined, Human Approach
Financial reporting either reinforces institutional credibility or undermines it. Compliance systems can either prevent problems or create them.
As a dual-licensed attorney and CPA, Ben approaches each engagement understanding nuance and appreciating the context. Unlike traditional accounting firms where work is delegated across layers of staff or to offshore personnel, every client engagement is overseen by Ben himself, ensuring continuity, discretion, and thoughtful attention to detail from start to finish. Clients and their advisors work with Ben directly, not through intermediaries, red tape or robots.
Ben has the precise qualifications, experience, attention to detail and philosophy you’ve been searching for.
To discuss your needs, please feel welcome to inquire today.
Curated Advisory Services
Built Around Your Needs.
Ben Palkowski’s focus is specifically on certain specialized areas where integrity, clarity, and precision matter most:
Restricted funds, planned giving and donor intent. Learn more →
Campaign finance and establishing a PAC. Learn more→
Forensic accounting and problem solving. Learn more →
Navigating trust accounting and beneficiary distributions. Learn more→
Each service is tailored to those looking for a partner who understands the law and accounting, and who has the experience serving nonprofits and those who fund them.
“When nonprofits are experiencing accounting troubles, my job is to elevate them into the Fiscal Highlands.”
– Ben Palkowski, Attorney, CPA
〡 THE MIND BEHIND FISCAL HIGHLANDS 〡
Meet Ben Palkowski
Behind Fiscal Highlands is Ben Palkowski, a dual-licensed Attorney and CPA whose career has been at the intersection of accounting, law, and government affairs.
In Ben’s experience, legal and compliance issues often begin long before they surface, somewhere in the accounting records. Accounting errors or missteps that should have been detected earlier or prevented in the first place ultimately grow into legal problems.
The philosophy behind Fiscal Highlands is to bring discipline to organizations striving to stay above board, and support to fiduciaries who understand that when financial systems are built correctly, everything else becomes more stable.
This way to learn more about Ben and his Fiscal Highlands philosophy >
Start the Conversation
When accounting intersects with regulatory obligations and fiduciary duties, clarity matters.
Ben Palkowski invites you to contact his office at Old Colony Law to schedule a confidential consultation today.
