Financial Integrity and Accountability for Churches & Faith-based Nonprofits

In January 2011, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, asked the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) to facilitate responses on policy issues related to financial accountability for religious nonprofits. The result was the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations. Join us on Monday, June 17, 2013 for a timely discussion about possible policy changes that may impact you. Register Here.

Rob Eby, CPA of Aronson, LLC, will be leading a discussion about the Commission’s findings and how the policy changes will impact you, including:

• Senior leadership compensation
• Love offerings and housing allowances
• Self-regulation
• Donor engagement
• Administration of the law

About the Forum:

The forum is FREE, but registration is required.

Project Bridges Ministry Renewal Forums are designed to address pertinent ministry issues and to provide an opportunity to network and obtain strategic informational updates with governmental, community and faith-based leaders.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Friday, May 31

Forum Location:

First Baptist Church of Glenarden Ministry Center

3600 Brightseat Road | Landover, MD 20785

DATE: Monday, June 17, 2013
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Parking: FREE

For More Information:

Call: 301-386-0300
Email: info@projectbridges.org

Website: www.projectbridges.org

Ace Your School’s Annual Audit!

All public charter schools, and many private schools and parochial institutions, undergo an annual audit. While best practice is to structure work throughout each year to ensure a clean audit, now is a good time to assess where you are and address potential deficiencies. A little preparation goes a long way in ensuring a smooth and painless audit.

 Join Craig Stevens and Rob Eby of Aronson LLC for a free webinar led by Brad Olander, CEO of GoldStar, on May 16th at 11am.  During this convenient 30-minute session, we will address common questions including:

•  What does working throughout the year with the audit in mind look like?
• How do you assess potential deficiencies now?
• Who should be involved in the audit planning process?
• What are typical key audit tasks, processes, and deliverables?

 Executive directors, controllers, CFOs, principals and other school professionals serving in an administrative or finance role should register today for this important webinar!

 If you missed April’s webinar: “Financial Reporting-Support your board so they can support you,” be sure to visit our resources page to download the webinar!

Webinar: Financial Reporting at Schools – Support Your Board, So They Can Support You

Effectively communicating financial performance to your Board is a critical skill.

Your board is the fiduciary of your school and a key resource for your management team. Your Board must understand your school’s financial performance—and where it is likely headed—to perform their oversight role and to support management in achieving organizational goals.

What does an effective financial presentation to a Board look like? How do you convey information that supports decision making, keeps the conversation on point and out of the ‘weeds,’ and is accessible to Trustees without a financial background? How do you ensure your board has the understanding to help you build the financial strength that will in turn support achieving educational goals?

Join Craig Stevens and Rob Eby of Aronson LLC for a free webinar led by Brad Olander, CEO of GoldStar, on April 17^th at 11am. During this convenient 30-minute session, we will address these critical questions including:

• What information should you present?
• How should it be presented?
• How detailed should it be?
• How to balance discussion of current results with forecasts?

 Executive directors, controllers, CFOs, principals and other school professionals serving in an administrative or finance role should register today for this free event!

Register HERE

Type: Webinar

Date: April 17, 2013

Time: 11:00-11:30AM

Price: FREE

Location: Via WebEx

Webcast on Internal Controls for Smaller Entities

MACPA is having a webcast April 2, 2013 from 1-3pm Eastern entitled “Internal Controls for Smaller Entities – Practical Case Studies in Design, Evaluation and Communication”.  Cost is $79 for members and non-members for 2 CPE credits. 

See http://www.macpa.org/public/catalog/coursedetails.aspx?courseID=1317W610 for more details.

Webinar on Compensation in Faith-Based Organizations

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) is having a webinar this Thursday, February 21, 2013 on setting compensation for top leaders of faith-based organziations.  

 The first 50 people to register for this webinar using promo code CompSet will receive a $10 discount.  

Find out more and register here.

Basic Nonprofit Accounting and Operations Boot Camp!

Join Maryland Nonprofits and Aronson LLC Partner Rob Eby on February 21^st for an informative seminar that will answer many of the most commonly asked questions regarding nonprofit accounting and operations:

• What are some indicators of fraud? 
• Why is the 990 so important? 
• How come these nonprofit statements look so different from for-profit statements I’m used to reading? 
• Is my nonprofit required to have an A-133 audit? 
• How do I implement internal controls with limited resources? 
• What are contributions, exchange transactions and agency transactions, and how are they recorded as revenue? 
• Is there anyone who can help decipher nonprofit accounting, reporting and best practices? 

This interactive discussion will address each of these questions and many more.  Click HERE to register today and reserve your spot!

Financial Integrity and Accountability for Faith-Based Nonprofits

Allegations of fraud or financial mismanagement of religious organizations has cast a pall on the vast majority of faith-based nonprofits operating with integrity and accountability. However, by working together to adhere to best practices, the nonprofit community can have a positive impact on public perception. Most importantly, a commitment to compliance and self-regulation will help you achieve your mission and attract donors.

Senator Charles Grassley asked ECFA to lead an effort to provide input on key policy issues related to financial accountability in the religious nonprofit sector. ECFA, in response, formed the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations to offer suggestions on how we can work together to improve accountability and preserve the great work that is being done each day.

Join Aronson LLC nonprofit expert Rob Eby, CPA on February 28th for a webinar discussion on these important topics:

• The Commission’s Findings
• Self-Regulation
• Donor Engagement
• Administration of the Law

Register today to reserve your spot at this free and convenient online presentation!

REGISTER HERE

The Basics of Federal Grants and Single Audit Compliance

Each year, one-sixth of the federal budget is dedicated to grants for non-federal entities, such as schools, local governments and nonprofit organizations.  This $400 billion expenditure is highly scrutinized and requires stringent compliance procedures, including a single audit for many organizations.  Failure to meet compliance requirements could result in your organization having to repay grants and/or losing access to future federal funding.

Join Aronson LLC on January 10th for an informative webinar where our nonprofit accounting experts will help participants better understand the basics of federal grant and single audit compliance.  Topics will include:   

• The Basics of Control Procedures in a Federal Grant Environment, including COSO Internal Controls and the 14 Areas of Compliance
• The Basics of Costs in a Federal Grant, including Allowable/Unallowable and Direct/Indirect Costs

This is a great opportunity to get a free lesson from our professional nonprofit auditors that just might help you protect the future of your mission, so register HERE today! 

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Guidance Has Finally Begun

On November 20, 2012, Affordable Care Act guidance was issued in the form of over 300 pages of proposed regulations. The guidance is broken into three parts: 1) requirements for essential health benefits, actuarial value, and other exchange related requirements; 2) various market reform initiatives; and 3) regulations related to employee wellness programs.

At this time, the proposed regulations related to the exchange requirements, as well as the market reform initiatives, will be more meaningful to industry practitioners. The proposed regulations related to wellness programs will be of greatest interest to employers.

In general, as of January 1, 2014, health plans will not be able to underwrite based on health status. Wellness programs have been granted a limited exemption. The maximum allowable reward under a wellness program as part of a group health plan has increased from twenty to Continue reading »

Webinar: The Myth of Asset Allocation: Would You Rather Beat the Market or Make Money?

For nonprofits, choosing the right investment strategy is a key factor in determining the future viability of your mission. Join Aronson LLC and American Asset Management Group, Inc. on October 17th for a webinar that will offer a brief overview of the differences between Relative Return and Absolute Return investment philosophies. Topics will include:

• Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT)
• Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH)
• Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)
• Systematic vs. Non-Systematic Investment Risk
• The Importance of the Investment Policy Statement ( IPS)

John O. Low, Institutional Investor Counsel with American Asset Management Group will share his perspective and help attendees understand the finer points of investment strategy. In addition to his work with AAMG, Mr. Low is passionate about serving the needs of the nonprofit community. He founded the Non-Profit Cooperation Circle – a model for peer to peer networking, education and support for association executives, board members and other nonprofit professionals.

REGISTER HERE