The Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”) started out as a lesser-known relief provision contained in the CARES Act passed into law at the beginning of the pandemic in March of 2020. Over the last three years, […]
Has your church considered ways you could use your buildings for greater community impact during the week? Join us for a look at how to do this in a financially sustainable way. We’ll discuss how […]
Finances are a crucial aspect of our daily lives. We need them to provide for our basic needs, pay our bills, and pursue our dreams. However, it can also be a source of stress and […]
Comparing key data points against known metrics is a tried-and-true method for assessing financial health for any organization. In this webinar, we will discuss how to answer key financial health questions in plain language—using an […]
In today’s challenging environment of rapid change and transformation, church leaders must embrace new skills, ideas, and approaches to succeed. In The Church Financial Field Guide, a new e-book from CapinCrouse, Partners Stan Reiff and […]
There are four basic principles of effective chart of accounts design and they are most prominently applied to reporting elements like travel, supplies, and meals. You can redesign your general ledger accounts to create easy-to-read […]
So … you’re an XP (or equivalent) and you’re in charge of (among other things) the financial health and operations of your church. You have […]
It’s critical to remember that the cycle of requesting and/or receiving a charitable gift is not complete until the expectation and intent of givers have been met.
Creating a realistic expectation of what will be accomplished […]
During the CapinCrouse 2021 National Church Virtual Seminar held on February 24 and 25, 2021, I had the opportunity to lead a workshop in which leaders discussed what the church may look like after COVID-19. […]
Join a lively discussion that tries to make sense of why evangelical churches and Christ-centered nonprofits are expressing so much optimism about their financial future. Learn who is most optimistic—and also who is most pessimistic.
Our […]
Michael Martin and Fletch examine a vital topic of how to ensure your church has financial integrity. When you have a problem in this area, your donors get nervous and may stop giving. From his experience […]
Hey Fletch … Do you have benchmark data that documents total compensation as a percent of total revenue (restricted and unrestricted), not just of the […]
Church board members are eager to fulfill their fiduciary responsibility and watch over the long-term economic health of the church. However, most are not used to reading nonprofit financial statements. This can make it challenging […]
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Hey Fletch … Our church provides direct support to several international missionaries. What are the issues we should look at to provide this support with the utmost integrity?
DRF—There are so many questions […]
Hey Fletch … Some of my fellow XPs have a variety of polices regarding mileage reimbursement for staff. I am wondering about best practices regarding this issue. Any help?
DRF—Check the current IRS mileage reimbursement rate for business […]
Monday, March 25, 2019
Fletch is back from his research break, writing Predators in the Church
Hey Fletch … I’ve been tracking with Dan Busby’s comments in the Hey Fletch column. I know gifts to the church […]
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Hey Fletch… We have a widow in our church that is going through serious medical challenges. She has exhausted her financial resources. Several wealthy members of the congregation want to financially support […]
As we originally reported in our June 21, 2018 Special Alert℠, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., et al., that states can, in some circumstances, require a seller […]
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Hey Fletch! First off, thank you so much for bringing such an informative and fun workshop to Hawaii. It was such a pleasure to see you and we look forward to next […]
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Hey Fletch…our church envelopes and website allow donors to make designations. There are words that say, “The board has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds.” Can our […]
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Hey Fletch … What are our obligations in handling donor designations? These come either verbally during a church service, on our website, or by text. They can also be formally given in […]
Churches are in the charity business. They are commanded by God to help the poor, the sick and the wounded. But the church also must abide by tax rules designed to prevent abuse. This article […]
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Hey Fletch … I heard that if a donor designates a gift made to our church, we cannot provide the donor with a receipt under the theory that designated gifts are not […]
Friday, January 11, 2019
Hey Fletch … If a pastor performs a funeral or wedding and is paid directly, the pastor gives the check to our church finance office. I then add it to their salary […]
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Hey Fletch … Do I need to pay unrelated business income tax on my parking lot? I heard a lot of noise about this last fall but what was the final ruling?
DRF—The […]
Friday, January 4, 2019
Hey Fletch … Do you have any policies or procedures which outline appropriate spending? Our SP has a credit card but we haven’t ever put limits on spending. We are currently running […]
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Hey Fletch … We are in an unusual place. Many times new churches rent or lease space from public school systems. Our county school system is seeking to lease classroom space from us to house […]
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Hey Fletch … Anything on your radar regarding 2018 tax law that is calling for non-profit organizations to file a 990-T for tax on parking spaces provided for employees? Our CPA has […]
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Hey Fletch … We are considering outsourcing our financial roles. Any insight on this? Pros / Cons?
DRF—I answered a related question on August 29, 2018 in “Would We Save Money by […]
Friday, November 2, 2018
Hey Fletch … I read the question about receipts being turned in to the church within sixty days of the expense. We also have a staff member who is turning in late […]
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Hey Fletch … I’ve been reading about designated funds and I’m still confused. Do you have a tax expert or attorney who can also comment on the issue?
DRF—We have done several “Hey […]
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Hey Fletch … A licensed professional marriage counselor who attends our church wants to rent a room so he can see clients in a location that is on the opposite side of […]
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Hey Fletch … Our church staff can purchase items from their own funds and then be reimbursed. This happens a lot with youth trips and out-of-town ministry. We have a policy that […]
Monday, October 1, 2018
Hey Fletch … Thanks for your answer to my designated funds question. Let me submit another question. Someone brought an article today with the ideas of “restricted” and “designated” funds. The gist […]
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Hey Fletch … Our church wants to take up a special offering for a woman who has cancer. Can we ask people to give money through the church for her?
DRF—With the spirit […]
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Hey Fletch … Can you educate me about “preferred ministry” rather than “designated” funds which are restricted. We are a church of 165 and struggling to make budget. As a member of […]
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Hey Fletch … I am involved with trying to get our church’s financial situation back on track and healthy again. Would any of your reports contain information on a church that has […]
Monday, August 27, 2018
Hey Fletch … We are looking at beginning to allow online giving. We are looking at three different providers: pushpay.com, gyve.io and tithe.ly. We are evaluating each platform and […]
Saturday, July 7, 2018
Hey Fletch … We charge outside groups to use our facility. Some are concerned at our church that we should be paying tax on this income. They want us to not host […]
If your church uses a calendar year-end of December 31 as its fiscal year-end, you may want to consider changing it. A fiscal year-end such as May 31, June 30, July 31, August 31, or […]
Friday, June 1, 2018
Hey Fletch … Would you mind sharing an example of a Weekly Financial Reporting spreadsheet? I’d love to see it and incorporate it.
DRF— A weekly financial reporting spreadsheet should contain a […]
Friday, May 11, 2018
Hey Fletch … Thank you for putting together another successful XP-Seminar. I enjoyed it once again and look forward to it each year! I was wondering if you had any insights […]
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Hey Fletch … Our school is owned by our church. They are the umbrella. All online donations are being completed through the church. For example, if I want to donate to our […]
Mike Batts is one of our workshop leaders at the 2018 XP-Seminar. He is a noted leader in the nonprofit and church financial arena and author of five books. Mike has just released his […]
What are internal controls? How do you begin to implement ICs? Kirk Morgan created this infographic using his class notes from two of XPastor’s Online Courses–Operations 103 (Finances, Part 1) & Operations 104 […]
When I picked The Wall Street MBA by Reuben Advani from the bibliography of the XP Online Course on Finance, I wondered what the […]
A common, biblically-based theme in the church world is that parishioners should be good stewards of the money God has entrusted to them. Especially emphasized is the principle of Christians paying tithes and giving generously. However, stewardship […]
When it comes to funding your ministry and reporting on the finances of your church, few questions matter more. Making clarity your passion as you communicate your church’s finances equips the people of your church […]
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church—items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and opportunity profiles. Below is the Employee Accountable Expense Reimbursement Policy and Procedures […]
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church—items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and policies. Below is a Cash Receipts and Disbursements Policy of Westwards Community […]
XPastor tries to help churches by providing some of the essentials for running a church—items like job descriptions, employment applications, review forms and policies. Below is the Finance Committee Policy from Northwest Bible Church in […]
For many years, I gave a lecture to a “Basics of Ministry” class at Dallas Theological Seminary. I don’t do much teaching at the Masters level, as I generally work with pastors in the Doctor […]
When it comes to operating a church, a foundational document is the Finance Policy. If a poorly written Finance Policy is executed well, then the Policy can strike fear into any staff person. If a […]
As we’ve been talking with churches about cash reserves, the topic of year-end giving has been cropping up in the conversations. Now is certainly the time to be thinking about it. An Evangelical Christian Credit […]
I once heard a good definition of a CFO: “Someone who solves a problem you didn’t know you had in a way you don’t understand.” There is some truth in this statement. However, in actuality, […]
