Instructions for Submitting Financial Reports for Health & Renewal Grants
The Checks
The first grant check (for 50% of the grant) will be mailed to you, the group treasurer, at your church’s address soon after the initial paperwork has been completed by the group coordinator. Canadian churches will receive a cheque from the Burlington office—in Canadian funds. US churches will receive a check from the Grand Rapids office—in US funds. Once our office has received both the mid-year written and financial reports, a check for the remaining grant funds will be mailed to you. If you find that the bulk of your expenses occur before the mid-year reports are due, please email me about this. Generally, we can send the second check early. If the second check is sent to you before the mid-year reports are submitted, you’re still required to submit both a mid-year and year-end financial report.
The Process
· You’re required to keep all receipts for grant funds spent on the project’s approved expenses—which can be found in the church’s proposal. If you’re not sure what the approved expenses are, I can send you the proposal. If the church is contributing funds, we don’t need any information on, or receipts for, those funds in the financial reports. Having all receipts, for expenses paid for from grant funds, can’t be stressed enough. Being diligent in your bookkeeping will make things much easier for all concerned. Why the receipts? SCE is required to have complete reports (which include all receipts) for each grant awarded in the event that we’re audited.
· If a receipt has become lost and the expense was paid for by a debit or credit card, a copy of the bank/credit card statement can be submitted (with the grant expense highlighted).
· Please list each receipt separately on the report. Grouping a number of receipts together and entering one line on the report (IE: “food”) may make sense to you, but we have no idea which receipts need to be added together to get the total you’ve noted. The stories I could tell about this! J
· There may be some receipts of which only a portion of the total is a project expense. Please clearly indicate the project expense amount.
· There’s no need to have receipts for mileage. The only time a receipt isn’t needed.
· If you’re using a check to pay someone an honorarium, we need a copy of the canceled check. If you’re paying in cash, we need that “someone” to provide you with a receipt.
· It saves us a lot of time if you submit the receipts in the same order as they appear on the report. OR Better yet, put them in order and number each receipt noting the number on the report. (See the sample report on the next page.)
· If you find that you’d like to change how your grant funds will be spent, please contact me before you make any changes/spend any grant funds as approval is needed. As long as the change you’re proposing is in line with your project, receiving approval from the program director isn’t difficult.
The Reports
You’ll need to prepare two financial reports. One will be sent in with the mid-year written report, which the group coordinator will complete, and the other one with the year-end written report. The due dates for the reports will be sent to both you and the coordinator early in the grant process. The mid-year financial report will include an accounting of the grant money received to date, all of the expenditures to date, and the remaining balance. The year-end financial report will begin with the remaining balance noted on the mid-year report and then it’ll list additional grant funds received, and all expenditures. No need to re-send all the information/receipts from the mid-year report.
Once your financial report is complete, please mail, email, or fax (616-224-0834) it to the SCE office. If you’re mailing your report in, please be sure to make a copy for your records. We’ve had some reports get lost in the mail. Both US and Canadian churches are to mail their reports to the Grand Rapids/US office.
Lis Van Harten
Sustaining Congregational Excellence
1700 28th St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49508
If there are any funds remaining after your grant period (typically a year) is over, they need to be returned to our office. Please send a check, made out to “CRCNA”, along with your report. If you’d like to extend the due date for the final reports so that all the grant funds can be spent on your project, just ask. That’s easily done!
A sample financial report follows. By following the sample, you’ll save our staff a lot of time. We receive many financial reports and trying to figure out individual reporting styles is just too time-consuming for us. Your assistance in this is greatly appreciated!
The Helping Hand
If you have any questions about the financial report, please let me know. I'm here to help you in any way that I can. I strive to be easy to work with!
Lis Van Harten
SCE Program Director
877.279.9994 X2805
For churches that will be working with an SCE coach
Details on how the relationship will occur will be sent to the project coordinator. Here is an excerpt that deals with the finances:
When the first grant check is sent to the grant treasurer, $500 will be included for coaching costs. At the mid-year point, when the balance of the grant funds is sent, another $500 will be included for the coaching costs. After each coaching session, the coach will provide the pastor/ministry leader with a written report. This is to assist all parties in keeping track of the coaching sessions. The report isn’t shared with anyone else.
It’s the treasurer’s responsibility to pay the coach after each coaching session—once the written report has been received. (Be sure to get a copy of the canceled check as it needs to be included in the grant financial reports—details on this will be sent the treasurer.)
Remuneration
· $65 for each coaching session and report
· $100 for final report at the end of the coaching period
Monthly reports are typically one page in length. The final report will include a summary of the coaching and therefore is generally 2 pages in length.
Eleven months of regular reports and one final report will cost $815. The amount given to the church for coaching is $1,000. This will allow some extra coaching sessions—if they are desired. If the entire $1,000 isn’t used for coaching, the remaining balance needs to be returned with the year-end financial report. The check needs to be made out to “CRCNA”.
The Sample Report
Mid-Year Financial Report for Worship and the Church
Grant number: HR-414-D
June 10, 2015
Beginning balance $3,000.00
Date Receipt # Who Expense Detail
Jan. 3.15 1 Joe’s Book Store books on worship $ 357.90
Feb. 5.15 2 Nancy Smith honorarium for speaker 250.00
Feb 19.15 3 Worship Now! conference registration 600.00
March 25.15 4 Copies Are Us flyers for praise evening 150.00
May 17.15 6 Worship Now! CDs purchased 45.95
Total expenses $1,406.85
Balance remaining $1,593.15
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