An ad hoc committee recently completed a review of All Souls’ financial and bookkeeping procedures and processes for fiscal year 2016-17. Committee members were Tom Houle, Sanjiv Behl, and Eric Berg.

The review included three meetings with All Souls’ treasurer, Susan Randall and inspection of financial records, files, and systems used. As a result, the committee found no areas of major concern, no evidence of impropriety, no red flags.

Recommendations in the committee report include:

• Routine counting [of Sunday collections] should be limited to current Board members, current and past Treasurers, and members of the current Finance Committee.
• Have a Board resolution on file listing authorized signers [for all bank accounts].
• Add and use an “Approved by” line on the Reimbursement Form.
• Inventory major assets, by video recording, annually each room and exterior of properties. Include the rental property, (video between tenants to document condition of property at start and finish of tenancy).
• Acquire a fire proof cabinet to store current and previous year’s documents and working files.

Committee members stressed in the final report that this process was not an audit, but a comprehensive review. Members of All Souls can request a copy of the report by contacting Jen Stone, Office Administrator, at allsoulssfadmin @ gmail.com.