Checks & Balances

December/January 2010

Recently I attended a presentation at a parish on estate planning. The pastor opened the meeting with some wonderful thought-provoking words about our accountability of what we did with the gifts our God provided to us in our lifetime. Our stewardship responsibility in leaving a legacy for our family, our parish home, possibly a parish school or to a diocesan cause was also discussed.

So what tie-in exists that I would present estate and legacy planning in an article concerning accounting checks and balances?

One of the diocesan financial policy requirements that parishes must complete is a year-end presentation of the parish finances in one of the Sunday bulletins.  It has been mentioned to me that some parishes feel like they are taking a risk presenting their financial results if the parish had a positive year. The concern is that if the parish presents that it had extra money at the end of the year some parishioners might not give as much in the offertory the next year.

I have two thoughts on this concern. First, the parish should always present to its parishioners how their gifts to God were utilized during the year. The open accountability of expenditures is an important internal control measure. Second, and here is the tie-in to the legacy planning, our stewardship offertory gifts of treasure back to God should be based on what we have been blessed with and not based on whether or not the parish has extra funds in a given year. I think it is safe to say that all parishes and parishioners have good and not so good years. All we can do is act on our ability to give. Have we been a good steward?

Parish financial reporting, or KDSA cash payment total should always be available for review. The accounting process needs to be accurate and transparent. Parishioners should know how their gifts are being utilized. We as parishioners also have a responsibility. We are asked to share our treasure with our parish and Catholic school family. The process works if we all uphold our responsibility.

Please prayerfully contemplate and consider how you as a parishioner are upholding your part of the process.