When the volunteer bookkeeper for the Vancouver Pride Society resigned, treasurer Alan Jernigan knew that he had to find a permanent solution. Too many volunteers had come and gone over the years and the books were in no better shape. The bookkeeping solution from BDO enabled the Pride Society to get control of its finances.
The Pride Society was struggling with its bookkeeping. It was getting done but it wasn’t done in a consistent and timely manner that allowed for good financial decision-making.
BDO came on board and, over a period of two months, cleaned up and reworked the data.
Working with Jernigan, BDO spent the time to build a solid foundation of reporting requirements. The new reporting infrastructure was used to support strategic decision-making by the management team and by the board of directors.
BDO also introduced its innovative client portal – a secure, web-based tool that manages financial information. The portal takes away the hassles of paper handling for the Pride Society and allows for off-site backup of materials. The reporting feature of the portal can produce a number of business metrics. Of particular use to the Pride Society are the comparative reports showing current-year and prior-year information. Another report shows details about the corporate memberships, which is a substantial revenue stream for the Pride Society.
The portal, combined with BDO’s team of dedicated bookkeepers, means fast turnaround for the Pride Society. At any given time, the Pride Society can access accurate and complete information about its financial position.
Administrative operations at the Pride Society have improved, and so has the atmosphere at board meetings. Discussions are more constructive and insightful now that the team has a deeper understanding of its finances.
BDO’s involvement brought tangible results to the Pride Society. Jernigan no longer has to deal with headaches like: Has this invoice been paid? Is this event on budget? Do we have the funds to plan future events?
As a result of this partnership with BDO, the Pride Society now has a consistent and reliable way of managing its finances, and a reporting tool that has greatly improved visibility. BDO gives Jernigan the right information to make good decisions. Now Jernigan and his team can get back to making a difference in the community instead of worrying about paperwork.
