Working Together to Achieve Your Mission

An article from CEO and founder Jacqueline M. Tiso:

One of my favorite things is having the time to have face-to-face meetings with clients, spending time to hear how they are doing, what is working (or not working) in their non-profit office, and seeing what we can do to help.  When I first started JMT, I was in front of clients everyday and had the privilege of knowing every client personally.  As JMT has grown, as you can probably imagine, I am not able to spend as much time as I would like with our clients and that is unfortunate.  But I still make a point of doing so as much as I can and I am always so glad when I do.

While we survey our clients, there is nothing like a face-to-face meeting.  My goal in most meetings is a simple one…is JMT living up to our non-profit client’s expectations and delivering service at the high level we strive for.  Most of the time I am proud to say the answer is a resounding “yes”, rarely do I hear a “no”.  But those “no” responses are exactly why I am there.  In order for any firm to be the best it can be, we need to have honest, constructive feedback and performance indicators on how we are doing, and that is as true for JMT as for any other firm, including non-profits.

If you are unfamiliar with non-profits, you might wonder how this translates.  Funders and contributors want to ensure that their funds are being used effectively.   Every organization needs to be able to demonstrate the positive impact it is having through the delivery of its services (its performance indicators).  Often, this is not even optional, but a matter of funding compliance.  The better an organization is in capturing and reporting on its impact, the more successful an organization will be in capturing funding or getting repeat funding.  The more successful it is in capturing funds, the more successful it will be in achieving its mission.

Non-profits know this and it seems most of my conversations with clients lately are about measurement and assessment tools.  The importance of this topic has been further reinforced recently by the number of attendees to our grant management webinars, which continue to grow.  The ability to automate this process has been a long time coming, but it is here now and those non-profits who are unable to easily measure and report on the positive impact of their programs may find themselves behind the eight ball when it comes to funding. Today it is about accountability and measurable effectiveness.

Maximize Your Funding: Increase Your Organization’s Financial Health with Sage Grant Management

Due to popular demand we’ve added an additional session on April 14!

Ditch the spreadsheets and move into a streamlined, collaborative, and secure solution while providing transparency and seamless reporting with Sage Grant Management.

If you are the Finance Director, Grant Manager, Executive Director or Program Manager – don’t miss another grant opportunity due to antiquated systems.

Why Sage Grant Management?

• Strengthen your organization’s financial health by increasing grant funding and proactively managing the grants in process
• Easily keep track of all projects, programs, grants and contacts through an integrated relationship-based system, eliminating the errors and inefficiencies of disparate manual systems and spreadsheets
• Collaborate with other associates to build better grant applications, keep track of deadlines, create budgets and better manage the grant pipeline
• Track success measures in a sustainable and credible way so that funders see your true impact, which will also help to maximize your organization’s funding potential

Please join us for this exciting and complimentary webcast that we’ll present on:

April 14, 2011 from 3:00 – 4:00e – registration information here.

Reporting Remedies for Community Healthcare Organizations

Healthcare is in the spotlight and with new opportunities come a variety of new responsibilities.  Do any of the following reflect what is going on with your nonprofit community healthcare organization:

• Are you a Federally Qualified Community Health Center or in the process of becoming one?
• Do you rely heavily on manual processes such as spreadsheets for financial reporting?
• Would you like to simplify the production of UDS Reports, Section 330 Grant Reports, Medicaid and Medicare Cost Reports?
• Do you have ARRA or stimulus funds that you must produce reports for?
• Have you or will you soon complete EHR/EMR conversion and will want to integrate these systems with your General Ledger?
• Have you outgrown Quickbooks or Peachtree and are looking for better grant reporting and a higher degree of automation of allocations, cost categorization and reporting?

If you’ve answered “yes” to any of the above questions and your productivity is dragging under the weight of the reporting, we may have relief.  Please join us at our upcoming webinar:  Reporting Remedies for Community Healthcare Organizations

April 21 click here

May 19 click here

During this webcast we will cover:

• Identifying the right financial management system for your CHC
• Automating the production of FQHC-required financial reports
• Integrating your EHR/EMR systems with your General Ledger

This is a free event and hosted by us, so if you are the Finance Director, Executive Director, Controller or Audit Committee Board Member of a grant-funded healthcare organization, you are cordially invited to attend.

Registration information here or contact Noelle Hasser at nhasser@jmtconsulting.com or call 888-368-2463.

Do You Know Where You Are Making an Impact?

JMT Consulting Group’s CEO Jacqueline M. Tiso sent this thought-provoking article today following a conference session she attended.  She is a frequent speaker and writer on technology, accounting, best practices and nonprofits.  If you would like to have her speak to your group please contact lmurphy@jmtconsulting.com

As I only work with non-profits, whenever I attend any type of business or professional development event for business, even though it may be directed at the attendees of for-profit businesses, I always find myself turning around what I am hearing to also think about how it might apply relative to the non-profit organization.

I recently attended a seminar on marketing and the need to understand your clients and one of the topics was the concept of determining who you want to do business with.  This struck me forcefully as the average non-profit doesn’t have the right of saying who you do or do not want to work with.

The nature of a non-profit is that you are delivering a needed and vital service that isn’t about any individual being the “type” you want to work with.  But…let’s think outside the box and ask the question anyway because it is relevant.

Are there those in your constituency that you would determine you should not do business with?   This question will certainly raise a lot of eyebrows, but it is really not about the who, but rather about the what.

What are the most impactful programs your organization is delivering?

I find one of our client’s greatest challenges is being able to answer this question with real ongoing, trend data. We work with our clients to determine what are the specific, defined metrics and outcome measurements.  And then look at how to utilize the back-office tools they use to measure and report on them so they have the information needed for their strategic decision making.

Understanding the best use of your vital, and possibly limited, funds is imperative and every program’s results should be quantified.

If you’re using one of the many fund accounting solutions out there and only generating financial statements with it, find out about its statistical reporting functionality (or if it even has this functionality).  Understanding the best use of your vital, and possibly limited, funds is imperative and both financial and statistical metrics on every program must be quantified for the ongoing success of your organization and who you serve.

Contact us cam@jmtconsulting.com to learn how.

Expense Management Seminar – NYC March 30

We’re going into the City to host a seminar on Expense Management highlighting RestEasy Expense.  We use RestEasy Expense internally for expense report reimbursement – it’s web-based and very easy to use.

If you are on a trip, you can take a photo of your receipts with a smart phone save it to your expense report (just like attaching a word doc or spreadsheet to an email), fill out a few lines of expense description, click on the correct expense type from a drop down menu and click a button to send it off.  Having spent years doing expense reports manually – printing out online receipts, taping paper receipts to a piece of paper, filling out a spreadsheet template, looking up GL codes – believe me RestEasy Expense is simply wonderful to use.

Expense reimbursement is where a lot of organizations lose time and money.  Automating the function can save a tremendous amount of time and money for your nonprofit.

RestEasy Expense Seminar

• When:  Wednesday, March 30, 2011
• Time:  9:45 – 11:30am (a light breakfast will be served)
• Where:  Support Center for Nonprofit Management, 305 Seventh Ave., 11^th Floor Conference Room
• Cost:  Free

If you’re interested in attending, please let one of our Customer Account Reps know – either email at cam@jmtconsulting.com or call (888) 368-2463.

p.s. RestEasy is new to Twitter so give them a follow @RestEasyExpMgt and if you’re not follow JMT on twitter, please do: @jmtconsulting

130+13+7+7+2+1 = One Great Experience INNOVATE 2011

“INNOVATE 2010 was a great experience and I learned a lot.  It was my first time attending and I’m looking forward to coming next year.”  Alyssa Mulllen, RCAP Solutions

Join roughly 130 professionals from a variety of nonprofit organizations who are part of the JMT family for INNOVATE 2011.  In the past we’ve typically had between 100 and 150 committed nonprofit professionals attend INNOVATE to learn more about Sage Fund Accounting, Sage Fundraising 50, complementary solutions and technology.  It’s also a wonderful opportunity to learn from one another.

Choose from 13 different sessions on Sage Fund Accounting, including Financial Formats, Reporting, Cost Allocations, Data Imports, Payroll Processing and more.

There will be an entire track dedicated to Sage Fundraising 50 on both days with a total of 7 sessions.

We have 7 spotlight sessions on some solutions that have impressed us and open the door on exciting new opportunities for nonprofits to achieve their mission.

Back by popular demand, our computer lab will be open for 2 full days to give you an opportunity to meet 1:1 with our consultants.

All of this under 1 welcoming roof of Mohegan Sun hotel and casino which features shopping, restaurants and entertainment.

Early bird registration ends March 28, so please register now.  We hope to see you there!

“JMT Consulting Group is a valuable partner for us at the Central Wyoming College Foundation.  The opportunities for support and training are easily accessible and (most importantly) cost effective.  This is the 5^th INNOVATE conference I’ve attended and I always come away with new ideas and knowledge to improve my workflow and efficiency.  This year when we went to our board for permission and funds to attend, we had already decided to offer to pay a portion of our cost of attendance due to the current budget constraints.  Our board was impressed that we were that committed to attendance and the quality of training.  Thank you for another solid learning experience.”  Lynette Jeffres, Central Wyoming College Foundation

Easing the Reporting Process for Head Start Organizations

These are uncertain times for Head Start organizations.  Whether funding becomes available or proposed budget cuts take place, you’ll want to make sure that you have the systems in place to best protect your funding and continue to support early childhood education and health.

Is your Head Start organization challenged with any of the problems listed below:

• As you prepare for the next quarterly ARRA report, besides completing the report, are there long hours ahead of you to collect the needed information for the report?
• Once you finish with the quarterly reports, are facing you GABI report?
• Are you struggling for a way to track Federal share and Non-Federal share?
• Once that’s complete, are you trying to unravel allocation of labor costs across departments, cost centers and other areas of the organization?

If your accounting system is not providing you with the data you need to complete the reporting, it may be time to look for a new system.  If you are overwhelmed with spread sheets (manual, time-consuming and prone to error), there are better tools that can assist you with your accounting.

Join us on April 21 at 11:00e for a free, online webcast “Easing the Reporting Process for Head Start Organizations.”  Register here.

A repeat session will be held May 19 at 11:00e.  Register here.

For information on the sessions or if you have difficulty registering contact nhasser@jmtconsulting.com .

 

 

INNOVATE 2011 is Right Around the Corner

We’re busy getting ready for INNOVATE 2011 – working with the hotel, updating the website, pulling together four tracks worth of sessions to make this a great conference.

INNOVATE 2011 is for nonprofits using Sage Fund Accounting and Sage FR 50.  We hold the conference twice a year in the spring and the fall.  Coming up in April the conference will be hosted at Mohegan Sun – a popular location and a site we’ve used in the past.  In the fall, we will be hosting the conference in Las Vegas.

We’re ready to accept your registration and additional information on conference tracks will be added to our website as they are finalized.

We love INNOVATE mostly because we get to see you in person and renew friendship, but we also enjoy bringing information that will make you more effective in managing your nonprofit.  In addition to a variety of subject matter, we will have a variety of learning formats both presentation and hands on labs.  You may want to think about bringing your laptop and so that you may review and learn with your own set up and data.

We hope to see you there!

“INNOVATE is the best seminar ever! The training is excellent and very informational. I like the instructors, their knowledge is great. The lab one-on-one time is the best. This really helps! Thank you so much!”
-Codelia Young, Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers

Things to do in Chicago

Here are some fun things to do in Chicago…and yes I snuck in a couple events that JMT will be hosting in Chicago this month.  Where are your favorite places to go and your favorite restaurants and activities to enjoy in the Windy City?

Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo is a world class zoological institution located in Chicago’s historic Lincoln Park district. Founded in 1868, the zoo is rich with architectural treasures as well as award-winning progressively designed animal habitats. A conservation haven nestled in the heart of Chicago, the zoo operates one of the country’s largest zoo-based conservation and science programs. Committed to saving species locally and globally the zoo employs highly specialized experts in veterinary medicine, landscape ecology, cognitive and behavioral research, endocrinology, epidemiology and population biology. The not-for-profit Lincoln Park Zoo attracts an estimated 3 million visitors per year and is one of America’s last remaining free admission zoos.

The Black Ensemble Theater

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater is to eradicate racism and its damaging effects upon our society through the utilization of theater arts. BE achieves its mission through productions and programs that perpetuate the history of the African American people, while reaching out to a cross-cultural audience and serving disenfranchised communities.

The Black Ensemble Theater’s theatrical productions and educational outreach programs have been featured in the New York Times, The New York Post, Crain’s Chicago Business, Jet and Ebony, just to name a few. Some of our most popular productions include “The Jackie Wilson Story”, “The Other Cinderella” and “Don’t Make Me Over: In Tribute to Dionne Warwick”.

1/13/11 JMT Consulting Group Sage MIP Fund Accounting Users Group

If you use Sage MIP Fund Accounting we cordially invite you to an upcoming User Group meeting we’re hosting on Thursday January 13 at the Chicago Hilton Garden Inn Downtown.

We will be looking at administrative functions and reporting tips that will help you prepare for your audit. We will be sharing a lot of helpful information about the software that you can benefit from but this is also an opportunity to grow your network and meet others who are putting the power of Sage MIP Fund Accounting to work for their nonprofit.

To register click here or contact Lyndsey Murphy, Marketing Coordinator
845.319.7610 lmurphy@jmtconsulting.com

The Children’s Discovery Museum

The mission of the Children’s Discovery Museum is to inspire the love of learning through the power of play.

The Children’s Discovery Museum is a different kind of museum — where touching the exhibits is actually encouraged. The exhibits are designed for kids of any age to touch, climb on, climb into, and even take apart and put back together. It’s a liberty kids are seldom afforded in a museum — or anywhere else!

1/13/11 A CFO’s Guide to Nonprofit Financials

Join us at Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush for lunch and a discussion on knowing when your organization is ready to change financial systems.  We’ll discuss how to determine the ROI of any system change, whether or not your current system is the cause of inefficiencies, what options are there for a nonprofit interested in hosting system in the cloud environment, and much more.

To register: Email nhasser@jmtconsulting.com or call 888.368.2463.

Victory Gardens Theater

From its founding in 1974 through the present day, Victory Gardens Theater has dedicated itself to playwrights and their works as well as emphasizing the development of an ethnically and culturally diverse community of artists. Recipient of the 2001 Tony Award® for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Victory Gardens continues to expand on its new works initiative through its 14-member Playwrights Ensemble, as well as work from playwrights who are changing theater in the United States and abroad. Victory Gardens has produced more world premieres than any other Chicago theater.

Charter Schools Financial Reporting: It’s Time to Graduate from Spreadsheets

Charter Schools have many challenges in the course of the academic year; worrying about audits and grant reporting shouldn’t be one of them.  But if your school relies on spreadsheets to manage grants, or information must be consolidated from multiple school locations, there is a large margin for error – errors that, if severe enough, could lead to a costly audit or worse a loss of funds.

Charter Schools need an accounting solution that can handle the reporting requirements of state and federal funds that it receives.  In addition, your Charter School may receive a variety of grants that come with their own set of reporting requirements.  If you are a start up, you may be taking advantage of a Charter School Program (CSP) Grant.  Other grants or sources of funding may include Special Education Grants to States, E-Rate, Impact Aid and Title 1 Grants to LEAs.

Given the number and complexity of reporting on all funds is why we caution Charter Schools that the selection of accounting software is one of the most crucial decisions your management team will make.  We offer a portfolio of leading accounting software solutions so that our clients won’t be shoe-horned into a system that doesn’t fit all of your needs.  Some Charter Schools may be better served by cloud-based computing, others may want a hosted solution, or it may make more sense to go with an on premise solution.

Further, we can help you find easily integrated complementary solutions such as fundraising, donor management, and fixed assets to name just a few.

We’d be happy to help you in your selection process.