Jacqueline M. Tiso to Speak at South Carolina Conference for Community Action Programs and Head Start Organizations

Jacqueline M. Tiso, JMT Consulting Group’s CEO and founder is going to be speaking at the SC Community Action Partnership and SC State Head Start Association 2011 Annual Spring Training Conference, April 18 – 21, 2011.   The event takes place at the Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort and Spa located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The presentation “A CFO’s Guide to Reporting Technology” is designed to help the financial leaders of Community Action Programs and Head Start organizations learn how to leverage technology for better and more efficient reporting, which prevents delinquency and loss of funding as well as empowering the organization to make more effective decisions in program spending and management.  Additionally, when armed with better reporting, finance director are able to focus on the more strategic aspects of operations that are critical to meeting the organization’s mission.

Dozens of Community Action Programs and Head Start organizations have turned to JMT Consulting Group to serve as their technology partner.  We also host a monthly webcast dedicated to Head Start organizations.

Lightning Strikes for Mental Health Association of Connecticut and JMT Consulting

You could say that symbolically it was a case of lightning striking – Mental Health Association of Connecticut (MHAC) finding the perfect fund accounting solution and a great solution provider in JMT Consulting.  But it was also, literally, a case of lightning striking.

“We had purchased the software, installed it, tested it and were planning to go live on a Monday,” recalls Robert Mercado, Chief Financial Officer for MHAC.  “Over the weekend there were thunderstorms and lightning struck our server.  Our JMT consultant came in on Monday and rather than helping us go live, assisted us with setting up a new server and running the back up.  We were back in business in one day.”

MHAC is a statewide not-for-profit agency that provides direct services to adults with severe and persistent mental illness, presents workshops about mental health, and mounts reform efforts to help shape state policies and laws.  MHAC has been working for over 100 years to bring about effective treatments, enlightened ideas, and a just system of care so that people recovering their mental health can get back to happy and productive lives in the community.  Their services include recovery from mental illness, residential care, supported employment, independence center, information and referral and state wide support groups.

“Being able to report on 25 different programs in a timely and accurate manner ties directly to having a good fund accounting program,” notes Mercado.  “We chose Sage MIP Fund Accounting because of the ease and flexibility in setting up the chart of accounts, the rich and easy to use reporting capabilities, and the fact that it was a very cost-effective investment for us.  We see great improvements in the software functionality every year.”

“However, our success with the system is directly tied to the way JMT has worked with us,” says Mercado.  “JMT assisted us in thinking through the chart of accounts as well as setting it up.  They helped us prepare for the future because of the thought put into the design.  We’re able to easily add new programs as they are developed and launched.”  Mercado also credits JMT with helping them develop the reports that would be critical to funding requirements as well as the strategic operations of the organization.

In addition to the work done on the chart of accounts and reporting, Mercado has high praise for JMT’s training services, “They truly made us proficient on the software.  We don’t struggle with the software; we know what we’re doing.  It’s not just an afterthought; they design the training so that you master the software.”

When asked the reason for the long partnership with JMT, Mercado points to the JMT team, “It’s really the people.  The first person I ever met was Jacqueline Tiso the owner, who was wonderful.  The remarkable thing is that every other person I’ve met from the company is equally as committed, knowledgeable and responsive.  It’s really the people that keep the relationship going.”

Province of Mary Capuchin Order Manage Complex Financials with a little help from JMT Consulting and Sage MIP Fund Accounting

The Province of Mary Capuchin Order is a diverse group of Franciscan Priests and Brothers who serve the poor throughout the Northeast.  Funding of the order’s ministries comes through the traditional means of gifts, bequests, donations, parish offerings as well as any W2 income from priests and brothers who work as teachers or nurses.  There are 30 locations or friaries throughout the northeast that serve as community houses for the priests and brothers.

The Province of Mary Capuchin Order serves the poor through a number of ministries: Youth and Family Ministry, Chaplaincy, Education, Health Care Ministry, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Mission Ministry and Outreach Ministry.  In addition to the managing the finances of the ministries and the 30 friaries, Director of Finance David Legare is always looking to gain greater program efficiencies and an ever better handle on the cash flow.  “The growth potential for funding our budgets is limited.  The reality is simply that we will not see great growth year to year,” explains Legare, “we have to make sure that every program is run as efficiently as possible and managing our cash flow is crucial to sound financial analysis.”

In order to do this, Legare utilizes Sage MIP Fund Accounting supported by JMT Consulting.  “We made a decision to invest in the solution and in the expertise JMT offers,” Legare recalls, “and it wasn’t inexpensive.  However the value JMT has brought us has been tremendous.”

“We are not inexperienced when it comes to technology and accounting, we know what we’re doing,” Legare explains.  “The level of expertise that JMT brings to assisting us with our financial system infrastructure helps us take it to another level.  We’ve learned to rely on their input and leverage their expertise, we bring them into the process early, and we’ve developed a deep level of trust in working with them.”

In addition, to implementing the Sage MIP Fund Accounting software, JMT helped the Capuchins by developing a process for uploading financial data into MIP from the Friaries using Quicken.  “This has saved us hours and hours of manual work,” says Legare.

“When working with JMT Consulting, you quickly begin to realize that they are committed to finding the solution for you,” notes Legare with emphasis.  “They cover all the details, take into account the unique aspects of your organization, and develop something that works perfectly for you – rather than opening the box, installing the software with the attitude of ‘we’ll just have to make this work as is’, forcing the organization into a less than perfect fit.”

“We’ve got another big project that we’ll be starting soon that will mean some big changes for us,” shares Legare, “and we’re looking forward to bringing in JMT Consulting and welcome the chance to work with them again.”

VSH Transforming Lives through Permanent Supportive Housing

Virginia Supportive Housing (VSH) is a not-for-profit that transforms lives and communities by providing proven permanent solutions to homelessness.  VSH success rate is over 90 percent and Development Director Heather Orrock attributes that success to the integrated approach VSH offers its constituents.

“We provide permanent supportive housing,” explains Orrock, “which is much more than just finding people a place to live.  Our services include life skills education, mental health support and case management.”

Orrock has been working for three years to increase the numbers of individual donors for VSH.  The fundraising software Orrock uses to manage her efforts is Sage Fundraising 50. “All of our donations are tracked through Sage Fundraising 50,” Orrock says.  “It allows me to view donor history and provides me with the flexibility to tailor communication and outreach to donors based on their preferences. “

One example is providing donors who wish to take advantage of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) tax credit with information on claiming the credit.  She can track requests for information and respond through Sage Fundraising 50.

When Orrock took the position at VSH three years ago, she was pleased to find out that she would be supported on Sage Fundraising 50 by JMT Consulting.  “I had worked with JMT while at another position and I loved working with them.  They are very knowledgeable about the product and have always been responsive.”

Another advantage of using Sage Fundraising 50 that Orrock likes is that it provides institutional knowledge.  “By that I mean we’re preserving information about our donors in a way that will help us now and in the future.  We didn’t have that kind of history before.  It will allow us to communicate and work with our donors based on their activities and their preferences.”

Orrock has high praise for JMT’s annual conference Innovate, “I’ve attended a couple, the most recent in Boston and I look forward to going again next year if possible.”

“It is a great compliment to know that our customers enjoy working with us and they are delighted to have multiple opportunities to do so,” comments JMT Consulting’s CEO Jacqueline Tiso, “and it’s very fulfilling to help an organization like Virginia Supportive Housing because they have such a powerful positive and lasting impact on people’s lives.”