Request for Proposals to Provide Bookkeeping/Accounting Services to Western Quarterly Meeting
Western Quarterly Meeting is a community of ten (10) Monthly Meetings of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in southern Chester County and northern Delaware. Its office is housed at Kennett Monthly Meeting in Kennett Square, PA. The work of the Quarter is supported by a part-time paid Coordinator and voluntary leadership. Financial matters are overseen by a Treasurer and Finance Committee. Its annual operating budget is approximately $40,000 – 50,000. This figure excludes restricted funds that are distributed.
Description of Current Financial Operations
Western Quarter receives revenues through annual contributions from its 10 Monthly Meetings and various interest-bearing accounts. These accounts include restricted and unrestricted funds, some held by the Quarter and some held by other trusts that provide regular distributions. There is an average of 48 – 50 deposits annually, and these are typically clumped around the beginning and end of fiscal year quarters.
Expenses of the Quarter include personnel, program and general operations. Several expenses routinely occur through ACH transactions; fewer than 50 checks are manually prepared on an annual basis.
Finances are currently managed using both Quickbooks and Excel spreadsheets. There are typically fewer than 50 transactions per quarter.
An annual audit of the Quarter’s finances is provided by a volunteer audit committee.
Scope of Services Desired
- Serve as internal point of contact for all bookkeeping activity, with responsibility for gathering all necessary information from appropriate individuals.
- Work in partnership with Quarter staff and volunteer leadership in carrying out responsibilities.
- Record in Quickbooks all transactions related to accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll (which is processed by a payroll service), expense transactions paid electronically, fiduciary disbursements and market value changes, etc.
- Working primarily with the Treasurer, Coordinator and Assistant Treasurer, develop agreeable system for ensuring payments are made in timely manner, and financial recordation is in good working order.
- Perform monthly reconciliation of bank statements. Immediately notify the Treasurer of any discrepancies, unsubstantiated charges, or any other abnormalities.
- Reconcile all accounts in a timely manner.
- Provide monthly financial statements and related reports.
- Be in the office at least once a month, more when quarterly or end of year reports are due, to ensure prompt handling of financial matters. Exact arrangements to be mutually agreed upon between Treasurer, Coordinator and Bookkeeper.
- Operate all financial activity in Quickbooks (using various classes).
- Prepare checks for the volunteer treasurer to review and execute, if needed.
- Ensure that proper accounting processes are followed, and recommend policy revisions as appropriate.
- Attend occasional meetings as necessary and appropriate to maintain an understanding of the organization’s mission, goals, and bookkeeping needs (i.e. audit meetings, possibly occasional finance meetings or others as requested by the Treasurer).
- Maintain records of all bookkeeping materials at Quarter offices.
It is believed that 3 – 6 hours per month would be sufficient to support current financial operations. We anticipate that the successful firm will require additional hours in the beginning of the engagement to fully understand our operations and current practices, and create a more efficient and effective structure.
Please address proposals to Ariana Langford, Western Quarter Co-Clerk.
All questions and proposals may be submitted via email to the Coordinator: coordinator@westernquarterquakers.org.
Proposals are due by Noon on Friday, April 29, 2016.
Your proposal should include an outline of the services to be provided, costs of such services and a brief summary of relevant credentials and experience. Experience in managing both unrestricted and restricted funds in a nonprofit entity is strongly preferred.
Proposals will be reviewed by a selection committee including the Treasurer, Asst. Treasurer and Co-Clerk. Interested firms may be invited to interview. It is the selection committee’s goal to make a recommendation to the Support Committee for Western Quarterly Meeting at its meeting on May 22, 2016. If a recommendation cannot be made at that time, it will be held over for Quarterly Meeting on July 17, 2016.