Wegner CPAs Has The Answers Charities Need

Wegner CPAs’ Scott Haumersen, NANOE Treasurer and Board Member, is a CHAMPION FOR CHANGE throughout the charitable sector. Haumersen serves the our sector by both overseeing NANOE’s finances and expanding Wegner CPAs’ services to nonprofit’s across the United States. He’s fond of saying, “NANOE has the answer’s charities need!”

Here’s a word from Scott:

Wegner CPAs is about people – our clients, our employees, our community. Our professionals guide individuals, businesses and nonprofits with personal service, education, and knowledge. We listen, research, advise, and implement solutions to guide them on a path to succeed in today’s complex economic environment. For 70 years, our passion, dedication, and commitment to serving non-profits has never been stronger. From managing financial risk to improving performance and operational effectiveness, we provide non-profits with the information they need to achieve their mission. Our determination to provide them with the best guidance available helps them overcome the challenges they face and presents them with opportunities.

Uncompromising Service

The single most important factor in our firm’s success over the past 70 years has been our uncompromising commitment to the highest standards of quality and professionalism. Providing quality service to our clients is our primary objective. We have developed review procedures and communications that ensure the highest standards of performance. Our clients receive far more than an auditor’s report.

• We are trained to evaluate internal controls and the adequacy of accounting records.
• Our professionals are skilled in developing suggestions for improving the efficiency and usefulness of client accounting and financial reporting activities.
• Our audit engagements include an exit conference with management, a management letter with recommendations for improvement, and a presentation to the organization’s Finance Committee and/or Board of Directors.
• Our management letters focus primarily on internal control issues and other organizational processes.
• We believe that tax-exempt organizations should operate in many ways like commercial businesses to survive and prosper in a competitive environment.
• We strive to help our clients understand that financial reporting systems should be developed to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of operations, and focus on meeting the needs of those who use and rely on financial information.
• We assist our clients with various projects that include developing and refining cost allocation plans, cash projection models, and complying with Federal regulations.
Our experts understand the IRS Form 990 is the face of a nonprofit organization and filing it is not just a requirement, but an opportunity to showcase the organization. The Form 990 needs to be prepared accurately and filed on time to avoid stiff penalties – including possible loss of state registration and tax-exempt status. In addition, a poorly prepared Form 990 can result in a weakened public image and crippling loss of donations, grants, and membership. While helping submit 990s that are both free of errors and show that the organization is professionally operated, some of the key benefits are:
• Keeping clients informed about all relevant deadlines.
• Monitoring state requirements and the need for additional filings to make sure nothing gets missed.
• Access to best-practice policies and procedures.
• Advising organizations on how to use the Form 990 as a marketing tool for showcasing achievement.
• Improving ratings on websites like Charity Navigator and GuideStar.

Specialized Training and Resources

Guiding you. Beyond the Numbers™ is what we live by. We have developed trainings for all levels of the non-profit community from Fundamentals of Nonprofit Accounting to CNAP Pro. We host the Wegner CPAs Non-Profit Roundtable which is offered via live stream and in person. These seminars provide non-profit executive directors, finance directors and other administrative staff the opportunity to learn about new regulations, ideas and systems to better manage their organizations. Additionally, the Roundtables provide opportunities to network with colleagues from similar organizations and share success stories. Past Roundtable topics include “Developing Roles of Board Members,” “How your Internal Controls Can Prevent Fraud,” “Update on Accounting and Auditing Standards,” “Fundraising – Taking the Fear Out,” and “Governance of Non-Profit Organizations under Sarbanes-Oxley.”

Our experts provide technical training on various subjects by offering free seminars such as “How to Prepare for an Audit”, “Financial Responsibilities of Board Members,” “How to Read and Understand Nonprofit Financial Statements,” and “How to Develop and Maintain Investment Policies” to our clients and other organizations. We have found these seminars to be an effective way to educate our clients and help them cultivate relationships with their support sources. We also provide free Board training seminars to help Boards become more knowledgeable about their responsibilities for governance. These are listed on our website.

We have created an extensive resource section specifically for non-profits on the Wegner CPAs’ website. There are useful links to internal and external documents to make research easier for the non-profit community and help organizations stay current on various subjects of interest.

Not only are we committed to educating the non-profit organizations, but we are committed to educating our staff. Wegner CPAs strongly believes in training and educating our staff on issues faced by tax-exempt and for-profit organizations, as well as updates to our professional standards. While we are required to have 40 hours of continuing education, we consistently strive for at least 60 hours for each member of our assurance department. We attend the AICPA Not-for-Profit Conferences as well as national conferences provided by Nonprofit CPAs, a nationwide affiliation of independently owned accounting firms committed to delivering exceptional financial and consulting services to nonprofit organizations, of which we are the exclusive regional members. Each year we bring in nationally known educators on non-profit issues to provide in-house training to all our audit staff.

Commitment to Community

Last, but definitely not least, is our dedication to our community and the nonprofits in which we serve. Wegner CPAs’ dedication to the community is demonstrated throughout the firm on a daily basis. The firm’s core values are aligned with our commitment to community and embraced by staff. We truly “walk the talk!” In addition to providing outstanding accounting and consulting services to these organizations, a large number of staff members donate their time volunteering and/or serving as a board member. Their dedication to our community is astounding, and our employees have donated hundreds of hours of volunteer time at company-sponsored events, client events, and other organizations in the area. Because of our strong reputation as a firm that gives back to the community, Wegner CPAs is able to recruit talent who have the same commitment. It is often stated in interviews that Wegner CPAs’ community involvement is one of the top reasons a candidate is interested in working for the firm.

To learn more about the solutions we can provide for your nonprofit organization, please contact Scott Haumersen, CPA, CGMA, Partner at 608-442-1925 or [email protected].