Finance Council
Finance Counil Members:
Alan Powell, Brad Hemesath, Jay Jung, Dennis Donovan (Chair), Paul Rottinghaus, Chuck VanGilder, Fr. Tom Heathershaw (Pastor)
Purpose: The finance council has its primary purpose to support the parish participation in the fourfold mission of Jesus Christ to celebrate faith, proclaim the Gospel, build community, and serve the needy. The finance council serves as an advisory body to the pastor and the pastoral council regarding the administration and stewardship of human resources, parish facilities, and parish finances, including the annual budget and long-range financial development. The finance council is a consultative body that enables the parish to live its mission by prudent and lawful stewardship of all resources. The finance council has as its responsibility the obligation of planning, providing for, and supervising the financial affairs and the physical properties of the parish. It is concerned with the budget, stewardship, church support, and the effective utilization and maintenance of the parish plant. The council provides the necessary administrative and financial skills needed to sustain the mission and ongoing development of the parish community. The members of the finance council work in communion with the pastorand the pastoral council of the parish to accomplish the mission of the Church as particulated in the parish mission statement. The finance council assists the pastor in the appropriate administration and stewardship of parish facilities, finances, and personnel for the purpose of supporting the parish and of furthering its mission.
Membership:
1. Parishioners who are knowledgeable of and interested in the field of administration and finance are ideal candidates for membership on the council, such as successful business persons and farmers, lawyers, accountants, bookkeepers, and individuals knowledgeable in fund-raising, financial planning, building maintenance, human resources, stewardship, and construction.
2. Three to seven members appointed by the pastor constitute the membership of the finance council.
3. The term appointed is three years. Members serve at the discretion of the pastor, but no member shall serve more than two terms consecutively. Appointments should be staggered to provide for continuity on the finance council.
4. The officers of the finance council are the chair, the vice-chair, and the secretary. Officers are elected annually. The chair is an ex officion voting member of the pastoral council.
5. The finance council may establish task forces or committees to assist with the business of the finance council (bduget, buildings and grounds, human resrouces, project committees). Given the nature of the matters handled by the finance council, it may often be desirable to have long-term continuity of involvement by certain individuals who possess the skills and intimate understanding of the business and/or financial affairs of the parish. Accordingly, former finance council members are eligible to serve on task forces and committees established by the finance council.
Functions:
1. To develop policies and procedural recommendations which exercise financial stewardship and ensure that the financial policies and procedures of the parish are in accord with civil and canon law, Archiocesan policies, and the Internal Control Guidelines of the Archdiocese.
2. To research, prepare, and submit to the pastoral council an annual budget, ensuring that financial resources and goals are compatible, based on stewardship and the parish mission.
3. To collaborate with local and/or regional boards of education and formation in the development of the education budget in accord with th Archdiocesan Catholic School Board and Archdiocesan Faith Formation Commission policies and procedures.
4. To provide the pastoral council monthly or quarterly reports on the financial condition of the parish, including the results of operations in comparison to the budget, and to make recommendations as needed.
5. To verify that required financial reports are prepared and submitted to the Archdiocese.
6. To provide to the parish a printed financial report at least annually and highlight salient points of this report by an oral summary ot the congregation as needed.
7. To develop and recommend parish personnel policies including employment agreements and salary/benefits packages.
8. To assist in establishing effective means means of raising of funds neeeded to attain the goals of the parish.
9. To develop local procedures for handling and coordinating all fundraising not part of the regular parish budget.
10. To make recommendations, jointly with the stewardship committee, regarding the increase of revenues and the stewardship of resources.
11. To prpose a long-range plan for capital expenditures which is aligned with the parish mission.
12. To propose a long-term plan for risk management and preventive maintenance of all parish properties.
13. To periodically inspect all parish properties in order to ensure that more immediate necessary repairs and imporvements are included and completed.
14. To maintain and present to the pastoral council a priority checklist and timetable for major repairs, renovations, and construction.
Qualities/Expectations of Appointed Members:
1. Be registered Catholic parishioners.
2. Possess integrity and maintain confidentiality.
3. View membership as a minstry of service without any vested or reciprocal interest.
4. Possess a working knowledge of at least one of the following: financial affairs, building maintenance, construction, law, insurance, human resources, fundraising, marketing, or stewarship.
5. Have a clear understanding of parish mission.
6. Have the ability to be collaborative.
7. Attend meetings regularly and complete tasks as assigned.
Procedures:
1. The finance council holds regular meetings and convenes for work sessions as needed. A simple majority of the finance council shall constitue a quorum. The presence of the pastor is required at regular meetings to hear the discussion and understand the recommendations of the finance council.
2. Minutes of all meetings are to be properly recorded and duly maintained in the parish archives.
3. Recommendations will normally be determined by consensus, except when a formal vote is necessary.