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Financial Management Workshops
NCEA's Catholic School Financial Management program was launched in 1999. To date there have been more than 50 workshops in 40 dioceses.
This program:
Ten workshop topics, 1/2 day each, are offered. A host diocese chooses two topics for a day-long workshop.
Workshop Descriptions
INTRODUCTION TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL FINANCE MANAGEMENT
This workshop is designed for diocesan leaders, principals, pastors, school board members and business managers. This introductory session provides step by step information on the budget process, trend analysis, the central place of the mission of Catholic schools in the budgeting process, forecasting, benchmarking and tuition models, and includes national and regional data about Catholic schools for comparison purposes. Participants are asked to bring their school budget and a calculator.
BEYOND BINGO: LAUNCHING, MAINTAINING & GROWING A DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Is a development program really necessary for our school? Can we afford one? Can we afford not to have one? This workshop is designed to help Catholic elementary schools understand the steps needed to establish or strengthen a development program. Key concepts addressed include: major components of successful development, place of the case statement, connection between PR/marketing efforts with development, introduction to grant-writing, a look at national and regional data on development activity in Catholic schools and a review of the roles and relationships among the players.
BUILDING A STRONG OPERATING BUDGET
This hands-on unit focuses on recognizing and implementing the steps in the budgeting process. Participants will learn how to identify basic data requirements for budgeting, use special schedules, effectively use a chart of accounts, and understand special budgeting situations. Some of the steps in budgeting highlighted include: establishing a budget format, assembling basic data, and filling out budget forms.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL VIABILITY AND BENCHMARKING
What makes some Catholic schools effective and successful? This workshop looks at school viability, sustainability and benchmarks of effectiveness, with the understanding that financial stability is only part of the discussion. Included are suggestions for determining the criteria appropriate to the schools in your diocese. NCEA's template for viability will be used.
DEVELOPING AND USING CASH FLOW BUDGETS
Several facets of a cash flow budget will be presented in this unit. Participants will learn the difference between an operating budget and a cash flow budget. Methods of developing a cash flow budget will be presented along with how to handle special cases in cash budgeting. Participants will also understand the difference between revenues, receipts, expenses and disbursements.
DEVELOPING AND USING A CAPITAL BUDGET
This unit begins with a look at the balance sheet and the distinction between assets and liabilities. This hands-on workshop will then focus on different types of assets, knowing when and why a purchase is considered a capital outlay and how depreciation is reported. Participants will also learn how to plan for capital outlays and identify various methods of paying for capital items.
ESSENTIAL BUSINESS PRACTICES
The Essential Business Practices workshop will alert participants to better understand the prevalence of crime against the Church along with identifying keys to fraud, how to spot it, and ways to prevent it. Other topics covered include common pitfalls, rules for sound business practices in Catholic schools, the components of an Employee Code of Conduct and reviewing cash management practices.
IN-DEPTH LOOK AT STRATEGIC PLANNING
In order to achieve a goal, there must be a plan of attack. This unit will focus on the 10 steps necessary in the strategic planning process and the components of the plan. Planning steps include forming a planning committee, examining the importance of mission, identifying the non-negotiables and types of essential data needed. Strategic planning committee members will also learn what a needs assessment entails, how to prepare a rough draft, forecast the next course of action and how to use the resources available.
PLANNING AND ENHANCING A MARKETING STRATEGY
Marketing is becoming an increasingly important tool in planning for the future viability and success of Catholic schools. This workshop will define marketing, and differentiate it from related disciplines such as public relations, advertising, promotion and sales. In addition, the following marketing components will be addressed: research, internal marketing audit, identification of marketing projects, setting marketing objectives, targeting, selecting marketing strategies, creating promotional tools, making internal adjustments, and evaluation/recycling. Participants will leave with the tools for developing and implementing a comprehensive marketing plan for their school.
READING AND UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND RATIOS
There is an abundance of information to interpret when reading a financial statement. This unit will review the fundamentals of cash management and cash flow, highlight the meaning of liquidity and solvency and present the fundamentals of managing for cash receipts and disbursements. Within this unit, the participants will also learn the basics of investing cash and understand what is meant by float and lockbox systems.
Corporate Sponsors:
We thank our corporate sponsors for underwriting these workshops. They include:
Christian Brothers Investment Services, Inc.
FACTS Management Company
Forrest T. Jones Company, Inc.
Mutual of America
SMART Tuition Management Services
Contact Information:
For more information or to discuss scheduling a Financial Management Workshop contact the CACE department at cace@ncea.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Q: How much does an all-day NCEA Finance Workshop cost?
A: Underwriter support enables NCEA to offer an all-day workshop at a reasonable rate ($1000) plus travel expenses. But if cost is a concern, we will work with the diocese to make this program affordable.
Q: How long is the workshop?
A: Each workshop topic takes approximately 2-3 hours so two units make a full day.
Q: Will this workshop be tailored to our local situation?
A: Every effort is made to familiarize ourselves with local policies and practices. Each diocese is asked to complete a series of checklists about the diocese and that information helps us to customize the program.
Q: Is this program suitable for our Catholic secondary schools?
A: It is aimed at Catholic elementary schools, but we always seem to have secondary school level participants who tell us that the program was just as helpful for their situation.
Q: Is there a minimum or maximum size audience?
A: The smallest group we’ve had was about 40; largest was 140+. The program is not intended for an individual school. We encourage diocesan leaders to invite a team from all of their schools including the pastor, principal, school board chairperson, & business manager / accountant.
Q: What is the format used?
A: We use a PowerPoint presentation coupled with small group work so that school teams have the opportunity to compare their local situation with what is presented and review data presented in light of their school budget.
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National Catholic Educational Association
