MELANIE GESY NEWS
Just Call Her Mel; Accounting for Volunteer Groups
Photo: How Volunteers Manage Accounting Documents Without Mel's Advice
Leduc-Area Volunteers Embrace Many Principles; Just Not Accounting Ones
The Alberta Societies Act stipulates that every non-profit group that has gained society status must maintain strict accounting of their financial dealings. This is to prevent fraud and ensure charitable groups spend money responsibly, to support their causes and not their members.
So What’s the Problem?
Unfortunately, having a group of dedicated, hard-working volunteers doesn’t necessarily mean any of them are good at accounting. People donate their time usually to do charitable work, not to do paperwork. The skill sets present on boards and committees may be impressive, but they do not necessarily involve accounting.
That’s where "Mel" comes in.
As a volunteer herself with the Boys and Girls Club of Leduc, “Mel”, as she likes to be called, truly gets it. With the deep understanding she has accrued for the needs of volunteer groups from her own volunteerism experiences, Mel has made non-profit groups, who add so much to our communities, a priority in her profession. She believes her combination of fair pricing policies and her many years of interaction with charitable groups and associations, makes her perfectly positioned to be a knowledge asset to the organizations that receive her services.
What Motivates Mel?
According to Melanie, it is extremely important for her to be a reliable, helpful resource for non-profit societies in her area. She knows dotting I’s and crossing t’s on behalf of these groups is essential to the organizations being able to apply and qualify for government grants, as well as the important work of keeping board executives safe from financial harm. Mel’s life work helps keep the gears of volunteerism turning in the communities she serves. Every community needs a Mel.