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                          TO:   All Interested Onliners                                                                                                 FROM: Jim Bramer. Retired Auditor-CPA
                                                                                                                                                                               FILE:  0930-05/fwi

                           RE:  eExchequer Services and/or Online Accounting                                                 Originated in November 2005                                            

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Today's "Ax to Grind"   

        Again, I have a "Bee in my vocational Bonnet" as I share about my vocational passion re helping applicable smaller Christian Ministries (SmallMins are defined as handling less that $500,000 a year) and Christian Believers (BLVRs).  I trust I can convince you that a  "eExchequer Services and/or an Online Accounting Ministry"  would be extremely helpful to them. Click here for more info about the term "Exchequer."

    Let me set the stage, first ---

    When you Click Here and read my bio you can better understand my desire for Smaller Christian Ministries/Christian Believers (BLVRs)  to be the very best steward of their financial resources. This especially includes Internet Friendly matters as we effectively use the Computers/Internet for applicable enablement resources/tools.  Please note that a portion of our purpose for www.bcidot.org  as Ministry Finance Helpers includes the following:

    To help with the appropriate use of Computer systems by Christian Ministries as they do Ministry Fund Accounting.  Our foundational Online Document on this topic is found at  0041 .  We have closely followed Intuit's QuickBooks (QB) software product since its beginning and believe it is a tremendous tool in doing Ministry Fund Accounting. If this is of interest to you, please go to  0601  and read our foundational QB Online Document on this topic.   Plus we want to contribute to BLVRs using the Computer/Internet in order to do meaningful personal financial record keeping, etc.

    What is this proposed "eExchequer Services" endeavor ?

      This involves the use of  "Web Based  or  Online Apps"  resources/tools to do accounting and financial reporting via what I call  Internet Financial Services. This thrust centers around what I discuss in my April 2000 editorial found at  0904   where we then used the term "Application Service Providers - ASP."   I trust the content of  0934  is also of interest to you.  
       Since the year 2000 such "Online Apps" systems have greatly matured and become more and more acceptable as they provide meaningful and secure software applications for use over the Internet for very reasonable monthly fees.  Or as you use today's fast Internet connections, there is no need for you to purchase software and place it on your hard drive for use on your desktop. You simply log on to the provider's secure web site and your Internet browser allows you to use the software virtually as if you were doing this via any Desktop software.  And even more importantly, the user does not have to be concerned about such things as:

    A>  Secure data storage of your data content or system - no backups,
    B>  Hardware compatibility,
    C>  Upgrades, updates, or viruses.
    D>  Secure data is available 24/7 and is accessible from different locations by any number of authorized persons.
    E>   Such a remote relationship can take the hassle out of owning/using fund accounting software.
    F>   Part of the monthly  'package'  is that users are trained by computer experts

    Please get further current "Web Based or Online Apps"  perspective by digesting the contents found below when you  Click Here.

    Why would "eExchequer Services"  be particularly helpful to Smaller Ministries ?(4)

    These   "eExchequer Services"  would serve smaller Christian not-for-profit entities such as Churches, Mission Organizations, Private Schools and Camps/Conference or any such endeavor. Please  Click Here  for a new website beginning in July 2006  that speaks to some of these matters.  Brads Net of Bees  might also be of interest - especially when you  Click Here.   I am convinced that "eExchequer Services" could be extremely helpful to such SmallMins  for at least the following reasons.

    01>  Assist in timely providing relevant/essential financial facts to Small Ministry decision makers.  I trust the content of  0935  is helpful. 
    02>  Provide help in the leverage and use of available internet/computers tools for such purposes.
    03>  Could Improve structure and management of designated and/or Special Purpose Funds etc
    04>  Provide training (preferable remotely online) so such Ministries can be effective fiscal stewards
    05>  Provide help to insure compliance with the requirements of various government entities
    06>  Provide help compliance with various "according to hoyle" Ministry accounting matters;  even beyond the needed GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) issues; examples include establishing and management of finance policies and Financial Internal Controls
    07>  Assist such Ministries to be more auditable, maybe even provide remote "Assurors" who can function like Internal Auditors
    08>  Be a source of providing assistance as they learn to focus on MIFI (Most Important Financial Items) matters
    09>  Be a source for Ministry Staffers to get answers to unusual fiscal situations that come their way, etc. Much of this could be done via a meaningful  "Online Forum"  that could also provide a means of fellowship and inter-personal communications.  Please  Click Here  for access to an example.

    Other issues that this "eExchequer Services"  would address include the following:

    A>   Board members of smaller Christian Ministries often are not as business/fiscal savvy as some and often the Ministry has a  "Mom and Pop"  demeanor.
    B>   The Ministry's Chief Executive (often the "Mover/Shaker.", or even the founder of the Ministry) usually does not have a business-man's experiences or perspective.
    C>   The finance transaction processor (often a volunteer Bookkeeper or Treasurer) might not be that experienced with Ministry Finances in general, but especially the nuances of handling the Ministry's designated monies.  See  0041  for details about such matters.
    D>   Often none of the Ministry leadership has computer expertise and therefore do not use such worthwhile and valuable tools to their full capacity, etc.

    Why would "eExchequer Services" also be helpful to Christian Believers (BLVRs) or families ?(3)

    Some Christian Believers (BLVRs) and families do NOT do well knowing if they have money to spend following their advance planning (Budget) as they pursue "Righteous Personal Finance".  These proposed "eExchequer Services" could be a real blessing in providing available internet/computer assistance along these lines.

    Who would be responsible for such "eExchequer Services" ? (2)

     My prayer is that an existing reputable organization would catch this vision and be responsible for this proposed remote "eExchequer Services Online Accounting" endeavor.  A often viable option is for the Ministry's Accounting firm to provide such remote services described here. I have some ideas about who might provide such "eExchequer Services;    Please let me know at Jim@bcidot.org  if you have any suggestions or want to discuss this with me. Thank you.         

    What about the use of Volunteers in this "eExchequer Services" effort ?

    This is one of the main reasons I am so much in favor of such an endeavor.  It is also my prayer that the entity who provides this proposed "eExchequer Services," would do this almost exclusively via remote Volunteers as they locate, remotely train and supervise such folk like "Retired Keenagers" and "Moms at Home"   (some Moms may need to earn wages while working remotely from their home, etc.)   Such an effort would also include anyone who wants to assist in this remote Ministry in spite of their physical limitations; please Click Here for information about someone who is virtually deaf.  Please be sure that all involved have an understood list of "Tasks and/or mutual expectations."

    What would some of the "eExchequer Services" reports look like?

    These reports would likely flow through the ""Web Based or  Online App" systems using software known as QuickBooks (QBs).   Please Click Here and go to a link list of QBs Ministry Finance report samples within  www.bcidot.org .   Please Click Here for samples of BLVR'S  reports.   Also go   Here  and  Here  and search for more samples.

    Please give me some specific uses of such "Internet Financial Services" (1)

    SEE SOME ARTICULATED SCENARIOS BELOW:

                      Name:                                                 See link sources below:      

       Mom at Home and Small Ministries               www.bcidot.org/jrnl/0208-03.html#1 
       Retiree & Internet Financial Services              www.bcidot.org/jrnl/0204-03.html#3
       Internet Church Financial Services                 www.bcidot.org/chu/5109-99.html
       After the Fact (ATF) Acctg System & Links     www.bcidot.org/qbuxbox/generic/ATF-Links.html   
       Mom-Pop -  smaller Ministries  & QBOE         www.bcidot.org/jrnl/0205-08.html#01                

                ABOUT CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES:     
             
          Online (Web-Based) Ministry
                  Finance Applications                           www.bcidot.org/all/0175-99.html
          e-Accounting - General                              www.cpaasp.com/html/accountingstation.html
          e-Accounting - QuickBooks (QB)              www.cpaasp.com/html/quickbooks.html
          e-Accounting - Articles                                www.cpaasp.com/html/articles.htm
          QuickBooks Online Edition:                         www.bcidot.org/web/0801-01.html
          Ministry BuxBox Acctg  via QBPro              www.bcidot.org/all/0002-99.html      
          Brads Nests of Bees                                         www.rpfin.org   
          Spending Controls                                          www.qbuxbox.org

 ABOUT CHRISTIAN BLVRS                 

QuickBooks (QB) Online Edition:              www.bcidot.org/web/0821-09.html
BLVR Bux Box Acctg via QBPro:                www.bcidot.org/rpf/eEnv&QBuxBoxLinks&Resources.html   
eEnvelopes - Mvelopes                              www.bcidot.org/fwi/0928-03.html  

ABOUT DONATION ACCOUNTING ETC

           Within context of the remote use of
       DonaMail,  please see the list of
       providers  found at:                                       www.bcidot.org/all/0078-77.html   

K E E P   L O O K I N G   U P !!

           Click here  for a list of of our "For What it is Worth" Editorials or Online documents.

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UPTD: July 12, 2008

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