Finance Committee

Committee Members:
Pat Lenz, Secretary
Ann Massel, VP
Guido Kelly, President
Paul Beamish, Treasurer

Mandate:
The Finance Committee has the responsibility for advising the Board on all financial matters, including overseeing the development and maintenance of such accounting and reporting systems and such control systems and practices as are appropriate for the effective monitoring and management of the Corporation’s finances and physical assets, including the recording of receipts and disbursements, deposit of money and the safekeeping of securities; recommending investment policies; evaluating public accountants to be proposed for appointment by the membership, negotiating and recommending auditor fees; and all government financial reporting requirements.
(Bylaw #5 of Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Ontario Regional Council)

Activity during 2025: The Finance Committee met regularly (4 times, mainly in back half of year) by electronic means and completed the following activities for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2025.

• monitored financial health of corporation
• developed and approved 2026 budget
• created and approved new policies & procedures (expenses for Board & Committee chairs, insurance for isolated conferences) and proposed others (Cf. Focus … for 2026)
• revitalized Committee with activity and monthly meetings after several years of hibernation
• moved accounting software from QuickBooks desktop to QuickBooks online allowing for more users to have access
• created a Role and Responsibility document to help with hand over of role, this was missing; there was no handover of responsibilities to current Treasurer
  
  Focus of activity for 2026:
  

• finalize several procedures under development (acknowledgment letter; pass downs, mileage) for Board approval & implementation
• current Chair tenure is completed this year; need a new Treasurer and Committee Chair
• clean handover

Paul Beamish, Chair
Finance Committee of SSVP Ontario Regional Council

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