Piedmont Conservation Council Case Study
CASE STUDY:
PIEDMONT CONSERVATION COUNCIL RESTORES FINANCIAL OUTLOOK WITH THE HELP OF GOOD STEWARD FINANCIAL COMPANY, LLC
Executive Summary
Piedmont Conservation Council (PCC) — a nonprofit focused on environmental education, water quality, and stream restoration — sought the services of Good Steward Financial Company, LLC, when Ginell Rogers first stepped into the role of Executive Director and recognized a need for assistance with easy-to-read financial reports, suggestions regarding cash flow, and assistance establishing project needs. The nonprofit had grown to manage more projects and needed an upgraded software to assist staff in tracking project data, tracking spending, and planning strategically for the future. Good Steward Financial Company stepped in, coaching PCC staff and board members on how to reclassify project funding for easier reimbursement processing and future planning.
WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO ANALYZE SPENDING, THE NONPROFIT HAD A DIFFICULT TIME BUDGETING AND FORECASTING FOR FUTURE PROJECTS.
The Story of Piedmont Conservation Council
Since 2019, PCC has been a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization that operates as a Resource Conservation & Development Council under the Agriculture Act of 1962 within the Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It operated previously as a 509(a)(1), receiving a substantial part of its financial support in the form of contributions from publicly supported organizations, a governmental unit, or the general public.
In 2021, PCC currently administers 14 projects across 10 North Carolina counties including agricultural preservation and development, creek-stream restoration and enhancement, and grant management with support from state and federal grants. PCC continues to stay community based and regionally focused, establishing partnerships in Wake and Alamance counties and giving residents the opportunity to grow their own produce on farmland and sell it in local food markets.
As the nonprofit continues to grow and handle more projects, project expansion, timely reimbursement and effective reporting will continue to remain a priority.
“Good Steward Financial Company was very patient and provided hands on training to us, which was so needed.”
Ginell Rogers, CEO
The Challenges Facing Piedmont Conservation Council
“I believe we need software to help keep a better account on grant requirements and funding reimbursements as the agency continues to grow” says Rogers. “PCC’s grown from handling two to five projects to handling 14 projects, and it takes more to manage and is more challenging to account for.”
Why Piedmont Conservation Council Chose Good Steward Financial Company
Rogers chose Good Steward because Jasmine and her team came highly recommended. Three different individuals had referred Rogers to Jasmine, but what sealed the deal was the recommendation from another Executive Director who was new to an organization and shared similar challenges to those PCC faced.
“The way to keep a nonprofit in business is by understanding its financial infrastructure. One has to understand the flow of revenue and expenses being paid from multiple resources to assist in making informed decisions about operating projects and programs. Understanding PCC’s financial infrastructure helps me to keep the governing Council aware of successes and challenges before they occur. Coming in as a new leader, it was important for me to have outside guidance to communicate this infrastructure to all members and staff while learning how I can help the agency move forward in their growth.”
How Good Steward Financial Company Responded
When Rogers reached out to the Good Steward Financial team, she had needed outside guidance to assist with reclassifying accounting data to paint a better financial outlook on paper.
The Good Steward team immediately put her at ease, coaching her step-by-step to know what to look for and how to process what she saw. The team quickly cleaned up the QuickBooks records, reclassifying the data so PCC could pull accurate reports and plan accordingly. Finally, Good Steward trained Rogers, her staff, and the board on using QuickBooks, classifying transactions, and inputting new information.
Our Board members were very excited to see the results of the quickbooks cleanup — Cleaner Data, A Better Financial Picture.
The Results
With more accessible data that’s organized and appropriately classified, the financial outlook for PCC has become clearer, making budgeting and strategic planning easier now than ever.
“We’ve been so pleased with the work Good Steward has done for us, ” says Rogers. “Our board members were also very excited to see the results of the QuickBooks cleanup — cleaner data, a better financial picture.”
If your QuickBooks records are messy and difficult to understand, reach out to the GoodSteward Financial team to see how we can help you clean up your record keeping for a more accurate financial outlook. Schedule your FREE consultation today.
