Finance and Property Management

Go to:  Nonprofit Status  ~  Guidebooks  ~  Financial Controls & Audits  ~ Property Management  ~  Data Management  ~  Massachusetts specific

Nonprofit Status

• How Can I Prove that My Church is a Non-Profit?
   

Guidebooks

• Revised Edition of the Church Finance Handbook -  access a free pdf download
  Published by the historic Massachusetts Conference - 2018
   
•  Your Church: Employer and Small Business
  Published by the Insurance Board - 2018. Includes information on: Employment Policies, Benefits & Insurance, Tax Exempt Status, Governance, Insurance & Risk Management 
   
• Tools for Effective Local Church Management
  Developed through a project of the historic Connecticut Conference to help strengthen local church ministry

• UCC Pension Boards 2023 Tax Guide for Ministers for filing 2022 tax returns 
   

Financial Controls and Audits

• Financial Best Practices Questionnaire​
•  
• Checklist of Financial Controls to help prevent employee dishonesty claims.
  Published by the Insurance Board
   
• Audit Committee Handbook  Comprehensive guide for Church Audit Committees
  Published by the historic Massachusetts Conference
   
• Audit Program for Internal Auditors of Churches 
  Published by the historic Connecticut Conference
   

Property & Office Management

• United Church of Christ Insurance Boards - Property and liability insurance coverage for churches. 
  As a United Church of Christ congregation, you are automatically a member of the Insurance Board. You are entitled to the Insurance Board's many resources, consultation services, and programs that can help prevent a loss from ever happening.  Access Insurance Board representative contact list here.
   
• Cornerstone Fund  Loans to local churches for capital improvements.
   
• Annual Assessment Tool for Congregations
   
• Cell Tower Leases - - Do’s and Don’ts for Churches Published by the Insurance Board
   
• Energy Star for Congregations  Helping congregations cut energy costs up to 30% .

• Interfaith Power & Light (national)
  • Mass Interfaith Power and Light  
  • RI Interfaith Power and Light
     

​Data Management

• Church Management Software - resources for finding the best database/financial software for your church
   

Massachusetts Specific Resources

• Property Taxation of Church Real Estate 
   
• Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act
   
• ​Regulations on the Protection of Personal Information
   

• Donor-Restricted Gifts: visit this Mass.Gov page to learn when it is possible to modify the restrictions or purpose placed on an institutional fund, and the necessary steps to take. (Law took effect in 2011)

Coin Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash