During my (Chuck Rowe) time as CEO of a nonprofit, our organization went above and beyond to make sure our spending was done was transparent as possible. Building and keeping community trust was a priority. At first going through the steps below felt strange. It felt like extra work and that board and staff might not trust each other. We quickly learned that it was not about us. It was about securing the trust of the community for decades to come. No mishandling of funds were going to happen on OUR watch.

Enjoy our poem below, on steps we took on making sure we stayed on task with having clean audits every year. If you have more questions please contact us at www.midweststudiesgroup.com.

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When I was CEO, we set the gold standard, auditor said no other non-profits could've handled, Our clean spending, transparent and tight, every dollar in the light, no shadows in sight.

Checks every two weeks, we made it a breeze, CEO and a board member signed, yes please, Doesn’t matter ten bucks or ten grand in hand, Accountability strong, together we stand.

Some CEOs hate, think it’s a hassle, But we took the work, wore transparency’s mantle, Credit card logs showed every spend, Finance Committee checked monthly, questions in hand.

Purchase requests in the budget’s lane, But unexpected wants, board approval gained, Some think it’s a bind, a hassle to find, But I’d trade that for clean audits, peace of mind.

Petty cash was a thing of the past, checks and credit use instead were cast, Staff might gripe, think it takes too long, But transparency’s rhythm is our song.

Oversight’s on us, CEO and the board, Stories of mishandling? We can’t afford, Did we go above and beyond? Oh yes indeed, Clean audits, community trust, that’s our creed.

So take those steps, build trust, not just a façade, Protect the organization, for future squads, It’s not about you, it’s the legacy’s tone, Transparency today, secure the unknown.